A Christian Devotional

[Shammu]

Learn to lead!

Revelation 5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

We came across this interesting story, written by Steve Brown of Key Biscayne Florida.

In the eleventh century, King Henry III of Bavaria grew tired of court life and the pressures of being a monarch. He made application to Prior Richard at a local monastery, asking to be accepted as a contemplative and spend the rest of his life in the monastery. "Your Majesty," said Prior Richard, "do you understand that the pledge here is one of obedience? That will be hard because you have been a king." "I understand," said Henry. "The rest of my life I will be obedient to you, as Christ leads you." "Then I will tell you what to do," said Prior Richard. "Go back to your throne and serve faithfully in the place where God has put you." When King Henry died, a statement was written: "The King learned to rule by being obedient."

We are kings and priests! Furthermore, the Bible says that one day we will rule with Him! We need to get ourselves ready!

Are you weary of parenting, ministering, praying or whatever other assignments the Lord has given you for this season of your life? Please, be encouraged! God expects us to be faithful where he puts us, even in the small things. Stay strong in the Lord! God is preparing us for great things -- and our efforts for Him will not go unnoticed!

[Shammu]

Can you give me a hand in the kitchen?

Eph 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

In the famous Louvre Museum in France, there is a painting by Bartolome Murillo called, "The Miracle of San Diego". In the painting, two noblemen and a priest enter a kitchen and watch the kitchen maids at work. One handles a pot, another a cut of meat, another a basket of vegetables, and one tends the fire. The men look surprised to find that the maids are not people but actually angels.

I like this. These weren't just kitchen help -- they were angels! All of us have a job to do, be it in our warehouses, our offices or our kitchens. Even the Lord Jesus was a carpenter by trade!

Not every one is called to go abroad into the mission field but I can tell you this. We are all called to be a missionaries! We are all called to spread the wonderful truth of God's great mercy toward us everywhere we go!

God has each of us placed where we are for a specific reason -- to fulfill the great commission! Let's pray and ask the Lord how we can best fulfill the great commission where we are and allow the Lord to show us how we can impact our world for the Kingdom today!

[Shammu]

Oh baby!

Genesis 16:1-2 Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.

The baby that came into the world through the scenario above was named Ishmael. According to Islamic belief, it was Ishmael that was offered as a sacrifice by Abraham, and through him that they became the rightful inheritors of the promises of God. In other words, Ishmael was the seed through which Islam was born. Hmmm.

Sometimes God allows us to be in a barren place for a purpose. Perhaps we're longing for a child, a spouse, a house, a job, a ministry, a new church building, a trip we've wanted to take. Whatever it is, we have to remember that God has His perfect purposes for these difficult times!

When we go ahead of God, we make babies born in the flesh just like Ishmael. But when we wait for God's perfectly appointed time, a baby is born in the Spirit. That's what I want. I want to do things in God's timing -- not my own! I want the Lord to develop the patience in me that can wait for His perfect will to be done! How about you?

We all face hardships and difficult decisions today. God has given us the power to do things in our flesh to acquire them -- and let me tell you, sometimes I sure do wish He hadn't. But let's give these things to the Lord today and allow Him to provide for us in His perfect way and timing. There's so much work to be done!

[Shammu]

Come on in!

Hebrews 10:19-22 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

Not long ago, we went to see a life-size replica of the tabernacle in the desert, a couple hours from where we live. It was really fascinating. As we went into the Holy of Holies, the guide shared something I never heard before.

According to Jewish tradition, even to this day, when a son dies, his father tears his shirt as a sign of his agony and mourning. You can see this at traditional Jewish funerals worldwide.

Years ago, right when His Son Jesus died, His Father tore His veil. It is because of His great mercy toward us, that He allowed His Son to die for our redemption. And the tearing of that veil allows us to enter the Holy of Holies and fellowship with Him. Hmm. Goosebumps.

Today, we can come to the throne boldly -- not because of anything we've done --but because of God's wonderful compassion. Let's enter the Holy place with the Lord today -- worship Him and thank Him, boldly make our requests known and expect Him to do great and mighty things!

[Shammu]

You're covered!

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Have you ever heard how a pearl is formed? It is truly fascinating. A foreign object, often a grain of sand, somehow makes it's way into the tightly sealed crack of an oyster. Instead of spitting out this irritating object, the oyster covers it with layer upon layer of a substance secreted from it's own body. After months or even years, a beautiful pearl is formed. The longer the pearl stays in the oyster, the more valuable it becomes.

What a picture of God's mercy toward us! The Lord doesn't spit us out when we come to Him! "We are accepted in the beloved!" God has every right to cast us out because of our sin but instead, He brings us into His body and covers over our sin with His beautiful covering!

When God found us we were nothing more than an irritation but by His grace He keeps us under His covering, so that we can be made into something value to His Kingdom! God is using our time now under His covering to conform us into His image!

Let's cherish this time under God's covering and take this opportunity to grow more and more beautiful -- that we attract many for His Kingdom in these trying times!

