Romans 6:22-23
But now that you’ve found you don’t have to listen to sin tell you what to do, and have discovered the delight of listening to God telling you, what a surprise! A whole, healed, put-together life right now, with more and more of life on the way! Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death. But God’s gift is real life, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our Master.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Someone posted a link on Facebook to a short video by Phil Robertson, creator of Duck Commander – now known by most via A&E’s television show, “Duck Dynasty”. If you have a chance, go to http://vimeo.com/75972095 and view this video for yourself. Robertson tells of the day when he answered his own phone, and the caller said he wanted to order a duck call. The conversation went something like this…
The customer said he needed to order a duck call. Robertson asked the guy, “Okay...What do you need?” Phil says, “In process of guy ordering the duck call, he used God's name in vain about five times... just while ordering a duck call.” He asked the man…”Why would you keep using God's name to curse this, that and the other... He's the only one who can save you from death... why invoke His name like that?” There was silence.
The man ordered his duck call and hung up… then about 10 minutes later, he called back and told Robertson that he had never considered this question before… and he asked if he could come over and visit. A week later, Robertson received a visit from this man and a friend, and the conversation continued. Robertson implies that the visit ended with an impromptu baptism in a nearby river. Several years later, Robertson was speaking at an event in Alabama, where he discovered that this customer was now a leader in the church that was serving as hosts.
The point of the video is that Robertson used his marketplace as a ministry. If you know anything at all about the Robertson family and “Duck Dynasty”, you know that they truly have built an empire. They have catapulted a simple idea into a multi-million-dollar enterprise, and the “Duck Dynasty” brand is now on everything from books, videos, clothing and fleece throws… to jewelry and yes - duck calls! There is even a “Duck Dynasty” department at Wal-Mart! Still, the Robertsons make frequent appearances across the country to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. From all accounts, they are the “real deal” for Jesus…and their “wealth” in Him far outweighs any monetary gain or fame they might have acquired.
“But I won’t ever be rich and famous like the Robertsons,” you may be thinking. “I won’t ever have the kind of national platform that they have… much less their wealth.” And you might be right! But don’t miss this… you are every bit as affluent as any one of the Robertsons when it comes to the riches of salvation! You can share in God’s gift equally with anybody else on the planet! And as someone who enjoys the “put-together life” in Christ, you have the ability to accomplish as much – or more - for the Kingdom of heaven as Phil Robertson and his family members!
But here’s the kicker… you have to choose to work hard for God’s real life instead of the life of sin… AND… you have to make a conscious effort to “share the wealth” with others. If you do this, you will be as “rich and famous” in God’s eyes as any of the “Duck Dynasty” clan ever thought about being. You will be wealthy and influential in a way that truly matters. If you turn every aspect of your life into a mission field, you won’t be able to spend all that God gives you! But the choice is totally yours. In the words of Phil Robertson, will you choose to be “Happy! Happy! Happy!” for Jesus? Or will you end up being just another “dead duck”?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label speaking life or death. Show all posts
Showing posts with label speaking life or death. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for November 15, 2012
Matthew 3:33-37
“If you grow a healthy tree, you’ll pick healthy fruit. If you grow a diseased tree, you’ll pick worm-eaten fruit. The fruit tells you about the tree.
“You have minds like a snake pit! How do you suppose what you say is worth anything when you are so foul-minded? It’s your heart, not the dictionary, that gives meaning to your words. A good person produces good deeds and words season after season. An evil person is a blight on the orchard. Let me tell you something: Every one of these careless words is going to come back to haunt you. There will be a time of Reckoning. Words are powerful; take them seriously. Words can be your salvation. Words can also be your damnation.”
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Several years ago, the father of a friend of mine passed away suddenly. My friend was understandably devastated. He was in his twenties at the time, and his dad had died at a very young age. At the funeral, a fellow church member approached my grieving friend and said, “It’s going to get a whole lot worse before it gets better.” I am fairly certain this person meant well… but those words rang in my friend’s ear… and some ten years later, I still remember the look on his face as he told me all of this. There are times when words truly can be our damnation. In other words, sometimes we should keep our thoughts to ourselves!
