Friday, November 30, 2012

1Corinthians 5-8

Daily Reading
1Corinthians 5-8

Daily Thought

"You know that, as a Christian, you are freed from all these food restrictions, and that you can eat bacon or ham or whatever you like?" Once a Muslim, now a Christian, he was attending the men's breakfast, and we were inviting him to enjoy the bacon. 

He understood, "Yes, I know that. I know I am free to eat, but I am also free not to eat it. I go home to my family in Egypt once a year, and when I come up to my father's door, the first question he will ask me is, 'Have those infidels taught you to eat the filthy hog meat yet?' If I have to say to him, 'Yes, father,' I will be banished from that home and have no further witness in it. But if I can say, as I have always been able to say, 'No, father, no pork has ever passed my lips,' then I have admittance to the family circle and I am free to tell them of the joy I have found in Jesus Christ. Therefore I am free to eat, or I am free not to eat, as the case may be."

There are some things more important than knowledge. "'Knowledge' puffs up, but love builds up" (1Corinthians 8:1). 

Daily Thought

My God, You saved me. Not because I was good. Not because I was worth saving. You saved me, because You loved me. What an amazing love, too, because I did not love You. I was not good, nor was I godly, and yet You went to death for my life. Now, because of Your goodness, I am becoming like You. 

May I love others, as well, sacrificing my wants for their needs. Make my deepest desire be to do what is good for others.

Amen

Thursday, November 29, 2012

1Corinthians 1-4

Daily Reading
1Corinthians 1-4

Daily Thought

Paul insists that he and Apollos are but gardeners, "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth" (1Corinthians 3:6); nevertheless, people tend to neglect the one preached, showing favor to a preacher, "One says, 'I follow Paul,' and another, 'I follow Apollos'" (1Corinthians 3:4). That is our way, we champion the lesser, majoring on the minors, either sovereignty or free will, baptism by immersion or sprinkling, hymns or choruses, eternal security as opposed to losing your salvation, speaking in tongues or not, pre-, mid-, post-tribulation. We are Presbyterian or Methodist or Baptist or Lutheran or Episcopal or Pentecostal and we become divided. We brush aside the prayer of our Savior, "that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me" (John 17:21). 

And so Paul, "decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified" (1Corinthians 2:2). He championed Jesus, and it is in that alone that we are Christian, we are united, we are one.

Daily Prayer

You, O God, are One. Father, Son, Holy Spirit. The Lord our God. The Lord is one.

You told us we must be one, that we must love one another, that we must be united. That our joy in You is connected to our unity in Your Spirit. God, bring us together. Help me to recognize that our shared love for Jesus is stronger than any differences in theology or methods. 

Teach me humility and servanthood and love.

Amen

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Romans 14-16

Daily Reading
Romans 14-16

Daily Thought

Paul offers two principles, freedom and faith, at the same time conflicting and complementary. "One person believes he may eat anything" - freedom, for "I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself" (Romans 14:2, 14). "But it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean" - faith, or lack thereof, for "whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith" (Romans 14:14, 23). 

The ones who Paul describes as "weak in faith" (Romans 14:1) are strong in self-control, but lack freedom. Their restriction on diets and days betrays their Jewish heritage. Food was designated clean or unclean, and feasts and fasts filled the Hebrew calendar. Though followers of Christ, it is hard to let go of the past, so Paul warns them against judging the Gentiles who knew of no restrictions. At the same time, to the Gentiles he warns, you do not have to eat bacon just because you can, "for if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love" (Romans 14:15). The one who enjoys freedom harms the one who lacks faith by flaunting his freedom before him.

Martin Luther put it like this, "A Christian man is the most free lord of all, and subject to none. A Christian man is the most dutiful servant of all, and subject to every one"; which is to say, be like Jesus Christ, King of kings and servant to all. 

Daily Prayer

Father, use me to show You off, to help bring others to You and back to You. May I be careful about my influence, that I will not lead others astray or away. Give me an undivided heart, a life that reflects Your character, and a deep love for others. 

Amen

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Romans 11-13

Daily Reading
Romans 11-13

Daily Thought

Paul is "not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes" (Romans 1:16), and in this letter to the Romans, he has taken us, his readers, from the pit of sin to the pinnacle of grace, "Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!" (Romans 11:33). Reflecting on God's goodness compels worship and response, and Paul calls upon us "to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world," he implores, "but be transformed" (Romans 12:1-2).

A caterpillar is earthbound. "And then, God causes an amazing thing to happen," the science professor's eyes flashed delight as he shared with his students the wonder of metamorphosis. "Inside a cocoon, the digestive juices go to work. The caterpillar eats itself from the inside out, transforming its body into something new."

"Where do the wings come from?" asked Mary.