[Maryjane]

VICTORY IN JESUS..MY SAVIOR FOREVER..
HE SOUGHT ME AND BOUGHT ME..
WITH HIS REDEEMING BLOOD...
HE LOVED ME AND I KNEW HIM
AND ALL MY LOVE IS DUE HIM..
HE PLUNGED ME TO VICTORY...
BENEATH HIS CLEANSING FLOOD...

[Shammu]

C'mon… it's just a joke!

James 3:5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!

How do you get a one-armed blonde out of a tree? Wave.

Ok, I have to admit -- it made me chuckle too. But blonde jokes, "name your ethnic group of choice" jokes -- let's be honest -- it is our human nature to put others down. There's something about it that makes us feel better about ourselves on some level.

Harmless? I'm not sure.

We need to develop eyes to see people the way God sees them. We need to be a people who build each other up – not tear each other down!

Let's ask the Lord to reveal if there is something in us that feels the need to put others down in order to elevate ourselves. We have the opportunity to change lives for the better with our words, sometimes even just a smile!

[Shammu]

Call the exterminator!

Revelation 9:5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.

Since our move to the Negev Desert in Israel, we've had the privilege of meeting many fascinating and somewhat disturbing desert species, some of which have unfortunately had to meet the exterminator. One of these is the scorpion. Scorpions are commonplace here. They can often even be found in the house and they aren't easy to kill. These little creatures have a knack for survival. I just recently read that scorpions have survived nuclear weapon testing! But more interesting is their method of devouring prey.

Scorpions use their fast acting venom to kill or paralyze their prey so that it can be rendered useless and eventually eaten. However, since they can only can only digest food in a liquid form, scorpions use external digestion, that is they spit digestive fluids onto the remains of their prey, which causes the their flesh to turn to liquid so they are able to suck up the resulting soup. It sounds repulsive, I know. And you're thinking "these things can be found in the house?!" But I couldn't help but see an analogy here.

I think all of us have some scorpions in our house! This precisely how our enemy likes to operate. Satan and his demons come out of the cracks in our walls and lure us with subtle temptations which eventually establish a foothold. Then they go for the kill. They inject us with their fast acting venom to paralyze us. Then they secrete the poison of sin and self justification and turn us to mush until they can finally suck all the life out of us.

I think we need to call upon the Exterminator today! Let's ask him to eradicate every crevice of our being, every area we've allowed these scary creatures to come in and gain control! There is hope! And there's so much work to be done!!

[Shammu]

Why a pearl?

Matthew 13:45-46 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

Recently, a jewler friend of ours sent us his beautiful interpretation of Jesus' parable of the pearl and we wanted to share it with you.

In Matthew 13, we see that a merchant sold all that he had to purchase a single pearl. But why, of all things, a pearl? As a jeweler, I would question the choice the Lord made -- choosing to leave the Father's side for a pearl instead of what I would think has much greater significance, the much coveted diamond. You may know that the diamond is graded in value according to the 4 C's, Cut, Color, Clarity & Carat-weight. The answer to my pondering was right there! The diamond receives a substantial portion of its value from the way a person cuts it -- the work of man's hand! Interestingly, the only natural gemstone that has more value when it is found than when men finish with it is the PEARL!

In the same way, we can add nothing to the work of Salvation! God has paid the price for us in full -- and a tremendous price it was. The God of glory, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords left all the splendor of Heaven to claim this pearl. And He gained it by paying a price that was far more precious than any of us could pay.

Sometimes we get so busy and we don't take time out consider this incredible work of God in our lives. He has bought us with a price. We are fully paid, fully ransomed, fully redeemed! We are the pearls of great desire! Let's walk in that victory today!

[Shammu]

Allow mourning to be turned to joy!

Isaiah 61:3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

This evening begins Tisha B'Av, the ninth day of the fifth month of the Hebrew calendar year. Some of you may know that a lot of bad things have happened to the Jewish people on this date, the first of which was when the spies returned with an evil report of Israel, written about in Numbers 13 and 14. Both the first and the second Temple were destroyed on this exact day, hundreds of years apart. The Crusades began on this day in 1095. The Jews were expelled out of England on this day in 1290. They were expelled out of Spain and Portugal on this day in 1492. And these are just to name a few!

Although these may be days of mourning, we who know our Messiah shall not mourn for long. Joy awaits us in our Father's arms for eternity. And while we should all be looking forward to that, we need to be crying out for Israel at this time -- especially with war on the horizon -- that her eyes would be opened to the truth and the everlasting joy we can have in Him!

[Shammu]

It's time to get up!

Hebrews 12:1-3 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

We read this story in an old edition of Quote Magazine recently and it was very encouraging for us.

"Hours behind the runner in front of him, the last marathoner finally entered Olympic stadium. By that time, the drama of the day's event was almost over and most of the spectators had gone home. This athlete's story, however, was still being played out.

Limping into the arena, the Tanzanian runner grimaced with every step, his knee bleeding and bandaged from an earlier fall. His ragged appearance immediately caught the attention of the remaining crowd, who cheered him on to the finish line.

Why did he stay in the race? What made him endure his injuries to the end? When asked these questions later, he replied, "My country did not send me 7,000 miles away to start the race. They sent me 7,000 miles to finish it!'"