Whether this person meant to be helpful or not, his words were reckless. And we so often do this. Teachers ask children why they cannot make good grades or conduct themselves like their older brother or sister, not realizing the stress and pressure that this puts on a kid to live up to someone else’s expectations… real or imaginary. A single comment made to someone about an aspect of his/her appearance can scar them for life. Forever and a day that person will worry about his/her big nose, crooked teeth, crazy cow-lick, or toothpick legs. Unkind nicknames can haunt a person for years… or a lifetime.
Continual talk of sickness can actually make you sick. There are even those who believe that if you talk about getting a disease – like cancer – often and long enough, you can manifest this into your life. The late Rev. John Osteen, father to Joel Osteen, wrote a booklet entitled, “There is a Miracle In Your Mouth.” You can order a copy from http://amazon.com. Rev. Osteen outlines through scripture how we speak both negativity and positive outcomes into our lives… and how our words have a profound effect on the direction we take each day.
Today, Joel Osteen is a champion of speaking good things into your life and the lives of others. He suggests that we get up every day, look in the mirror, and say, “I am valuable. I am loved. God has a great plan for my life.” Instead, most of us get up, look at our image in the mirror and groan at the new wrinkle, or the pimple that showed up overnight, our receding hairline, the extra strands of gray, or something that disappoints us. And let’s be honest, this sets in motion what is at least a subconscious negative attitude… if not an outright bad mood for the day.
My challenge for each of us is to consider our words. Do we speak as if we are valued by God and he has great plans for our life? Do we offer encouragement and hope to others? Or are we continually negative, careless, and hurtful with our words? Are our words those of salvation or damnation?
Joel Osteen says, “If you can change your words, you can change your world.” Are you willing to change today?
©2012 Debbie Robus
“If you grow a healthy tree, you’ll pick healthy fruit. If you grow a diseased tree, you’ll pick worm-eaten fruit. The fruit tells you about the tree.
“You have minds like a snake pit! How do you suppose what you say is worth anything when you are so foul-minded? It’s your heart, not the dictionary, that gives meaning to your words. A good person produces good deeds and words season after season. An evil person is a blight on the orchard. Let me tell you something: Every one of these careless words is going to come back to haunt you. There will be a time of Reckoning. Words are powerful; take them seriously. Words can be your salvation. Words can also be your damnation.”
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Several years ago, the father of a friend of mine passed away suddenly. My friend was understandably devastated. He was in his twenties at the time, and his dad had died at a very young age. At the funeral, a fellow church member approached my grieving friend and said, “It’s going to get a whole lot worse before it gets better.” I am fairly certain this person meant well… but those words rang in my friend’s ear… and some ten years later, I still remember the look on his face as he told me all of this. There are times when words truly can be our damnation. In other words, sometimes we should keep our thoughts to ourselves!
Whether this person meant to be helpful or not, his words were reckless. And we so often do this. Teachers ask children why they cannot make good grades or conduct themselves like their older brother or sister, not realizing the stress and pressure that this puts on a kid to live up to someone else’s expectations… real or imaginary. A single comment made to someone about an aspect of his/her appearance can scar them for life. Forever and a day that person will worry about his/her big nose, crooked teeth, crazy cow-lick, or toothpick legs. Unkind nicknames can haunt a person for years… or a lifetime.
Continual talk of sickness can actually make you sick. There are even those who believe that if you talk about getting a disease – like cancer – often and long enough, you can manifest this into your life. The late Rev. John Osteen, father to Joel Osteen, wrote a booklet entitled, “There is a Miracle In Your Mouth.” You can order a copy from http://amazon.com. Rev. Osteen outlines through scripture how we speak both negativity and positive outcomes into our lives… and how our words have a profound effect on the direction we take each day.
Today, Joel Osteen is a champion of speaking good things into your life and the lives of others. He suggests that we get up every day, look in the mirror, and say, “I am valuable. I am loved. God has a great plan for my life.” Instead, most of us get up, look at our image in the mirror and groan at the new wrinkle, or the pimple that showed up overnight, our receding hairline, the extra strands of gray, or something that disappoints us. And let’s be honest, this sets in motion what is at least a subconscious negative attitude… if not an outright bad mood for the day.