He smiled, "This part is really cool. When the caterpillar digests itself, it produces waste. That waste is the building material that becomes the wings of the butterfly."

"So, then, that means," Matt's head wrinkled as he put this together, "God can take the waste in my life and make something beautiful out of it."

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come" (2Corinthians 5:17). And the butterfly can fly.

Daily Prayer

Lord God, You created me once, and I messed it up. Then You created me again. Thank You for Your patience and Your love. Thank You for second chances.

I will do what I should have done the first time. I am Yours, God. I sacrifice all of my control to You. I love You heart, soul, mind, and strength. Every bit of me. I am ready to fly - whatever You will, I will.

Amen

Monday, November 26, 2012

Romans 8-10

Daily Reading
Romans 8-10

Daily Thought

Paul presents to the world a straight forward declaration of salvation, "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved" (Romans 10:9-10); and then he asks a critical question of the church, "How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?" (Romans 10:14).

She was in line to see the filming of a TV show in Los Angeles. Striking up a conversation with the guy behind her, it turned spiritual, and he began sharing good news with her of salvation on Jesus Christ. But she had questions. "What does your God do about people who have never heard of him?" she asked.

"And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent?" (Romans 10:14-15).

"You are from Uzbekistan, no?" he asked. She nodded. "Here you are in America, from the former Soviet Union, standing in line to see The Price is Right. Me, too, but I am from El Salvador. Is it possible God brought a girl from one part of the world and me from the other side of the world to the exact same place at the exact same moment so she could learn that Jesus Christ died for her?"   

"As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!'" (Romans 10:15).

"I can't tell you what God does for everyone else, but I think I know what he is doing for you right now."

Daily Prayer

My God, You left Your throne and looked for me and found me and saved me. I wasn't even looking for You. You came to seek and to save the lost and that was me. Your love is amazing. 

May I be one who seeks others, too. May I have lovely feet, feet that go wherever You lead and speak lovingly and boldly of the good news, the best news in this world. 

Amen

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Romans 4-7

Daily Reading
Romans 4-7

Daily Thought

You could attempt to not sin.  Benjamin Franklin tried, and recorded the effort in his autobiography, "It was about this time I conceiv'd the bold and arduous project of arriving at moral perfection. As I knew, or thought I knew, what was right and wrong, I did not see why I might not always do the one and avoid the other."  He made a chart of virtues: Temperence, Silence, Order, Resolution, Frugality, Industry, Sincerity, Justice, Moderation, Cleanliness, Tranquility, Chastity, Humility.  He recorded his success (and failure): Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and "was supris'd to find myself so much fuller of faults than I had imagined."  In the words of the apostle Paul, "I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing" (Romans 7:19).  

Our sin is not just personal, but ultimate, against God our Creator, who made us in his image to be holy, and "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23), eternal separation from God. So Paul cries, "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" (Romans 7:24).  Good question.  Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.(Romans 7:25; 8:1). Good answer.  

Daily Prayer

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. We worship You, adore You, praise You. But how, then, do we approach You? For we are not holy. Far from it.

By the blood of Jesus Christ, who bore our sins, we are made righteous with his righteousness. We may approach You, O God, with confidence, through a holiness not of our own, but through our Savior, our Lord, our God, Jesus Christ.

Amen

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Romans 1-3

Daily Reading
Romans 1-3

Daily Thought

Paul has longed to share the Gospel with the Romans, "for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek" (Romans 1:16). By Greek, Paul means Gentiles, the non-Jews, including Romans. Speaking to the Romans of a Jewish Savior, Paul begins with something they have in common, with the world they can see, in order to explain the unseen, "for what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made" (Romans 1:19-20). 

I looked up the science of a sunset. The intense red and orange hues of the sky at sunrise and sunset are mainly caused by scattering of sunlight by dust particles, soot particles, other solid aerosols, and liquid aerosols in the Earth's atmosphere. The Raleigh equation along with Mie theory employing discrete dipole approximation will mathematically account for the enhancement of the colors. Okay. Then I looked at the sunset. 

The sky unfolding in front of me, colors stroking the heavens, I called my wife and holding her hand, we gazed. Whatever she was doing will wait, because the world has stopped, and we survey the skies, taking time to taste the wonder of the Almighty. "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge" (Psalm 19:1-2). There is much more going on than simple science.

Daily Prayer

Wonderful God, what an incredible creation. The splendor, the spectacular array of colors, shapes, aromas. They speak of Your majesty, Your artistry, Your creativity, Your wisdom, Your power. All of creation glorifies You.

You have called me Your "poema," Your workmanship, Your poem. God, when I look at each person You created, I see a work of art. Your work. My Creator, I pray I will always treat Your workmanship with love and respect, appreciating the wonder of Your handiwork in each and every one of us. I stand and gaze and marvel at Your creation. I worship You. Oh my God, my Creator, my Savior, Heavenly Father, Lord. What a life! You are wonderful. 

