WORDDEVO: "The Weekly Word with Mike MacIntosh" [11-25 thru 12-2] DEVOTIONALS

 

Seven Days of Devotion

The Weekly Word is a Collection of Devotionals to be read on the Day Listed and presented freely as a service to and for the Body of Christ and Believers throughout the World that We may Hear God Speak to us as the Spirit of God gives us ears to hear and eyes to see what God would have for us daily in relationship to Him.

For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.
Leviticus 17:11

Scientists will never understand the human soul. Sure, they've come a long way in understanding the human body -- how it works, why it breaks down, what helps it heal -- but our bodies are merely temporary, earthly encasements for our souls. We are more than flesh and blood. Because we have a soul, we have the ability to love. Because we have a soul, we can make moral decisions. And so, because we have a soul, we can be made guilty of sin, knowing its consequences. After all, if we know the difference between right and wrong, and still do wrong, we are guilty. Indeed, Romans 3:23 tells us that we are all guilty of sin. Fortunately, God is a merciful God! In fact, long before He ever sent His Son to die on a cross for our sins, God was a merciful God. But where there was sin, there would be blood.

Leviticus 17:11 shows us that God so loved the Israelites that He provided a way for them to make atonement for their souls. By all means, He didn't have to. God had every right to demand the death of anyone who sinned. But, of course, no one would have lived. So, since "the life of the flesh is in the blood," He accepted the sacrificial blood of animals, rather than requiring the blood of the guilty, that the guilty might live. Do you realize how merciful God was to do this? Can you see how much God must have loved His people to give them a second chance, a third chance, a fourth, and on and on?

How much greater, then, that the Lord poured out His own blood, that we might live. Praise the Lord that Jesus sacrificed His life and allowed His flesh to be brutally killed, that by His blood, our souls might live -- not only here on earth, but with God for eternity! You see, just as the life of the flesh is the blood, so the life of the soul is His blood. Unless He poured out His blood, our souls could not live.

The world will never see a greater act of mercy than that of Jesus Christ sacrificing His life on a cross for our sins. It was a merciful act from an already-merciful God. Truly, since the day Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, God has demonstrated unfathomable mercy. Today, may the blood of Jesus be life to your soul. May you rest in His mercy, knowing that He loves you more than you will ever understand. And may His mercy inspire you to be more like Him in everything you do.

 MONDAY

And always, night and day, a man was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.... Jesus said to the man, "Come out of the man, unclean spirit!"

Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains. So all the demons begged Him, saying, "Send us to the swine, that we may enter them." And at once Jesus gave them permission. Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.

Mark 5:5-6,8,11-13

On a particular Saturday night in April 1999, a Christian goth band was giving a concert, hosted by a local Colorado youth group. As the band finished playing, the youth pastor got up and said, "You know, I've never done this before.

 

I've never even thought this before, but I've had it strongly on my heart all during the concert tonight that there is somebody here who has either murdered somebody, or is getting ready to murder someone, and I want to impress upon you that God is saying, 'Don't do it.' Or if you have, He will forgive you, if you'll repent tonight of your sins." Eric Harris, a high school senior, sat in the audience that Saturday night.

 

He heard every word the youth pastor said. But three days later, on Tuesday, April 20, 1999, Eric and a friend would kill twelve of their fellow Columbine High School students, as well as one teacher, and finally themselves.

A pastor friend of mine shared that story with me back in 1999, shortly after it happened, and it struck me: Right up to the last minute, God was reaching out to this teenager. He knew this kid's heart, and gave him one last chance. It's a testament to the magnitude of God's love, and the vastness of His reach, that no matter how lost, hurting, stubborn, prideful, angry, or depressed a person may be, God will reach out to them. No one is beyond God's reach.

In Mark 5, we see a man whom society had long-ago rejected and dismissed. Possessed by demons, he lived alone in the mountains and in tombs, dejected, "crying out and cutting himself with stones" (verse 5). He had gone mad; no one could bind him with chains, much less help him. Jesus, though, had the power not just to help him, but to heal him. Casting the demons into a nearby herd of about two thousand swine, Jesus clothed this man and restored him to a right mind. The change was so dramatic that when people familiar with the man saw him, "they were afraid" (verse 15).

Maybe you feel like you are out of God's reach -- like you are too depressed, too bitter, too sinful, too stubborn for God to change you. Or maybe you have family or friends who feel that way. If Jesus could restore this demon-possessed, dejected man, He can restore you, and He can restore the people you love.

There is one key difference, though, between Eric Harris and the man in Mark 5. When this unhinged, demon-possessed man saw Jesus, "he ran and worshiped Him" (verse 6). Sure, he was out of his mind, but he wanted to change, and in Jesus, he saw the opportunity. Eric Harris had the same opportunity to change, but rejected it. You see, God will not stop reaching out to you, but He will not intrude. He has so much love and forgiveness to offer you, but you must accept it.

Let me encourage you today to run into the loving arms of Jesus and worship Him. He can -- and will -- heal you, if you let Him! No matter how far from Him you've drifted, or how low you feel, He will "wipe away every tear" from your eyes (Revelation 21:4), and He will heal you.

 

If you've been praying for friends and family to know the love of Jesus, keep praying for them, and keep loving them. You can't change someone, but you can love them with the love of Jesus Christ.

 

God is faithful. No one is beyond His reach.

   

TUESDAY

Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!
Psalm 27:14

It's much easier to ask for help when you think you need it. After all, if you're driving a car, and you assume you're headed in the right direction, why would you pull over to ask a gas station employee for help? Often, it's only when things go wrong that we seek help.

 

When we realize we've driven 50 miles past our exit, suddenly it's time to ask for assistance.