My challenge for each of us is to consider our words. Do we speak as if we are valued by God and he has great plans for our life? Do we offer encouragement and hope to others? Or are we continually negative, careless, and hurtful with our words? Are our words those of salvation or damnation?
Joel Osteen says, “If you can change your words, you can change your world.” Are you willing to change today?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 8, 2012
James 3:3-6
A bit in the mouth of a horse controls the whole horse. A small rudder on a huge ship in the hands of a skilled captain sets a course in the face of the strongest winds. A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything—or destroy it!
It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
For most of the summer, our entire state – and much of the country - has been under a burn ban. A drought created conditions that were ripe for dangerous, deadly fires… and sadly, thousands of acres in our state and others have been left in char and ashes. Some in Arkansas lost their homes, but even more lost everything in the states of Colorado, Idaho, and Washington. In almost an instant, families went from living their everyday lives to being told to get out immediately. When they returned, nothing remained where only a few hours earlier they had gone about their day. In many of these instances, the tiniest spark started all of this. I know of more than one instance in Arkansas where the blade of a tractor or mower hit a rock, created a spark, and hundreds of acres were ruined.
One would think that such a tiny spark could be quickly and easily extinguished. Surely the person on the tractor could have jumped off and hurriedly put out the fire before it spread! In truth, this spark set off a firestorm that raged so quickly that nobody had the time or capability to stop it singlehandedly. Even if several people had been nearby to help, I am not sure that some of these fires could have been corralled. The damage was done – instantly. And while these fires were contained over time, the collateral destruction in some cases is almost immeasurable. Family homes can be rebuilt. Memories remain… but photos, personal papers, mementos and treasures – and even family – are gone forever in many cases.
When we speak, each of our words has the same potential as a spark. We can instigate good with our comments… or we can set off a firestorm of disastrous events. And as I have said before, words are like toothpaste – once they are “out of the tube,” I challenge you to put them back! So when we fly off the handle and speak without thinking, we can hurt a lot of people. We may “accidentally” pepper our language with four-letter words, but others see us as someone who has a “colorful” vocabulary (and I’m being nice here!).
When we tell someone how we really feel – and do so with blunt, stinging criticisms – we may be able to repair the damage and rebuild the relationship later… but it will take a lot of work and forgiveness – and maybe a generous heart or two. When we call people names, we have judged them. When we tell a kid, “You can’t do that!” – as in, “You can’t go to college,” or “You’ll never amount to anything,” we have spoken a wildfire of discouragement to that child that may have lifelong ramifications.
I know far too many people who feel that God doesn’t care about them because someone told them they were wrong to ask questions, their behavior was unforgivable, or they were simply not good enough. I know others who were called an ugly name, and it scarred them for life. In essence, our words have the potential to destroy. The structural framework of a person’s life may be rebuilt in time… but often, there are little snippets of the heart that never mend. And this breaks God’s heart.
Here’s the deal… what break’s God’s heart should break ours. We should impose our own “burn ban” on words that judge, offend, wound, and destroy others. We must continually be asking God for guidance before we speak, rather than asking Him to help us repair the damage afterward. We have to be thoughtful and careful about everything we say. Yes, we must always speak the truth… and sometimes this can be painful for others to hear. But we absolutely must consider our delivery and make sure that our tongue is not the spark for a firestorm of destruction… the catalyst for irreparable damage… and a huge disappointment to our Heavenly Father.
What are you speaking today? Are your words soothing and encouraging… or are they rapid-fire and potentially volatile, like a bottle rocket on the Fourth of July? Spend some time with God today, and ask Him to help you control your tongue. Make sure that what you say honors Him and builds up His children… and His Kingdom.
©2012 Debbie Robus
A bit in the mouth of a horse controls the whole horse. A small rudder on a huge ship in the hands of a skilled captain sets a course in the face of the strongest winds. A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything—or destroy it!
It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
For most of the summer, our entire state – and much of the country - has been under a burn ban. A drought created conditions that were ripe for dangerous, deadly fires… and sadly, thousands of acres in our state and others have been left in char and ashes. Some in Arkansas lost their homes, but even more lost everything in the states of Colorado, Idaho, and Washington. In almost an instant, families went from living their everyday lives to being told to get out immediately. When they returned, nothing remained where only a few hours earlier they had gone about their day. In many of these instances, the tiniest spark started all of this. I know of more than one instance in Arkansas where the blade of a tractor or mower hit a rock, created a spark, and hundreds of acres were ruined.