Amen

Friday, November 23, 2012

Acts 27-28

Daily Reading
Acts 27-28

Daily Thought

At long last, Paul arrived in Rome and lived there "two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance" (Acts 28:30-31). Acts doesn't end, it stops. The acts of the disciples continue, but Luke is done writing. He leaves Paul telling all who will hear of the wonders of Jesus Christ. Paul, under house arrest in Rome, was chained to a guard, but the gospel, writes Luke, was unhindered. Rather, it may better be thought of as the guards of Rome were chained to Paul. Think of all they must have heard, a captive audience to Paul's proclamation.  

Daily Prayer

Father God, may we set our eyes on Christ, Your Son. Jesus. The Name above all names. The One who saves us. May I let go of my ways, submitting to You. It is by Your grace that I am saved. Your gospel, Your goodness, Your glory.

May I speak of You at all times, seeing opportunities when no one would think they exist. The chains of Rome did not stop the gospel, nor should anything stand in my way. May I be bold, continuing the acts of the disciples into the 21st century.

Amen

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Acts 24-26

Daily Reading
Acts 24-26

Daily Thought

Paul well summarized his life's purpose to the elders in Ephesus, "I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24). To this cause, Paul saved many, and angered more, especially the Jews in authority. They tried to silence the gospel by crushing Paul in court, but their efforts ended up lifting Paul to his biggest stage, bringing him before the governor of Judah, the King of Judah, and ultimately Caesar of Rome. 

The charges against Paul were summarized by Governor Festus: the chief priest and leaders of the Jews "had certain points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive" (Acts 25:19). The cross has always been the crux of the matter; if it was the end of Christ, it was the end of Christianity; but if Jesus lives, Jesus reigns, over governors and kings and Caesars. C.S. Lewis rightly said, "Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important."

Daily Prayer

Savior God, there is no other Name than Jesus Christ by which we are saved. Jesus, Your Son, left heaven, came to earth, sacrificed His life, saved many. But not all. Some say no.

Thank You for displaying Your love to me in such a way that my will wilted and I could do nothing else but embrace You. Your grace compelled me to make You Lord and Savior. God, in my life and the lives of all who call You Lord, may Your grace be displayed, and cause all who see it to bend their knees and call You Savior.

Amen

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Acts 21-23

Daily Reading
Acts 21-23

Daily Thought

A movement called the "Way" honored Jesus as God and Savior, and Paul, a good Jew, "educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers" (Acts 22:3), thought Jesus a fraud and knew what he should do to honor God. "I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women" (Acts 22:4). 

Then Jesus showed up. A bright light streaming from heaven flooded Paul's path of persecution, blinding him to the visible world, yet opening his eyes to things unseen. Paul first asked, "Who are you, Lord?" and was introduced him to the same Savior he had been persecuting, Jesus raised in Nazareth, now on the throne of heaven. Once you have asked that question, and know the answer, a second must follow, "What shall I do, Lord?" (Acts 22:10). Blind Paul had never seen more clearly.

Daily Prayer

God, open my eyes to the Truth. Do not let be enamored and deceived by what glitters in this world, but may I always delight in the glory of heaven. I know who You are, because You made Yourself known. I'm now responsible for what I know, but it is no burden, it is the greatest privilege and pleasure of my life. I now look to You to show me what to do, and whatever You say, I will say, "Yes"; wherever You lead, I will go. 

Amen

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Acts 18-20

Daily Reading
Acts 18-20

Daily Thought

Paul, in a city of idols, proclaimed that "gods made with hands are not gods" (Acts 19:26), and many turned away from idolatry. But idols were good business. The temple of Artemis located in Ephesus profited the craftsmen of the town, so Demetrius, a silversmith, called his fellows together with a warning, "there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be counted as nothing" (Acts 19:27). Which one concerned him more, he does not say. 

This is the collateral "damage" of Christianity. When revival struck Wales in 1904, over one hundred thousand suddenly put their trust in Jesus Christ. It was reported that crime slowed to a standstill. Judge Sir Marchant Williams observed that his work was much lighter, especially regarding drunkenness and related offenses. The police force had time to form a choir and sang at revival meetings. Taverns and brothels were deserted because churches were packed. Coal miners stopped cursing and their donkeys and mules stopped obeying instructions. They could not understand the kind and gentle words of their masters. 

The good news of Jesus Christ is bad for business if your business depends on bad. 

Daily Prayer

Lord God, you are the King of kings. May Your Kingdom be established on earth. Your grace has changed my heart. May it change my community. May "In God We Trust" become a reality in this country. But first, may it be a reality in Your church. Purify Your people God, so that we might be a light and a blessing to the world. 