 

But why do we assume we're driving the right direction in the first place? Why not use a map from the outset, or a GPS tracker? Why not ask someone knowledgeable before we leave? You see, just as it's not smart to travel without directions, it's not smart to live without guidance. And just as it's silly to only ask for directions when you're lost, it's foolish to only seek the Lord's guidance in an emergency. Yet so often, we ask God to lead us out of emergencies, rather than into His will.

You know, if the only time we ask for the Lord's help is in times of emergency, we will never learn to wait on Him -- and we will never grow stronger in Him. How could we? In an emergency, we need an answer right away! We need action immediately! And yes, God can take action immediately -- He is able to guide you through whatever emergency you face today. But what about tomorrow? Will God deliver you from a tight spot today, only so you can return to normal and find yourself in a catastrophe tomorrow? God does not simply want to deliver you, but to strengthen you.

 

He is not only able to heal your wounds after you stumble, but "to keep you from stumbling" (Jude 1:24). You must learn to wait on Him, though. You must learn to receive His guidance first, and then act -- even when you think you already know best. You must learn to call on Him, not merely because you need Him, but because you love Him. Truly, when we seek the Lord out of a love for Him, and not merely a "need" for Him, we grow stronger in Him. "Wait on the Lord... and He shall strengthen your heart" (Psalm 27:14).

Waiting on the Lord requires patience. It requires a willingness to sit tight, even when everyone around you is passing you by. It's like going shopping at Christmas, and standing still as crowds of people rush past you into the most popular store, frantically searching for discounts on the perfect gift.

 

Oh, you want the perfect gift just as much as anyone else, but you don't rush, you don't push, you don't shove -- you just wait at the store's entrance, because your father is the store manager, and he told you to wait for him there. Sure enough, when all the crowds have subsided, he steps out of the store to meet you, wraps his arms around you, and showers you with gifts -- gifts that weren't even for sale; they were reserved especially for you. So many gifts, in fact, that you can't possibly keep them all for yourself.

If we will learn to wait on our Heavenly Father, He will bless us with a strength of heart that we could never have garnered on our own. If we will stop rushing, stop stressing, stop pushing, stop striving -- and seek His will -- He will empower us with a love so overwhelming that we couldn't possibly keep it to ourselves.

Today, whether you find yourself in an emergency or a place of rest, may I encourage you to wait on the Lord Jesus.

 

Fall in love with Him today, maybe for the first time, maybe for the millionth time. Seek His face in love. Let Him not only heal you, but strengthen you. He is "able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think" (Ephesians 3:20), but we must be willing to wait.

WEDNESDAY

Jesus said to the Pharisees, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition."
Mark 7:9

Have you ever loved a TV show so much that you told all your friends and family to watch it?  Or maybe you loved a joke so much that you forwarded it to everyone in your address book?  Or called a toll-free number to vote for your favorite reality talent show contestant?  For better or worse, we champion the things we love.  We talk about what we hold in high regard.  And whether you realize it or not, you are a living, breathing billboard for something. 

The question is, for what?

The Pharisees championed their traditions -- and there was no mistaking it.  Not only did they talk about their traditions; they enforced them.  When they saw Jesus' disciples eating bread with unwashed hands, they "found fault" (Matthew 7:2), and asked Jesus, "Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders?" (Matthew 7:5).  In fact, the Pharisees were trying to undermine Jesus by implying that His disciples were "out of sync" with their own traditions, and therefore "out of sync" with God.  But they didn't care whether or not the disciples were actually being obedient to God -- they felt disrespected, and frankly, threatened.  The Pharisees clung to their traditions, because their traditions defined them.  They enforced their traditions, because their traditions validated their authority.  But in passing off their traditions as doctrine, Jesus called them hypocrites, honoring God only with their lips, with hearts that were far from Him (Matthew 7:6-7).

You see, "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matthew 12:34).  You may try to convince people that you have it all together -- that you're a religious man, or a spiritual woman -- but your mouth will reveal your heart.  And you may have known the Lord for decades, but maybe your friends and family have little idea, because you talk more about the latest sporting event or TV show than about Him.  The things you dwell on are the things you speak about.  The things you love determine the way you live.

We must not be hypocrites, like the Pharisees, whose pious words deceived hearts that were distant from God.  We must not be people who are concerned only with the cleanliness of peoples' hands, and ignore the condition of their hearts.  Let us not become deaf to the commands of God because they inconvenience -- or worse -- threaten us.  If we truly love the Lord with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength, there will not be a disconnect between the words we say and the life we live.

Today, what is most important to you?  Answer honestly, because otherwise you're only fooling yourself.  If Jesus Christ is your first love, it will be evident.  If He's not, people already know.  Let me encourage you today to fall in love with Jesus.  Run into His loving arms! Don't worry about how it will affect the way people see you; don't concern yourself with how it threatens to change your life.  The change is always -- always -- for the better.  When He changes your heart, you speak differently, you act differently, and you livedifferently.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17).

 

THURSDAY

There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!
Mark 7:15-16

In the late '60s and early '70s, the U.S. was one of the most powerful nations in the world, but couldn't win a war. Though we had hundreds of thousands of troops on the ground in Vietnam, employed much larger and superior armed forces, and enlisted attack helicopters, fighter jets, missiles, and everything you can imagine, we still couldn't win. Why?

 

Our enemy, the Viet Cong, realized that the key to victory was not in killing American soldiers, but in wounding them.

Every American soldier wounded required five more American soldiers to carry him off the battlefield. By wounding a single soldier, they effectively removed six soldiers from the combat zone. It was a strategy not to dominate U.S. forces, but to neutralize them. And it's the same strategy that the devil uses with you.