One would think that such a tiny spark could be quickly and easily extinguished. Surely the person on the tractor could have jumped off and hurriedly put out the fire before it spread! In truth, this spark set off a firestorm that raged so quickly that nobody had the time or capability to stop it singlehandedly. Even if several people had been nearby to help, I am not sure that some of these fires could have been corralled. The damage was done – instantly. And while these fires were contained over time, the collateral destruction in some cases is almost immeasurable. Family homes can be rebuilt. Memories remain… but photos, personal papers, mementos and treasures – and even family – are gone forever in many cases.
When we speak, each of our words has the same potential as a spark. We can instigate good with our comments… or we can set off a firestorm of disastrous events. And as I have said before, words are like toothpaste – once they are “out of the tube,” I challenge you to put them back! So when we fly off the handle and speak without thinking, we can hurt a lot of people. We may “accidentally” pepper our language with four-letter words, but others see us as someone who has a “colorful” vocabulary (and I’m being nice here!).
When we tell someone how we really feel – and do so with blunt, stinging criticisms – we may be able to repair the damage and rebuild the relationship later… but it will take a lot of work and forgiveness – and maybe a generous heart or two. When we call people names, we have judged them. When we tell a kid, “You can’t do that!” – as in, “You can’t go to college,” or “You’ll never amount to anything,” we have spoken a wildfire of discouragement to that child that may have lifelong ramifications.
I know far too many people who feel that God doesn’t care about them because someone told them they were wrong to ask questions, their behavior was unforgivable, or they were simply not good enough. I know others who were called an ugly name, and it scarred them for life. In essence, our words have the potential to destroy. The structural framework of a person’s life may be rebuilt in time… but often, there are little snippets of the heart that never mend. And this breaks God’s heart.
Here’s the deal… what break’s God’s heart should break ours. We should impose our own “burn ban” on words that judge, offend, wound, and destroy others. We must continually be asking God for guidance before we speak, rather than asking Him to help us repair the damage afterward. We have to be thoughtful and careful about everything we say. Yes, we must always speak the truth… and sometimes this can be painful for others to hear. But we absolutely must consider our delivery and make sure that our tongue is not the spark for a firestorm of destruction… the catalyst for irreparable damage… and a huge disappointment to our Heavenly Father.
What are you speaking today? Are your words soothing and encouraging… or are they rapid-fire and potentially volatile, like a bottle rocket on the Fourth of July? Spend some time with God today, and ask Him to help you control your tongue. Make sure that what you say honors Him and builds up His children… and His Kingdom.
©2012 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for February 12, 2012
1 Corinthians 1:26-31
Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don't see many of "the brightest and the best" among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. Isn't it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these "nobodies" to expose the hollow pretensions of the "somebodies"? That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God. Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Jesus Christ. That's why we have the saying, "If you're going to blow a horn, blow a trumpet for God."
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
There is a new commercial airing for StraightTalk cell phone service that has people talking like they are rich and worldly, while they look for their clunker car in the parking lot. In this commercial, a lady is talking on her cell phone to someone about serving Cornish game hen versus chicken, because “everyone gets their own baby chicken on their own baby plate” and an endive salad. She then argues about the pronunciation of the word “endive” as she tries to open a very expensive car that is dubbed “the car of a hip-hop music mogul.” She asks her husband why her keyless remote will not open the car door, and he points across the lot and says, “… because we drive a station wagon.” The point of the commercial is that saving money on her cell phone bill has made the woman feel rich and important - and speak to others with arrogance.
A lot of us are trying to be something or someone we aren’t. Even more of us are failing to recognize who we truly are! We are the chosen heirs of God Almighty, which makes each a prince or a princess… our Father is the King of Kings! Too many of us make excuses… “I’m not smart enough… thin enough, rich enough… from the right family. I’m the wrong color or the wrong gender. I didn’t go to college. I’m different… people don’t like me. I’m ugly, my hair is too curly (or straight)… my nose is too big… I’m too short or too tall.” We give up quickly and let poor health, our social, economic, and educational status (or lack of one), and more limit what God can do with us. We fail to recognize the power of positive thinking and speaking… a need to change our words!