Start with my heart, God. Create in me a clean heart, fully devoted to You.

Amen

Monday, November 19, 2012

Acts 16-17

Daily Reading
Acts 16-17

Daily Thought

Jail became common to the disciples, and outcomes were unpredictable; Herod killed James, an angel rescued Peter (Acts 12:1-7). So when Paul and Silas were thrown into prison, it was no surprise to find them praying deep into the night. But if you think they were praying for their protection and escape, you'd be wrong.

The jailer was ordered "to keep them safely" (Acts 16:23), so when an earthquake struck, releasing their bonds and opening the gates of their cells, "he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped" (Acts 16:27). Instead, Paul and Silas had not only stayed in their cell, they convinced the other prisoners to remain, as well. When the jailer saw this, he asked, ""Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" While sitting in jail, their future in doubt, that is what Paul and Silas had prayed for, and the jailer "was baptized at once, he and all his family" (Acts 16:33).

Daily Prayer

Heavenly Father, my time is not as important as someone's eternity, my safety not as important as their salvation. May my prayers and my priorities reflect the values of heaven, and may my life point others to my Lord. 

I trust you fully, and that changes my attitude about everything and everyone. Teach me to love others more, to live boldly, to share freely, to serve like my Savior.

Amen 

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Acts 14-15

Daily Reading
Acts 14-15

Daily Thought

At the conclusion of chapter 14 of Acts, Paul and Barnabas arrive at the church in Antioch and "declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles" (Acts 14:27). But first read the chapter.

At Iconium, they spoke in the synagogue and many believed, both Jew and Gentile, "but the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers" (Acts 14:2). The city became divided by the gospel, and those against threatened to stone Paul and Barnabas, so they fled to Lystra, where they spoke of Jesus, but the crowds were superstitious and saw Zeus and Hermes in their miracles. The people began to call Barnabas Zeus and Paul Hermes and worship them, and though they protested, the gospel of Jesus was drowned out by the people's passion for their Greek gods. Then the Iconium Jews caught up with them and persuaded the crowd to stone Paul, and they dragged him out of the city and left him for dead, but he got right back up and went back into the city. They just kept going, traveling from Derbe to Pisidia to Pamphylia to Attalia, finally arriving in Antioch, where somehow they neglected to mention the rejection and the fighting, the superstitions and the stonings, and instead "declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles" (Acts 14:27).

That's how a rag-tag bunch of disciples turned the world upside-down. They weren't smart enough to know they couldn't beat the opposition, so they just kept going, and they just kept winning people to the Lord, and the good news of Jesus Christ spread "from Jerusalem to all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8).

Daily Prayer

My God, may I just keep going and going as I follow Your leading. Give me the passion and boldness to enter open doors and knock on closed ones. May I always remember what salvation did in my life, fanning the flames so that the fire for this world never dies within me. 

Keep me encouraged and enthusiastic, faithfully living and speaking grace and truth, and trusting You for changed lives. And then may I declare all that You have done.

Amen

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Acts 11-13

Daily Reading
Acts 11-13

Daily Thought

Herod the king discovered popularity with certain Jews by killing Christians, and so "he killed James the brother of John with the sword" (Acts 12:2). Peter was next, but it was not to be. God intervened; "an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, 'Get up quickly.' And the chains fell off his hands" (Acts 12:7). Peter was led past sleeping guards and open gates and deposited outside the jail and inside the city. 

It is a fair question to ask, why was Peter rescued and not James? Why one and not the other, why not both or neither? I do not know the answer to this, but I do know that neither was more important to God, nor more loved by God, because death is no worse a fate than life to the faithful, and both rest in the hands of God. 

Perhaps due to the death of James, when Peter was taken, "earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church" (Acts 12:5). Yet, when the servant girl told the disciples that Peter was outside the door, safe and unharmed, their response was a faithless "You are out of your mind" (Acts 12:15). Then they opened the door and were amazed. 

Pray and have faith, and if you find faith difficult, pray anyway. 

Daily Prayer

Father God, I know that You are faithful and true. I know that You can do all things. I know that what You promise will happen.

God, I have faith. Help me with my faith. May I trust You and live my life reflecting my faith and confidence in You. When I pray, may I not be amazed that You answer, but how You answer. 

Amen

Friday, November 16, 2012

Acts 9-10

Daily Reading
Acts 9-10

Daily Thought

Looking back, there was no better moment in Paul's life, but when it happened, Paul's life was turned upside down. Firm in his belief that he was serving God, Paul was pursuing Christians as far away as Damascus, a six-day journey. One saint in Damascus knew of his reputation, and prayed, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem" (Acts 9:13). Then the moment occurred, and the skies opened, and Paul looked upon the one he had believed a fraud, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting" (Acts 9:5). 