You see, if you are a follower of Jesus Christ, the devil has no real power over you. The breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:14-17) -- you are too protected by God! So, the enemy's only strategy is to cause you to defeat yourself. How? He tries to convince you that no war is being fought at all -- that you don't even need to wear the armor of God as protection for your soul. In fact, he even poses as a friend, making himself look attractive and trustworthy, but then slyly placing stumbling blocks in your path to trip you up. His goal is not to fight you, but to neutralize you -- to get you off the battlefield. Because make no mistake: The enemy is always at war. If you are not fighting, you are losing.

Why do we stop fighting, then? Why do we retreat from the spiritual battle that rages around us, as if we're defeated, when we know that we are victorious through Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:57)? It's not because the battle is over, or because the devil has defiled us -- he doesn't have that much power! No, it's because we defile, and neutralize, ourselves. Mark 7:15 tells us that nothing can defile us but ourselves. "There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man." It's not that extra cheeseburger that is defiling you; it's the way you beat yourself up after you eat the cheeseburger. It's not the lustful thought that enters your mind; it's the way you entertain it. Sin leaves us injured; it will destroy us from within.

Are there things in your heart that you would like gone once and for all? Is there something that is hindering your prayer life, your worship, your love and concern for other people, your desire to be a servant, and your passion to tell other people about Jesus Christ? Today, if you will go to the throne of God and plead the blood of Jesus Christ, He will make you victorious. He will erase those things from your life; He will kill them. They will be put to death right now. Simply say, "God, I ask you to take this right now from my life. Not tomorrow, not a week from tomorrow, but right now."

Though you may have been neutralized before, unable to fight because of the crippling effect of sin, Jesus will make you and me "more than conquerors" (Romans 8:37). It is not a religious exercise God is concerned with -- this is a war.

"But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:57).

 

FRIDAY

 

Then the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him.  But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation."
Mark 8:11-12

I remember one night receiving a call from the Orange County Sheriff's Department, asking if I'd be willing to meet with a mommy and daddy whose little baby girl had just died in her crib a few minutes prior.  Of course I agreed to help, and rushed to the scene, where I encountered the two weeping parents.  "If there is a God, how could this happen?" they were sobbing.  "Our beautiful little girl...."  I took a deep breath and said, "Lord, give me words of wisdom.  This is overwhelming."

Before I spoke with them, though, the sergeant pulled me aside.  "In a few minutes the coroner will arrive, and we really need your help.  The mother is still kneeling beside the crib, caressing her baby's arm...."  I knew immediately what the sergeant was implying.  It's one thing to see an adult placed in a body bag; it's something much worse, though, to see a baby placed in one -- especially when you are the baby's parent.  I needed to shield these poor parents from that agonizing sight.

"Can I talk with the two of you for a moment?" I asked the parents.  "Yes," they whispered, their sheer exhaustion written all over their faces.  They understandably wanted to stay beside their baby, but I led them into the living room.  And sure enough, as we sat in the living room, I saw the coroner pull up out front.  "I want to go see my little girl," the mother said.  "Ok, but could you wait just a minute?" I asked.  I ran in and asked the coroner to hide the body bag as the mother came in one more time to hold her baby, and thankfully, the coroner agreed.  The mother got to hold her baby that one last time, and then we all went back to the living room while the coroner carried the baby's body away.  About 20 minutes later, the parents asked, "Where is our daughter?"  I told them, "Well, they had to take her to the coroner's office to do some exams."  And with that, both parents let out a deep, pained, exasperated sigh.

I think that is the kind of sigh Jesus lets out over us.  I think that when He looks at you and me, and sees how far we are from His Father, He sighs.  It hurts Him.  It pains Jesus that we are hard-hearted and insensitive.  He probably sighs several times a day for me.

In Mark 8, the Pharisees ask Jesus for a "sign from heaven" (verse 11).  How did He respond?  He "sighed deeply in His spirit" (verse 12).  After all, what other sign did they need?  Did they not realize that He, Himself, was their sign from heaven?  Did they not see God working through Him?

So often, we get our priorities mixed up.  We search for answers to our questions, and solutions to our problems, but we get frustrated, impatient, and even angry when we don't understand.  Maybe you've prayed the same prayer for years, and still have no sign of an answer.  Or maybe you have a difficult decision to make, and you have no sign of a solution from God.  The Lord doesn't desire that we seek signs -- He desires that we seek Him. It grieves the Lord when we seek His power, His help, His signs -- but not Him.

You see, if we seek the Lord only because we have a problem, we will stop seeking Him once our problem is solved.  But if we seek the Lord because we love Him, our relationship with Him will run deep -- we will seek Him in good times and bad, whether we know His will or not.

Today, may I encourage you to stop seeking signs from God, and start seeking God, Himself.  Let's not be like the Pharisees, who pained the Lord by seeking His power, but never seeking Him.   "Trust in the Lord with all your heart... and He shall direct your paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6).

SATURDAY

 

For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.
Leviticus 17:11

Scientists will never understand the human soul. Sure, they've come a long way in understanding the human body -- how it works, why it breaks down, what helps it heal -- but our bodies are merely temporary, earthly encasements for our souls. We are more than flesh and blood. Because we have a soul, we have the ability to love. Because we have a soul, we can make moral decisions. And so, because we have a soul, we can be made guilty of sin, knowing its consequences. After all, if we know the difference between right and wrong, and still do wrong, we are guilty. Indeed, Romans 3:23 tells us that we are all guilty of sin. Fortunately, God is a merciful God! In fact, long before He ever sent His Son to die on a cross for our sins, God was a merciful God. But where there was sin, there would be blood.