Today, let’s start speaking positively. Let’s “call things that be not as though they were.” In other words, try saying “I can,” instead of “I can’t.” Recognize that God wants to do amazing things in and through you… and if He believes you are good enough, this is all that matters. Don’t start talking like someone else and pretending to be more important than you already are. Realize that you are amazing, incredible, and perfectly formed by God Almighty… and that’s more than enough. Ask God to show you how and where to use what He has given you - for His glory. Blow a trumpet for God, and get ready for Him to knock your socks off with blessings.
©2012 Debbie Robus
Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don't see many of "the brightest and the best" among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. Isn't it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these "nobodies" to expose the hollow pretensions of the "somebodies"? That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God. Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Jesus Christ. That's why we have the saying, "If you're going to blow a horn, blow a trumpet for God."
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
There is a new commercial airing for StraightTalk cell phone service that has people talking like they are rich and worldly, while they look for their clunker car in the parking lot. In this commercial, a lady is talking on her cell phone to someone about serving Cornish game hen versus chicken, because “everyone gets their own baby chicken on their own baby plate” and an endive salad. She then argues about the pronunciation of the word “endive” as she tries to open a very expensive car that is dubbed “the car of a hip-hop music mogul.” She asks her husband why her keyless remote will not open the car door, and he points across the lot and says, “… because we drive a station wagon.” The point of the commercial is that saving money on her cell phone bill has made the woman feel rich and important - and speak to others with arrogance.
A lot of us are trying to be something or someone we aren’t. Even more of us are failing to recognize who we truly are! We are the chosen heirs of God Almighty, which makes each a prince or a princess… our Father is the King of Kings! Too many of us make excuses… “I’m not smart enough… thin enough, rich enough… from the right family. I’m the wrong color or the wrong gender. I didn’t go to college. I’m different… people don’t like me. I’m ugly, my hair is too curly (or straight)… my nose is too big… I’m too short or too tall.” We give up quickly and let poor health, our social, economic, and educational status (or lack of one), and more limit what God can do with us. We fail to recognize the power of positive thinking and speaking… a need to change our words!
Today, let’s start speaking positively. Let’s “call things that be not as though they were.” In other words, try saying “I can,” instead of “I can’t.” Recognize that God wants to do amazing things in and through you… and if He believes you are good enough, this is all that matters. Don’t start talking like someone else and pretending to be more important than you already are. Realize that you are amazing, incredible, and perfectly formed by God Almighty… and that’s more than enough. Ask God to show you how and where to use what He has given you - for His glory. Blow a trumpet for God, and get ready for Him to knock your socks off with blessings.
©2012 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for February 11, 2012
Romans 10:5-10
Moses wrote that anyone who insists on using the law code to live right before God soon discovers it's not so easy—every detail of life regulated by fine print! But trusting God to shape the right living in us is a different story— no precarious climb up to heaven to recruit the Messiah, no dangerous descent into hell to rescue the Messiah. So what exactly was Moses saying?
The word that saves is right here, as near as the tongue in your mouth, as close as the heart in your chest. It's the word of faith that welcomes God to go to work and set things right for us. This is the core of our preaching. Say the welcoming word to God—"Jesus is my Master"—embracing, body and soul, God's work of doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead.
That's it. You're not "doing" anything; you're simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That's salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: "God has set everything right between him and me!"
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
A few years ago, I decided I wanted to read the entire Bible in a year. This was a noble goal… and there are dozens of “study guides” and books that will help a person accomplish this. So far, I’ve tried at least three times… and I once did pretty well until almost the end of May! I may still try this again, but for now, I’m learning that I get bogged down in the process and lose focus on the message! So I am letting God lead my study, as in rediscovering notes I made on sermons, and scripture passages that I jotted down… and He is reminding me of old messages – and new insights.