I came home from college the summer following my sophomore year, and ran into a friend from high school. His name was John, but we called him "Animal." An all-city nose guard, he was crazy on, and off, the football field. A wicked wit, he spoke in rhyme, funny and filthy. "Hey Animal," I smiled, anticipating a barrage of profanity, blasphemy, and debauchery. Instead, I got Grace. I got the Gospel. I got introduced to his friend, Jesus Christ. "John, what happened?"

"I got Jesus." Jesus got John.

Paul got the Gospel and Jesus got Paul. Repentance means to turn around, go the opposite direction. Paul repented. "All who heard him were amazed and said, 'Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name?' But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ" (Acts 9:21-22). Nice people make nice Christians, but watch what happens when God grabs a person of passion.

Daily Prayer

It's amazing grace, my God. I was a sinner, and You changed me. Now, I am a saint. May I never forget the transformation, and may I never tire of telling the story.

The goodness, the righteousness, the holiness of Your Son is now mine. I still sin, I know I do. But no longer am I a sinner. I am a child of God, not by anything I have done, but by the work of Jesus Christ. May the passion I used to display toward worldliness and wickedness be given to godliness all the more so. 

Amen

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Acts 7-8

Daily Reading
Acts 7-8

Daily Thought

Stephen was dragged into the council room, placed before the court, and asked questions about Jesus. He answered by opening the Scriptures and giving the chief priest and elders a lesson from their own history, from Abraham to Joseph to Moses to David. He then accused these "stiff-necked people" of following in the footsteps of their forefathers. "As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute?" (Acts 7:51-52). Their fathers killed the prophets, the council killed the Son of God, and now for his insolence, they would put Stephen to death. 

As they picked up stones to throw at him, Stephen looked up, and heaven was opened; and "full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God" (Acts 7:55). 

Go back a couple months, to the night before the cross. Jesus was on trial, in the same council room, before the same court, and the high priest asked if he was the Christ, the Messiah. For an answer, Jesus announced, "From now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God" (Luke 22:69). But he wasn't sitting now; he was standing, perhaps applauding. Stephen endured the wrath of the council to stand faithful before his Savior, and now his Savior stood for him. Stephen performed for an audience of one.

Daily Prayer

My Lord and my God, You have my allegiance. I am Your ambassador, and will stand on earth and represent You with all my heart and soul and mind and strength. I love You that much. At least I want to. My love fails at times, but You never fail, so strengthen me. I will stand, but please pick me up when I fall, hold me when I weaken. 

You began a good work in me, and I trust You to complete it. May I cast aside anything that slows or stops the progress. I long to see You standing, to hear You say, "Well done."

Amen

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Acts 4-6

Daily Reading
Acts 4-6

Daily Thought

For those who dispute that Jesus is the only way to salvation, Jesus sought another way, as well, praying, "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me" (Luke 22:42). But there wasn't another way and there isn't another Savior, and only Jesus died for our sins. Peter properly proclaimed, "There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). The Jewish religious leaders, thinking they had silenced Jesus in death, had only stirred up his followers, who saw their Savior rise, "and every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching" (Acts 5:42).

Now the leaders sought to silence the disciples, "We strictly charged you not to teach in this name" (Acts 5:28). 

For 80 years, the graduation ceremonies of Washington Community High School included a prayer, until 2001, when a lawsuit was filed and the court ruled, "No, you may not pray." That was the year prayer was silenced. Almost. Ryan stood at the podium, the final student speaker. Silent for a moment, he then opened his mouth to speak, but instead, "Ahh-choo," he sneezed. From out of the graduating class of 2001 came the response, when students shouted out the simple prayer, "God bless you."

Peter and John answered then as we must answer now, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard" (Acts 4:19-20). 

Daily Prayer

Lord God, I shout Your Name because You are worthy of praise. And if I don't, the rocks will cry out. Heaven and earth is full of Your glory. Creation itself declares loudly Your wonders, Your wisdom, Your beauty and grace, Your majesty.

Lord, may I be bold, may I say Your Name aloud because it is the Name of salvation, and because the world needs to be saved. How can I not speak of You? You are the good news of love to a lost world. 

Amen

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Acts 1-3

Daily Reading
Acts 1-3

Daily Thought

You would think seeing Jesus alive would fire up the disciples, empower them to take the good news of Jesus to the world. It simply didn't happen that way. After Jesus rose from the tomb, the disciples locked themselves in a room "for fear of the Jews" (John 20:19). Jesus appeared to them and showed them the nail holes in his hands and his side where the spear had pierced him. One week later, the disciples were in the same room, doors locked again. Jesus showed up again, same routine. What happened after that? "Simon Peter said to them, 'I am going fishing'" (John 21:3), and off they went.  