Leviticus 17:11 shows us that God so loved the Israelites that He provided a way for them to make atonement for their souls. By all means, He didn't have to. God had every right to demand the death of anyone who sinned. But, of course, no one would have lived. So, since "the life of the flesh is in the blood," He accepted the sacrificial blood of animals, rather than requiring the blood of the guilty, that the guilty might live. Do you realize how merciful God was to do this? Can you see how much God must have loved His people to give them a second chance, a third chance, a fourth, and on and on?

How much greater, then, that the Lord poured out His own blood, that we might live. Praise the Lord that Jesus sacrificed His life and allowed His flesh to be brutally killed, that by His blood, our souls might live -- not only here on earth, but with God for eternity! You see, just as the life of the flesh is the blood, so the life of the soul is His blood. Unless He poured out His blood, our souls could not live.

The world will never see a greater act of mercy than that of Jesus Christ sacrificing His life on a cross for our sins. It was a merciful act from an already-merciful God. Truly, since the day Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, God has demonstrated unfathomable mercy. Today, may the blood of Jesus be life to your soul. May you rest in His mercy, knowing that He loves you more than you will ever understand. And may His mercy inspire you to be more like Him in everything you do. 

 

 

 

THE WEEKLY WORD WITH MIKE MACINTOSH 

Can be found here:

http://theweeklywordmikemacintosh.blogspot.com/

 

WORDDEVO: "The Weekly Word with Mike MacIntosh" [11-18 thru 11-24] DEVOTIONALS

 

 

Seven Days of Devotion

The Weekly Word is a Collection of Devotionals to be read on the Day Listed and presented freely as a service to and for the Body of Christ and Believers throughout the World that We may Hear God Speak to us as the Spirit of God gives us ears to hear and eyes to see what God would have for us daily in relationship to Him.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
Psalm 23:4

As a boy, I lived on a long, winding street in Portland, and walking home from basketball games in the winter -- when it was cold, dark, and drizzly -- used to scare the dickens out of me.  I was sure that behind every hedge and between every house was a bad guy, waiting to jump out.  After all, there was an insane asylum at the end of the street, and every once in a while, one of the patients would break out and wander through the neighborhood.  But I developed a sure-fire strategy. 

 

First, I walked in the middle of the street.  Then I would start to talk, using different voices, as if I were accompanied by a whole group of friends.  "Hey Bill, how you doing?"  "Well Fred, I'm doing well," I would answer myself.  Lastly, and most importantly, I would run.  Oh, it would start out as a hearty jog, but by the time I approached my house, I was going 100 miles an hour.  I was scared to death.

You know, as a kid, those winter-night journeys down that street were "the valley of the shadow of death" to me.  Sure, I had my "strategy," but I hated being alone, and I hated running in fear.  So I've always found it interesting that David, in Psalm 23, says, "I walkthrough the valley of the shadow of death." 

 

He didn't run; hewalked.  I couldn't imagine walking that dark street as a kid!  But David never broke into a panicked run.  He didn't try to protect himself; he wasn't afraid.  In fact, he didn't even have a strategy!  Why?  Because David wasn't alone.  God was not only with him, but was leading his way.  David simply walked with God.

When we panic, it's our human nature to want to run.  We want to protect ourselves, to rush to a place of safety.  And when we are in dark places, we want desperately to see.  But 2 Corinthians 5:7 says, "We walk by faith, not by sight." 

 

You see, we must learn not to run out ahead of God simply because He's not visible.  We must learn to patiently walk with Him, step by step, moment by moment, even when we're scared and every fiber in our body says, "Run! Run away!" 

God wants to lead us "through the valley of the shadow of death," and to comfort us.  He wants us to learn to trust Him, even when all we see is darkness.  But we must learn, as David did, to walk with Him.

Maybe you're experiencing your own "valley of the shadow of death," and you're fearful -- you don't know what will happen next.  Maybe it's a financial problem, or a family issue, or a situation at work.  And maybe you just want an escape.  You are not alone, and you don't need to run in fear.  Let God take you by the hand and walk with you.  Let Him guide your every step, knowing that He can see everything, even when you see nothing.  Let Him wrap His arms around you today and comfort you with the perfect love that casts out all fear (1 John 4:18).  Rather than running yourself into the ground, surrender yourself, and let God mend that which is broken.

"For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.  Walk as children of light" (Ephesians 5:8).

 

 MONDAY

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
Matthew 28:19-20

Billy Graham once said that if you lose your money, you've really lost nothing. If you lose your health, you've lost something. But if you lose your character, you've lost everything. Why? Because your character validates or invalidates every word you say. It is the filter through which you are heard, either serving to amplify and clarify your words, or silence them. Without character, you don't have a voice. Sure, people might hear what you say, but they will not listen. You may make noise, but you will never make an impact.

In Matthew 28, Jesus tells us to "go therefore and make disciples of all nations." He commands us to make an impact on our world. It is our great privilege -- our Great Commission -- to actively represent our Lord and Savior, and to teach others what He has taught us. But how can anyone make a single disciple of Jesus Christ if they aren't a disciple first? How can we possibly impact our friends and families, much less "all nations," if our actions invalidate our words?

You see, if we're not living it, they're not seeing it. Many people around the world are doubters of the Gospel today because they've never seen it. Maybe they've heard about Jesus, but they've never seen His power in someone's life. We, as believers, need to have character that is rooted in the renewing and transforming power of Jesus Christ. We are His mouthpiece to a dying and hopeless world, and our lives are the filter through which His Word is heard. If we don't live by God's Word, we muzzle it. If our character stands in contrast to the truth of God that we proclaim, we invalidate it to those who hear. But if God is our integrity, He will be our megaphone. If He is actively working in our lives, people will notice -- and they will listen.