Having said all of this, I did learn from my attempts to study the entire Bible in one year. The study guide I used suggested reading a passage each day from the Old Testament, the New Testament, and one from Proverbs. And the profound lesson I got from this was how the laws and rituals of the Old Testament were virtually all made new by the coming of Jesus in the New Testament. No longer do we have to make living sacrifices to God for our sins… Jesus was the ultimate Living Sacrifice. We don’t need priests and prophets to intercede with God on our behalf… we can speak to Him directly. We don’t have to follow rituals and rites as laid down in the writings and teachings of the old rulers and leaders… all we have to do is open our mouth and our heart… and let Jesus enter and do His work in and through us.
We are told that the tongue holds the power over life and death… and this is incredibly true when we speak up – and out – for Jesus! His Holy Spirit is as close as a whisper… His presence is as near as calling, “Come, LORD Jesus… forgive me... fill me with your Holy Spirit, and make me whole.”
Whenever we have a problem, we don’t have to consult a book of laws. We don’t need to perform a hand or foot washing, sacrifice a newborn lamb, or hide in a closet for a week of purification. We simply need to open our mouth and ask God to help us. Remember the verse in this passage that says, “The word that saves is right here, as near as the tongue in your mouth, as close as the heart in your chest.” You are never alone… never helpless or hopeless… never forgotten. Your answers are a few well-chosen words away.
Call on God to give you the answers and wisdom you seek today. Ask Jesus to be the LORD of your life and fill you with His Holy Spirit. Carry Him closely in your heart… just a whisper away at all times… and when He answers, thank Him for setting things right.
©2012 Debbie Robus
Moses wrote that anyone who insists on using the law code to live right before God soon discovers it's not so easy—every detail of life regulated by fine print! But trusting God to shape the right living in us is a different story— no precarious climb up to heaven to recruit the Messiah, no dangerous descent into hell to rescue the Messiah. So what exactly was Moses saying?
The word that saves is right here, as near as the tongue in your mouth, as close as the heart in your chest. It's the word of faith that welcomes God to go to work and set things right for us. This is the core of our preaching. Say the welcoming word to God—"Jesus is my Master"—embracing, body and soul, God's work of doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead.
That's it. You're not "doing" anything; you're simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That's salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: "God has set everything right between him and me!"
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
A few years ago, I decided I wanted to read the entire Bible in a year. This was a noble goal… and there are dozens of “study guides” and books that will help a person accomplish this. So far, I’ve tried at least three times… and I once did pretty well until almost the end of May! I may still try this again, but for now, I’m learning that I get bogged down in the process and lose focus on the message! So I am letting God lead my study, as in rediscovering notes I made on sermons, and scripture passages that I jotted down… and He is reminding me of old messages – and new insights.
Having said all of this, I did learn from my attempts to study the entire Bible in one year. The study guide I used suggested reading a passage each day from the Old Testament, the New Testament, and one from Proverbs. And the profound lesson I got from this was how the laws and rituals of the Old Testament were virtually all made new by the coming of Jesus in the New Testament. No longer do we have to make living sacrifices to God for our sins… Jesus was the ultimate Living Sacrifice. We don’t need priests and prophets to intercede with God on our behalf… we can speak to Him directly. We don’t have to follow rituals and rites as laid down in the writings and teachings of the old rulers and leaders… all we have to do is open our mouth and our heart… and let Jesus enter and do His work in and through us.
We are told that the tongue holds the power over life and death… and this is incredibly true when we speak up – and out – for Jesus! His Holy Spirit is as close as a whisper… His presence is as near as calling, “Come, LORD Jesus… forgive me... fill me with your Holy Spirit, and make me whole.”
Whenever we have a problem, we don’t have to consult a book of laws. We don’t need to perform a hand or foot washing, sacrifice a newborn lamb, or hide in a closet for a week of purification. We simply need to open our mouth and ask God to help us. Remember the verse in this passage that says, “The word that saves is right here, as near as the tongue in your mouth, as close as the heart in your chest.” You are never alone… never helpless or hopeless… never forgotten. Your answers are a few well-chosen words away.
Call on God to give you the answers and wisdom you seek today. Ask Jesus to be the LORD of your life and fill you with His Holy Spirit. Carry Him closely in your heart… just a whisper away at all times… and when He answers, thank Him for setting things right.