We are made in God's image, but we are dead in our sin and we must be awakened. We, too, must rise from the dead, and we don't summon that life because we experienced an event, no matter how dramatic. Our batteries are not drained, they are dead; they cannot hold a charge. God must reach inside us and renew our life. The book of Acts tells us what turned a bunch of faint-hearted followers into world-changing warriors. "Awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles" (Acts 2:43).

I pushed and pushed, trying to make the mower cut through the tall grass. My Dad came out, "Why are you trying so hard? Pull this lever up." I did. And the mower leaped forward. It was self-propelled. 

"Oh."

Jesus said to his disciples, "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8). When the day arrived, there was a rushing wind and tongues of fire appeared, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit. 

I'd been struggling with all my might to push the mower, but once I engaged the power, I just went along for the ride. "And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved" (Acts 2:46-47).

Daily Prayer

Father God, Your Son said that we, His followers, His church, would do greater things than He did. He saved the world. What could be greater? By the power of Your Holy Spirit, we take the message of Your salvation to the world. By that power, lives are changed. 

God, may I be faithful to follow Your Word, going to the world, in the power of Your Spirit, in the Name of Your Son, with the gospel of grace. I will be faithful to plant the seeds and water the soil. God, You make it grow. 

Amen

Monday, November 12, 2012

John 19-21

Daily Reading
John 19-21

Daily Thought

Following the resurrection, Jesus made appearances to some of his followers. The disciples, minus Thomas, were gathered in a room when Jesus appeared to them. Later, when Thomas showed up, their excitement was evident, "We have seen the Lord!"

People don't just rise from the dead, so it was understandable when Thomas challenged them, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe" (John 20:25). Richard Dawkins, biologist, atheist, and author of "The God Delusion," admires Thomas's skepticism, "Science is based upon verifiable evidence. Religious faith not only lacks evidence, its independence from evidence is its pride and joy, shouted from the rooftops. Why else would Christians wax critical of doubting Thomas? The other apostles are held up to us as exemplars of virtue because faith was enough for them. Doubting Thomas, on the other hand, required evidence."

Eight days later, Jesus appeared again, and this time Thomas was in the room. Jesus said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe" (John 20:27).

"Perhaps he should be the patron saint of scientists," Richard Dawkins suggests. Fair enough, Patron of Scientists, Saint Thomas, who upon looking at the evidence, bowed and worshiped, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28).

Daily Prayer

Heavenly Father, Risen Lord and Savior, bearing the marks still of the cross. You bore the cross, the pain of death, and the greater pain of sin, so that I might be saved. When Thomas looked at Your hands, he did not simply see proof of who You were. He saw proof of what You had done. For him. For me. For the whole world.

Thank You, Jesus, for seeking and saving me. Thank You for loving me. In the Name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and my God,

Amen

Saturday, November 10, 2012

John 13-15

Daily Reading
John 13-15

Daily Thought

The end was near, and by the end, I mean when Jesus would speak the words, "It is finished," and die for the sins of the world. He prepared his disciples now for what would follow, "that he had come from God and was going back to God" (John 13:3), so he grabbed a towel and began washing his disciples' feet. Peter, believing it undignified of Jesus to play the servant (because he thought himself undignified if he had done the same), told Jesus to stop, but Jesus corrected him. "If I do not wash you, you have no share with me" (John 13:8); if you are to be like me, Peter, you will serve others like I have served you (John 13:15).

Jesus explained he would soon leave them, and "where I am going you cannot come" (John 13:33). Last words are important words, and none more important than what followed, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:34-35). Peter missed the last words completely and returned to the first, "Lord, where are you going?" (John 13:36).

Sometimes, I think Jesus chose Peter because he would ask the questions that expose what all of us are thinking. How often we bicker about where Jesus is, or when he is coming back, neglecting the very thing he told us to do in his absence, to love one another, then wonder at the world's difficulty in recognizing his disciples.

Daily Prayer

God, Almighty, Powerful, Wonderful, and Wise, You are worthy of all praise. The whole world sings of Your glory.

And you got down on your knees and washed my feet.

And you got up on a cross and died in my place.

May I have that same attitude, one of humility and service. One of sacrifice. One of love. May the world know that You are God, my God, because I show them the same love You have shown me.

Amen

Friday, November 9, 2012

John 11-12

Daily Reading
John 11-12

Daily Thought

Home was heaven, but Jesus let go and came to a world of sin and hurt, suffering and injustice, and most of all, death. His friend Lazarus lay dead and the sisters suffered and the crowds cried. "How shall we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land?" wailed the song writer (Psalm 137:4), and Jesus, in a foreign world, wept, too. Nevertheless, when Martha asked of her brother's death, Jesus had the answer, "Your brother will rise again. I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live. Do you believe this?" (John 11:23, 25-26). Jesus, having come from heaven, knew the way home. Death could never end an eternity in God's glory, and because they believed, it would not be the end now. Jesus would show them the glory of God, though Lazarus lay dead four days, and in the words of King James, "he stinketh" (John 11:39 KJV). "Lazarus, come out!" he called in a loud voice. "Take off the grave clothes and let's go."