That's right. We may be wounded right now from an earlier fall. We may feel like there's just no way you can make it to the end. But God didn't send us this far only to start the race -- He got us here to finish it! Now, let's get up! Brush off the dirt! And keep going! He will give us the strength!!

[Shammu]

Beware of the blade!

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Have you ever heard about how the Eskimos kill wolves? You're not gonna believe this one!

First the Eskimo coats the blade of his knife with animal blood and allows it to freeze. He then adds and freezes more layers of blood, several coats, in fact, until the blade is completely covered with frozen blood. Next, he plants his knife in the snow, the blade facing up and goes about his business.

When a wolf finds his way to the luring aroma of fresh blood, he starts licking. Then more and more vigorously, lapping it until the sharp blade of the knife is exposed. However, by this point, so intense is his craving for the scrumptious blood, that the wolf does not notice the sharp sting of the blade on his own tongue, nor does he even realize that his ravenous craving is now being satisfied by his very own blood! By light of dawn, the Eskimo will find him laying dead in the snow.

Sin entices and seduces us in precisely the same way. Satan lures us to the place where he plans to ravage us with some sort of destructive fleshly pleasure -- gossip, rage, sexual sin, etc. Once we give in to it's lustful pleasures, our craving for it increases. When we continue to allow ourselves to indulge, it grips us all the more. And before we know it -- it completely consumes us. Our friendships are damaged. Our marriages are broken. Our testimony, spoiled. Satan has come only to rob, kill and destroy.

Let's begin recognizing our enemy's tactics upon us! There is no more time to give in to his destructive ways! We must strive to walk in holiness and righteousness for the glory of God's Kingdom!

[Shammu]

Why be afraid?

Psalms 107:29 He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.

Richard Wurmbrand, a Romanian Jewish Believer and an amazing man of God, spent 14 years in communist prisons where he was tortured brutally for his faith and then lived to tell about it. In his book, The Oracles of God, he writes about acquiring inner peace and tells the following powerful story.

During a tempest at sea when a ship was being tossed to and fro by the angry waves, the wife of a naval officer asked her husband, "How can you be so calm in such a storm?"

The officer drew his sword, pointed it at his wife's breast, and asked, "Why are you calm and unafraid?" Surprised, she protested, "Why should I be afraid? The sword is in the hand of my husband who loves me too much to harm me."

Her husband smiled and said, "This is the source of my calm, too. The wind and the waves are in the hands of my loving Father. Why should I be afraid?"

You may be going through a storm right now. But let's remember that we're in the hands of our loving Father. He's right here with us and He's going to get us through.

[Shammu]

Keep your nose to the grindstone!

2 Timothy 2:20-22 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work. Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

They say you learn something new everyday. Well, silly as it may sound, I just recently learned what a grindstone is. A grindstone is a revolving disk made of stone which is used for grinding, polishing or sharpening. It can commonly be seen grinding down wheat or sharpening and polishing metal for various purposes.

At first glance, this information may not seem all that interesting to you. However, a wise man once compared life to a grindstone. He said -- whether life grinds us down or polishes us up depends on what we’re made of!

So… here’s a question. What are we made of? Is life grinding us down to pieces? Or is it polishing us up to make us better equipped to do the work of the Lord? I can tell you this -- we are not called to crumble apart like chaff under the grindstone! We are called be tools in our Master’s hand -- sharpened and polished beautifully for His use!!

Let’s commit ourselves to the Lord once again today. Let’s stop whining about our difficulties and allow God to use them to sharpen us for His glory! You know why, don’t you?

[Shammu]

Anyone need a shoe shine?

Matthew 6:4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

I came across this very powerful story about one of the most influential men of God in my life, D.L.Moody, in a book named A Call to Excellence by Gary Inrig.

A large group of European pastors came to one of D. L. Moody's Northfield Bible Conferences in Massachusetts in the late 1800s. Following the European custom of the time, each guest put his shoes outside his room to be cleaned by the hall servants overnight. But of course this was America and there were no hall servants.

Walking the dormitory halls that night, Moody saw the shoes and determined not to embarrass his brothers. He mentioned the need to some ministerial students who were there, but met with only silence or pious excuses. Moody returned to the dorm, gathered up the shoes, and, alone in his room, the world's only famous evangelist began to clean and polish the shoes. Only the unexpected arrival of a friend in the midst of the work revealed the secret.

When the foreign visitors opened their doors the next morning, their shoes were shined. They never knew by whom. Moody told no one, but his friend told a few people, and during the rest of the conference, different men volunteered to shine the shoes in secret.

Wow. I'm humbled, how about you? Many of us want to be great ministers for the Lord. We want our names and our works to be remembered. But let's never forget the true ministry of the Lord. Not only would have Jesus shined those shoes in secret, He would have returned to wash their feet too!

Have you been asking the Lord to use you? Here you have it! Shine some one's dingy shoes, give a gift to someone in need, love on someone hard to love -- but don't tell the world -- do it in secret! You can be sure that the Lord sees these things! And He will open up more opportunities for you to do even greater things for Him!