As the old saying goes, actions speak louder than words. But words are still necessary. If the righteousness of Jesus Christ is your megaphone, speak up! As the Lord works in your life and people take notice, tell them about it! Just as we can silence God's voice by invalidating it, so we can mute it by refusing to be His mouthpiece at all. Neither is God's will. The message of salvation through Jesus Christ is too powerful to leave you unchanged, and too important not to share.

What are you living for today? What are your priorities? Our God is a powerful God, so why do we often walk in fear and defeat? His love and forgiveness are perfect and everlasting, so why do we harbor bitterness, anger, and jealousy? If we believe God's Word, let's live it. We don't want to be people who are out of touch with God, "having a form of godliness but denying its power" (2 Timothy 3:5). And we don't want to be people who sit on the greatest news ever given mankind, missing the urgency of the Gospel. May we be people who love the Lord with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength (Mark 12:30). May we be people who actively live by the Word of God, and who are unashamed to speak it!

   

TUESDAY

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Proverbs 9:10

As a pilot, I've come to appreciate how much knowledge is required to fly a plane.  Before I ever took to the cockpit controls, I had to study countless training materials and digest as many raw facts as possible.  And the knowledge I acquired has served me well.  But any pilot will tell you that it takes much more than a healthy knowledge of "raw facts" to effectively fly a plane -- it takes experience. 

 

Hundreds, even thousands, of hours of experience.  All the books in the world can tell you how to take off, how to land, how to handle an emergency, what to expect in a crisis -- but until you sit in the pilot's seat yourself, none of those facts mean anything.  You must learn the facts, but more importantly, you must learn to apply them.

To be wise is not just to know facts, but to know how to apply them.  Wisdom is not just knowing how to take a step, but knowing which step to take.  Here's the problem: Proverbs 20:24 says, "A man's steps are of the Lord; how then can a man understand his own way?"  We have ambitions, we have goals, and we have intentions, but though "a man's heart plans his way, the Lord directs his steps" (Proverbs 16:9).

You see, our lives are like a flight where we occupy the pilot's seat, completely blindfolded.  When there's not a lot of turbulence, and we're at a comfortable cruising altitude, we can probably do just fine for a while. 

 

After all, not a lot of action is required.  In fact, we can even start to get comfortable, believing that we're in control.  But as soon as we encounter turbulence -- much less a full-on emergency -- we fool ourselves if we think we know what decision to make.  We're blindfolded!  We might know from experience how to find certain cockpit controls, but how could we possibly know which controls to use if we can't even see what's happening to the plane?

Meanwhile, God is sitting there with us the whole time, armed with a full flight plan, able to see the skies, and willing to guide our hands at the controls.  Our blindfold prevents us from seeing Him, and our panic sometimes prevents us from hearing Him, but if we listen closely, He speaks His words of love and guidance to us.  All we must do is give Him control.  He will guide our hands.  He, and He alone, can effectively fly the plane.

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."  When we surrender control of our lives to God, acknowledging that He, and He alone, has the understanding, perspective, and ultimate love for us to guide us in everything we do, we show that we honor and fear Him -- and we take the first step towards true wisdom.  We don't just know the will of God, we apply it. You see, when we fear the Lord, He is not just a piece of knowledge to us.  In fact, He is not just someone in whom we believe.  "For even the demons believe [in God] -- and tremble!" (James 2:19). 

 

To fear the Lord is to surrender to Him. 

 

It is listening to His voice, even when we're not experiencing "turbulence."  It is acknowledging our own blindness, and relying on His vision.  And it is submitting ourselves to His plan, even when we don't understand it.  That is the beginning of true wisdom.

Today, whether you're in the midst of blue skies or storms, let God guide you. Listen to His voice, and surrender everything to Him. "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him" (James 1:5).

 

WEDNESDAY

 

Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Jesus about her at once. So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her. And she served them.
Mark 1:29-31

Your home is your most personal space. No other place could be more private. So it's interesting that Jesus didn't confine His ministry to public squares -- He came to peoples' homes.

Here in Mark 1:29, we see Him coming into Simon Peter's home, where Peter's mother-in-law was sick with a fever. The woman had probably never met Jesus, and maybe wasn't even aware that He could heal her. But Peter was. He and the disciples didn't hesitate to tell Jesus about her need, and Jesus acted swiftly. Tenderly taking her hand, He lifted her up, and "immediately" healed her (verse 31). Jesus touched her life that day, and she never even stepped outside the house. He had worked powerfully and quickly on her behalf, simply because Peter had asked Him to.

You know, we can sometimes forget the urgency of Jesus' love. Jesus didn't wait for people to come to Him -- He went to them. He visited sinners in their most personal spaces, far from the "spotlight" and safety of the public arena. He went not only where He was loved, but where He was needed. While He visited Peter's house, Peter presented a need, and Jesus responded "immediately." Even at this early point in the book of Mark, it is already the sixth time that word, "immediately," has been used. And I don't think it's an accident. Jesus acted immediately, with urgency, because He loved people.

We all have friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers who need the healing touch of Jesus Christ. Let me encourage you today to lift up the people around you to Jesus. Like Peter lifted the needs of his mother-in-law to Jesus, lift up your family and friends to Him, that He might heal them, and that they might encounter His love for them. Jesus answers prayer. He tells us in John 14:14, "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it."

Maybe today, though, you are like Peter's mother-in-law -- you are the one in need of healing, whether physically, emotionally, or spiritually. You may have known Jesus for years, or perhaps you've never known Him. Whatever the case, let me encourage you that you don't even have to leave your house -- He will come to you. Wherever you are, simply ask Him to touch your life, and He will respond immediately, according to His perfect will. He loves you more than you will ever understand, and is thrilled to hear your voice. He urgently wants to give you "a future and a hope" (Jeremiah 29:11), because He loves you.