For you have delivered my soul from death,
    my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling;
I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.
~Psalm 116:8-9

This changes everything; it puts everything in the proper perspective of eternity. What comes from above is infinitely of more value, which makes the Pharisees the fools, "for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God" (John 12:43).

Daily Prayer

Father, it is good to sing praises of hope, because Your Son has rescued us. You have not left us in despair, in sin, in death, but You have given us the certainty of heaven, of home, of eternity in Your presence. Therefore, we sing with joy.

Your Kingdom has come. We live in a land foreign to our heavenly citizenship. May we serve the King of kings, so that the world may see what a wonder You are, share our hope, and sing. My God, I want to hear from You, "Well done, good and faithful servant." I so desire those words to sum up my life. That I would live in a manner that delights You, that brings You both pleasure and glory.

Amen

Thursday, November 8, 2012

John 9-10

Daily Reading
 John 9-10

Daily Thought

Jesus was accused of blaspheme because he claimed to be the Son of God. His response: just watch me and see if I don't look like my Father; "If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father" (John 10:37-38).

It's the Price voice; you know it when you hear it. My four children are playing in the family room when the front door swings open, "Hello!"  Four heads in unison whip around toward the door. "Daddy's home!"  Nope, it's Uncle Drew, my brother. They run and hug Uncle Drew, then go back to playing again. The front door swings open again, "Hello!" Four heads in unison whip around toward the door. "Daddy's home!" Nope, it's Grampa, my Dad. They run and hug Grampa, then go back to playing again.

The front door swings open once more, "Hello!" Four heads in unison whip around toward the door. "Daddy's home!" They run and leap into my arms. That voice. You can't tell which Price it belongs to, but you know it's a Price.

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me" (John 10:27). We know we are his Father's sheep when we recognize our Father in the voice of his Son.

Daily Prayer

Oh Lord, my God, I love to hear Your voice. The more time I spend listening to Your Word, the better I know You, the more I love You, the closer I follow You. In You I find my joy, my purpose, my delight.

Thank You for Your Son, because in Him you have been seen. Through Him, I am adopted in Your family. My prayer, O God, is that I will sound like You, look like You, act like You. That when people see and hear me, they think of You and are glad.

Amen

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

John 7-8

Daily Reading
John 7-8

Daily Thought

In describing Jesus, the writer of Hebrews observed, "We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15).

The scribes and the Pharisees had caught the woman in adultery and brought her before Jesus. "In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?" they asked (John 8:5). It was more a challenge; would he execute justice? Jesus bent down and began writing in the dirt. Many have guessed at what he wrote; I don't think it mattered. He simply took his time and unnerved her accusers, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her" (John 8:7). Only one person standing there could throw a stone, but he didn't. He was back writing in the dirt.

The rest, one by one, walked away. "Has no one condemned you?" Jesus asked. She shook her head no. "Neither do I," said the one who could have, "now stop sinning" (John 8:10-11).

"For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him" (John 3:17).

Daily Prayer

Father of grace and mercy, I have given You every reason to condemn me and cast me away. By Your mercy, you do not give me what I deserve, but have paid the penalty for me. By Your grace, you give me what I do not deserve and call me righteous and holy. A saint.

May I learn from Your grace and mercy and do the same in this world. May I be one who does not condemn, but restores. May I be one who gives grace and shows love to others, no matter what they deserve. May I love my friends and my enemies, my neighbor as myself.

Amen

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

John 5-6

Daily Reading
John 5-6

Daily Thought

Rumor of Jesus coming to town brought people out of their homes "and a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick" (John 6:2). Jesus put on a good show, the crowd was expectant, and again, Jesus did not disappoint. A boy with five loaves of bread and two fish provided all that Jesus needed to feed the thousands who had been listening to him teach. From a small basket with a few loaves and fish, Jesus kept pulling out more and more, passing them to the crowds until all had plenty with leftovers. Now they were following him, "not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves" (John 6:26).

So Jesus told them of a better bread, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst" (John 6:35). Jesus said he is bread from heaven, claiming God as his Father. The crowd disagreed, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?" (John 6:42). Jesus said, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever," and he invited them to "eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood" (John 6:51, 53). They knew what he meant, because they knew the Scriptures, "Man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord" (Deuteronomy 8:3). Jesus is that Word of God; and "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14).