©2012 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for February 10, 2012
Hebrews 2:1-3
So, my dear Christian friends, companions in following this call to the heights, take a good hard look at Jesus. He's the centerpiece of everything we believe, faithful in everything God gave him to do. Moses was also faithful, but Jesus gets far more honor. A builder is more valuable than a building any day. Every house has a builder, but the Builder behind them all is God. Moses did a good job in God's house, but it was all servant work, getting things ready for what was to come. Christ as Son is in charge of the house.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
I wrote this scripture passage down in notes I made on a sermon series entitled “The Mouth is the Master Key to Life.” If a builder created a mansion for you, but you trashed it on a daily basis, it wouldn’t be much of a mansion for long, would it? If you tore down the support beams and poked holes in the plumbing, the overall structure would soon begin to crumble into ruin.
Now think of your life as God’s building… the one He created for you. Suppose you speak negatively on a regular basis… “I’m no good… I’m sick all the time… I can’t do this or that… I’m not smart enough or rich enough or good looking enough to accomplish anything… I’m a failure.” Can you see that this is like poking holes in the plumbing or tearing down the support beams? Worse still, when we belittle ourselves and others, we are chipping away at GOD! We are saying He built something inferior… worthless… ugly… inept… sick. Remember… God does not make junk!
When we speak negatively, we in essence hire the devil as our “housekeeper,” and we keep him plenty busy! Proverbs 18:21 tells us that “Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit—you choose.” What are your words accomplishing today? Your mouth IS a master key to life. It can also be a key to death… mentally, physically, emotionally… and spiritually. What are you speaking today? Are your words positive… encouraging… uplifting and full of hope and promise? Are you keeping God’s “house” in good order and recognizing what a wonderful “structure” He has created? Do you see the potential God has created in you… and are you doing all you can to speak it into existence?
The choice is ours. Who is keeping your “house” these days? Who controls your tongue… and what are you speaking – life or death? Ask God to show you where you have been using your mouth to “poke holes in His house.” Invite Him to give you strength and wisdom to start repairing the damage by speaking positively and recognizing all that He has placed within you. Give your “house” a bit of an update – or remodel – and make sure that Jesus Christ is your housekeeper from now on.
©2012 Debbie Robus
So, my dear Christian friends, companions in following this call to the heights, take a good hard look at Jesus. He's the centerpiece of everything we believe, faithful in everything God gave him to do. Moses was also faithful, but Jesus gets far more honor. A builder is more valuable than a building any day. Every house has a builder, but the Builder behind them all is God. Moses did a good job in God's house, but it was all servant work, getting things ready for what was to come. Christ as Son is in charge of the house.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
I wrote this scripture passage down in notes I made on a sermon series entitled “The Mouth is the Master Key to Life.” If a builder created a mansion for you, but you trashed it on a daily basis, it wouldn’t be much of a mansion for long, would it? If you tore down the support beams and poked holes in the plumbing, the overall structure would soon begin to crumble into ruin.
Now think of your life as God’s building… the one He created for you. Suppose you speak negatively on a regular basis… “I’m no good… I’m sick all the time… I can’t do this or that… I’m not smart enough or rich enough or good looking enough to accomplish anything… I’m a failure.” Can you see that this is like poking holes in the plumbing or tearing down the support beams? Worse still, when we belittle ourselves and others, we are chipping away at GOD! We are saying He built something inferior… worthless… ugly… inept… sick. Remember… God does not make junk!
When we speak negatively, we in essence hire the devil as our “housekeeper,” and we keep him plenty busy! Proverbs 18:21 tells us that “Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit—you choose.” What are your words accomplishing today? Your mouth IS a master key to life. It can also be a key to death… mentally, physically, emotionally… and spiritually. What are you speaking today? Are your words positive… encouraging… uplifting and full of hope and promise? Are you keeping God’s “house” in good order and recognizing what a wonderful “structure” He has created? Do you see the potential God has created in you… and are you doing all you can to speak it into existence?
The choice is ours. Who is keeping your “house” these days? Who controls your tongue… and what are you speaking – life or death? Ask God to show you where you have been using your mouth to “poke holes in His house.” Invite Him to give you strength and wisdom to start repairing the damage by speaking positively and recognizing all that He has placed within you. Give your “house” a bit of an update – or remodel – and make sure that Jesus Christ is your housekeeper from now on.
©2012 Debbie Robus
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