Jesus wants to touch your life, and the lives of those you love, this very moment. Not tomorrow, but today. Let us never forget or dismiss the urgency of Jesus' love!

 

THURSDAY

If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
Mark 3:24-25

A number of years ago, I remember watching an episode of David Letterman's show, and stand-up comedian Bill Maher was the guest. "I hear you are a Libertarian?" Letterman asked his notoriously controversial guest. "Yes," said Maher. And when Letterman asked what, exactly, that meant, Maher was quick to answer. "Well, basically it's the belief that anybody can do anything they want, as long as they aren't hurting others. For instance, a Libertarian would say that Dr. Kevorkian is not hurting others, that he can do what he wants to do, and that we shouldn't bother him." Letterman thought a second, and then responded, "But he isn't killing himself." And the audience applauded.

But Bill Maher didn't want to lose this crowd.

Determined to challenge the audience's convictions -- many of them presumably rooted in religion -- he pushed forward. "You know what I really don't like? I don't like all these athletes saying after a basketball or football victory, ‘Praise Jesus for the win.' I'm sick of that. I never hear them say after a loss, ‘Well, Jesus wasn't feeling good today and He didn't help me jump as high.'" Maher continued on a tirade. And do you know what? When he said, "I'm sick of the Jesus thing," the entire audience applauded. But Letterman leaned back in his chair, a little stunned, and said, "Hold it, hold it. Is this your Libertarian thinking?" And Maher replied with a smile, "Yes, I guess it would be."

Then Letterman said, "Aren't you the guy who just told us that everybody should be able to do what they want to do, as long as they don't hurt anybody?" Suddenly one person clapped, then two, then ten, until the entire audience was roaring with applause.

Think what you will about Bill Maher, David Letterman, and their politics. What I found stunning was the audience reaction. How could so many people, by show of their applause, in the span of only a few moments, so swiftly contradict themselves?

In Mark 3, the scribes accused Jesus of contradicting Himself. They were sick of "the Jesus thing" -- the way He loved people, healed people, forgave people, and even cast out demons -- so they spread rumors that He was actually in league with the devil. "By the ruler of the demons," they said, "He casts out demons" (verse 22). No doubt, it was an all-out assault on Jesus' character. They were making the case that Jesus was not only untrustworthy, but evil.

Jesus simply replied, "If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand." You see, Satan's mission is to "steal, kill, and destroy" (John 10:10), so why would he tolerate -- much less commission -- the One who came to give life, and life more abundantly (John 10:10)? Why would he want Jesus casting out demons, that people might be healed and restored? It's ridiculous. In doing so, Satan would defeat himself.

But you know, often we defeat ourselves because we contradict ourselves. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are saved by His grace, and called to walk in His Spirit, but "the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things you wish" (Galatians 5:17).

We are, in fact, like that late-night studio audience, pulled one way, and then another. But if we try to walk two different directions at once, we not only go nowhere -- we fall down. If we are at war with ourselves, we not only injure ourselves -- we defeat ourselves.

You see, the Bible says, "Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve" (Joshua 24:15). Make a decision and don't look back. Unless we are "all-in," we will fall away. Unless we walk in the Spirit, we will walk in the flesh. There's no standing still. But Galatians 5:6 says, "Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh."

Today, are you living a self-defeating life? Do you have one foot in the Spirit, and one in the flesh? Let me encourage you to become rooted in the Word of God, and you will not be swayed back and forth, at war with yourself, and ineffective in the spiritual war for the souls of people around you. Walk with conviction. Seek the Lord with your whole heart, never looking back, and you "shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither" (Psalm 1:3).

 

 

FRIDAY

The wise in heart will receive commands, but a prating fool will fall.
Proverbs 10:8

Life is not predictable. If we knew with certainty what would happen tomorrow, we would never doubt, never second-guess, and never question our plans and decisions today, because we would already know their end results. But things change, for better or worse -- and often in ways we can't predict. We don't know what to expect in the future, so we often do second-guess ourselves, those around us, and even God. It's human nature to worry about the unknown -- and to avoid it. It's natural to resist what we can't see. But there's one problem: If we resist what we can't see, we resist God.

David writes in Psalm 55:19 about his enemies of old, "Because they do not change, therefore they do not fear God." He knew that it was impossible to honor the Lord without being willing to change. Without a willingness to venture into the unknown, we can never follow God, because His ways are not ours. God says in Isaiah 55:9, "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." You see, to follow God is to put confidence in the superiority of His ways, even when we can't understand them and we don't know where they'll lead us. To follow God is to embrace continuous change.

It's easier said than done, isn't it? Change can be very difficult because it inevitably makes us vulnerable. It exposes us. Whenever something changes in our lives, we experience a learning curve -- and our success or failure to adapt hinges on our ability to learn. That's why Proverbs 10:8 says, "The wise in heart will receive commands, but a prating fool will fail."

You see, God does not call us to be experts, but to be students. An expert babbles on about what he knows, while a student adapts to what he learns. Sure, the student will make mistakes and even fail sometimes. But in failing, he is learning. The real failure belongs to the expert, who does not change, even as the world around him does. We must not be afraid to be like students -- constantly learning, constantly failing, constantly growing, and constantly changing.

Today, maybe you are facing changes in your life, whether good or bad. Let me encourage you to play the role of the student. Be willing to listen to God's instructions, and be willing to adapt. Don't be afraid to be vulnerable, and don't be afraid to fail, because there is no greater failure than growing stagnant. Yes, changes sometimes hurt. My pastor, Chuck Smith, has a saying: "Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be broken." Be willing to change, and change will not break you.