The crowds had first followed because they were curious, then because Jesus was interesting, and finally because he filled their stomachs; but they were not prepared to call the son of a carpenter Savior and Lord. "After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him" (John 6:66). "You don't want to leave, too?" Jesus asked the Twelve. Peter shook his head for all of them, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life" (John 6:68).

Daily Prayer

My Lord and God, Author of Life. Everything about why I am here, You are the answer. I love You and promise to follow You. I know it will be hard, because Your truth is difficult. People want to do things their own way, and You demand that we follow You to find full and everlasting life.

I choose to stand for You, to stand with You, God. Thank You for standing with me, because really, I am not that strong. (You knew that already.) But, in the power of Your Spirit by the authority of Your Son, I will stand for Your truth and live a life fully committed to You.

Amen

Monday, November 5, 2012

John 3-4

Daily Reading
John 3-4

Daily Thought

Nicodemus came to Jesus at night, not to hide from his fellow Pharisees, as many have supposed, but because he was part of the darkness. John, the writer of this gospel, makes much of darkness and light. "In him was life," John introduces Jesus, "and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (John 1:4-5). Here stands Nicodemus at night, from the darkness, he approaches the light.

Jesus didn't even let him ask his question. All Nicodemus got out was the flattery, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him" (John 3:2), before Jesus cut him off and answered the question he should have been asking, "Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). Still dark, and Nicodemus said so. Jesus continued, "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit" (John 3:8). That didn't help. Nicodemus still couldn't see. "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up" (John 3:14). That made no sense whatsoever to Nicodemus, but he kept listening.

Then Jesus said it, that most famous of all Bible verses, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). And it was day.

Daily Prayer

God, there is so much evidence of You. Everywhere I look screams of Your wonder and majesty. How can I doubt? How can I walk away? How can I chase other gods? You are the Creator, the Everlasting God. In You I am done searching. You are my God.

Thank You for turning on the light. I can see again. I now know why I am here and what is ahead for me. I am a citizen of the Kingdom of God. What fear I in this world when I know the King?

Amen

Sunday, November 4, 2012

John 1-2

Daily Reading
 John 1-2

Daily Thought

13.75 billion years ago, the entire universe was compressed into a single point, then there was a very rapid expansion. That's an understatement. Physicist Stephen Hawking explains, "The Big Bang was the beginning of time. This means that questions such as who set up the conditions for the Big Bang are not questions that science addresses" (A Briefer History in Time).

The Bible, on the other hand, boldly addresses that question, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). Why does the Bible speak when Science is silent?

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made" (John 1:1-3).

The Bible had Somebody there.

Daily Prayer

King of kings and Lord of lords, Maker of the heavens and earth, the First and the Last, Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. You have made all things and in You all things hold together.

What a wonderful world made by a Wonderful Maker. And then You became flesh, human, one of us. We no longer knew You, so You became like us, Creator took the form of creation, so we could know You again. You must really love us.

Amen

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Luke 23-24

Daily Reading
 Luke 23-24

Daily Thought

The good news of God's Kingdom is "that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared" (1Corinthians 15:3-5), and among the first to see him were two disciples walking away from Jerusalem, away from the revolution that never materialized, away from the Kingdom come, to a little village called Emmaus. They knew enough to be confused and disheartened. The gifted, compassionate, compelling King of kings was put down by the rulers of Israel and crucified by Rome. Now, three days later, rumor of his rising notwithstanding, they were dejected and disheartened, wondering if good would ever win in this world.

Then, "Jesus himself drew near and went with them" (Luke 24:15). They were blind to a dead man risen in glory, so Jesus opened the Scriptures to open their eyes. Perhaps he began in the beginning, when God cursed the serpent, "he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel" (Genesis 3:15), explaining that the cross that bruised the heel of the Son dealt a deathly blow to Satan. Certainly, he spoke of the first Passover in Egypt, when the Jewish slaves painted lamb's blood on their door frames, and God said "when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you" (Genesis 12:13). He read to them from the Psalms, "You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession" (Psalm 22:7-8); and from the prophets, "He was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5). Page after page, the Old explained the New, and the disciples' eyes were opened and they saw their Savior, and they believed, "The Lord has risen indeed" (Luke 24:34). Good has triumphed because the King is alive, and they turned around and hustled back to Jerusalem, to the revolution.

Daily Prayer

My God and Savior, You took my sins to Your grave, received the wrath I deserved, and rose to give me hope of a future in God's Kingdom. Death need no longer be the end of hope, but only a pitstop into eternity. That gives me so much confidence, to live well and right, to follow You no matter, to stand with those who call You King.

Thank You for opening my eyes, showing me the truth and Your grace that causes me to repent, to turn around and join the revolution of grace which triumphs over evil and ushers in an eternal Kingdom of peace and righteousness. Shape me into a fit citizen of Your Kingdom.

Amen