Life is not predictable, but "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Hebrews 18:8). Don't miss God's will simply because you're afraid of the unknown. Put your trust in the One "who was and is and is to come" (Revelation 4:8), and He will be your rock through every circumstance!

 

SATURDAY

For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.
Leviticus 17:11

Scientists will never understand the human soul. Sure, they've come a long way in understanding the human body -- how it works, why it breaks down, what helps it heal -- but our bodies are merely temporary, earthly encasements for our souls. We are more than flesh and blood. Because we have a soul, we have the ability to love. Because we have a soul, we can make moral decisions. And so, because we have a soul, we can be made guilty of sin, knowing its consequences. After all, if we know the difference between right and wrong, and still do wrong, we are guilty. Indeed, Romans 3:23 tells us that we are all guilty of sin. Fortunately, God is a merciful God! In fact, long before He ever sent His Son to die on a cross for our sins, God was a merciful God. But where there was sin, there would be blood.

Leviticus 17:11 shows us that God so loved the Israelites that He provided a way for them to make atonement for their souls. By all means, He didn't have to. God had every right to demand the death of anyone who sinned. But, of course, no one would have lived. So, since "the life of the flesh is in the blood," He accepted the sacrificial blood of animals, rather than requiring the blood of the guilty, that the guilty might live. Do you realize how merciful God was to do this? Can you see how much God must have loved His people to give them a second chance, a third chance, a fourth, and on and on?

How much greater, then, that the Lord poured out His own blood, that we might live. Praise the Lord that Jesus sacrificed His life and allowed His flesh to be brutally killed, that by His blood, our souls might live -- not only here on earth, but with God for eternity! You see, just as the life of the flesh is the blood, so the life of the soul is His blood. Unless He poured out His blood, our souls could not live.

The world will never see a greater act of mercy than that of Jesus Christ sacrificing His life on a cross for our sins. It was a merciful act from an already-merciful God. Truly, since the day Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, God has demonstrated unfathomable mercy. Today, may the blood of Jesus be life to your soul. May you rest in His mercy, knowing that He loves you more than you will ever understand. And may His mercy inspire you to be more like Him in everything you do.

 

 

THE WEEKLY WORD WITH MIKE MACINTOSH 

Can be found here:

http://theweeklywordmikemacintosh.blogspot.com/

 

WORDDEVO: "The Weekly Word with Mike MacIntosh" [11-11 thru 11-17] DEVOTIONALS

 

 

Seven Days of Devotion

The Weekly Word is a Collection of Devotionals to be read on the Day Listed and presented freely as a service to and for the Body of Christ and Believers throughout the World that We may Hear God Speak to us as the Spirit of God gives us ears to hear and eyes to see what God would have for us daily in relationship to Him.

 

"You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
Matthew 22:37-39

Growing up, I tended to push the envelope. I think I was thrown out of more bars than I walked into. I wasn't a bad guy, but I was always getting into mischievous trouble. Why? Deep down, I felt empty. I feared I would never amount to anything. I was afraid of what people might do to me. I feared where I was headed, but I feared changing course. I lived in perpetual fear... and I blamed myself.

Years later, as a new Christian, I came across a verse that changed my life. 1 John 3:20 says, "For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things." Boy, I could relate! If anyone had a condemning heart, I did. I carried such guilt. I knew God loved me enough to forgive my every sin, but I was afraid to forgive myself. In essence, I had made God smaller than myself -- I had allowed my own sense of guilt and sinfulness to trump the perfecting work of His love in my life. One thing had always stood in my way: fear.

The opposite of love is fear. Perfect love and fear cannot coexist, because "perfect love casts out fear" (1 John 4:18). Where there is fear, love is lacking. And in my heart, God's love was lacking. You see, I'd never realized that all the guilt, shame, bitterness, and anger in my life was rooted in fear. I was afraid of love, because I didn't think I deserved it. From the moment I allowed God to uproot the fear, I realized the sheer power of His love. I didn't have to defend myself. I didn't need to strive to be somebody. If God was in charge, why should I fear? "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7).

All the Lord requires of us is love -- to love Him, and to love others. That's it. All the commandments boil down to this one thing: love. Nothing is more powerful than the perfect love of Jesus Christ. Today, allow His love to permeate every cell of your body. Let Him cast out all the fear in your heart, and the sin it causes. Let His love bring forgiveness and restoration to you, your family, your friends, and your enemies. Let Him give you a love for others that you've never known or experienced, and that radically transforms your world. "He who does not love does not know God, for God is love" (1 John 4:8).

 

 MONDAY

And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
Matthew 23:12

Jesus never got angry with anyone... except the religious leaders of His day. He never yelled at a teenager for having sex on a Friday night. He never scolded anyone for smoking a joint, or getting drunk, or stealing from a business partner. Instead, He always said, "Repent."

But it was a different story with the religious leaders. Jesus didn't hesitate to rebuke the scribes and Pharisees. And He did it in front of the people who respected them most -- the public.

The scribes and Pharisees were hugely popular among the people of Jesus' time.

Unlike the Sadducees, who were the "snobby," upper-class aristocrats, the scribes and Pharisees were mostly middle-class businessmen, lawyers, and judges. Even though the Sadducees were technically more powerful, the scribes and Pharisees were much more famous -- and they knew it.

They liked that the people looked to them for the interpretation of the truth, rather than looking to God. They liked making themselves the peoples' only access to God. But Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6).

You see, the scribes and Pharisees had exalted themselves to the very throne that Jesus came to occupy. They had made themselves the "way" and the "truth" -- except they neither had the power to give life to one lost soul, nor did they even desire such a thing; they only wanted power and fame for themselves.

They didn't love the people -- they thought they were better than the people. They didn't care for the people -- they burdened the people. And Jesus would not tolerate it. Four times in Matthew 23, He says, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees!" Is it a surprise that Jesus would want to warn the multitudes of such vultures? Is it any wonder that He would be outraged by such pride?

Today, who sits on the throne of your heart?

Is it you? Are you, like the Pharisees, living only for yourself, even when it burdens and impedes others? When we exalt ourselves, we tell the world that this is exactly the case. But if Jesus Christ sits on the throne of your heart, He will be life to you, and you will bring life to others.

Some of us walk around with these big burdens on our shoulders, but if you will place Jesus on the throne of your heart, you will be totally free -- free from religion and the entanglements that men have put in your way; free from the stumbling blocks that make you feel guilty. God is madly in love with you. Not just a little bit. His love is overpowering. He forgives you of your sins, and He sets you free. Jesus said, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32).

May I encourage you to exalt Jesus higher and higher in your life. Make Him the center of everything. Don't exalt yourself, and don't look to others who exalt themselves. Matthew 23:11 says that "he who is greatest among you shall be your servant."

 

Humble yourself, and become someone, like Jesus, who gives, who loves, who pours out their life for others -- and who never asks for anything in return. That is being a servant... and that is greatness.

 

 

   

TUESDAY

But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
Matthew 24:37-39

A little boy was invited to dinner for the first time in his life. He would just be going to his next-door neighbor's house, but to him, this was a huge event. "See ya, Mom! See ya, Dad!" he hollered as he raced to the house next door. When they sat down at the table to eat, the boy, who was raised in a Christian home, bowed his head. "Lord, thank you for this food," he began to pray out loud. But nobody stopped; everyone kept passing food across the table.

The little boy opened his eyes and asked, without a hint of embarrassment, "Don't you people thank God for your food?" After an awkward silence, the lady of the house said, "No, honey, we don't." The little fellow thought for a moment. "You know, you're like my dogs" he told them. "They just start right in."

You and I can be like that, can't we? We can make $100,000 on a real estate deal, and not give God a penny. We can "start right in," carelessly feasting on the food before us, ignorant of God's graciousness to provide it. But when we lose $100,000, we're quick to cry out to God. When things go wrong, we look to Him with eyes of desperation. Why? Because instead of loving God, we think we can use Him. Instead of blessing God with our gifts, talents, finances -- you name it -- we expect God to bless us. We are self-focused. And we are deceived.

The people of Noah's time were living the good life. They ate, they drank, and they partied. And that's not necessarily bad. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says that "whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." But the people were self-focused, not God-focused. They didn't eat and drink to celebrate God, but to satisfy themselves.

When Noah warned of God's imminent judgment, a world-wide flood, they mocked him. "Oh come on, that's ridiculous!" they must have said, laughing. After all, it had never rained! They had never even heard of a flood! But must God use means with which we are familiar? Must He work in ways we expect? Because the people couldn't even imagine such a substantial work of God, they were swept away by it. "So also will the coming of the Son of Man be" (Matthew 24:39).

You see, deception comes through selfishness. When our hopes and dreams are only rooted in self-glory, not only do we miss the glory of God -- we can't even imagine it. When our eyes are fixed on ourselves, not only are we oblivious to God -- we assume His role in our lives. Self-focus always results in self-deception because when we lose sight of God, we lose sight of our purpose.

Jesus said, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and [you shall love] your neighbor as yourself" (Luke 10:27). That is our purpose, lest we deceive ourselves.

Today, we live in days very similar to the days of Noah. Jesus Christ is coming to take you home, and what a glorious day it will be to stand in His presence and worship Him "in the beauty of holiness" (Psalm 96:9)! But you must be prepared. Don't live a self-centered life; you only deceive yourself. Give your life to Jesus, and live for His glory.  

 

 

WEDNESDAY

For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.
Matthew 25:29

On March 26, 1994, Ronald Opus jumped from the top of a ten-story building, intending to commit suicide. He died that day, but not from the ten-story leap. As he fell past the 9th floor, his life was interrupted by a shotgun blast passing through a window, which killed him instantly.

Neither the shooter nor the deceased was aware that a safety net had been installed just below the 8th floor to protect building workers. Were it not for the gunshot, Mr. Opus would have lived.

Here's what happened. An elderly man and his wife, who had been arguing vigorously, occupied the 9th-floor room where the shotgun blast emanated. The man had been threatening his wife with the gun, and became so upset that he pulled the trigger and missed his wife completely. The pellets went through the window, striking Mr. Opus.

Bizarrely, the elderly man told authorities that it was a long-standing habit of his to threaten his wife with an unloaded shotgun, but that he never had any intent to kill her. Someone else, he insisted, had loaded the gun.

And sure enough, a witness confirmed that the couples' son had done so. An investigation found that the old lady had cut off her son's financial support, and that the son had loaded the gun, knowing his father's propensity to threaten her with it. He wanted his mother dead. But it doesn't end there.

Authorities determined that the son would be guilty of murder, even though he had not actually pulled the trigger.

After all, the blood of Ronald Opus was on his hands. But as the investigation continued, authorities were shocked to find that the son was, in fact, Ronald Opus. He had become despondent over his failure to engineer his mother's murder, and had jumped off the ten-story building, only to be killed by the shotgun blast passing through the 9th-story window.

Ronald Opus had actually murdered himself.

Unbelievable. When I heard that story, I thought, "What a waste!" Here was a man who valued life so little -- his mother's life, his father's life, and his own life -- that he actively pursued death. He tried to kill not only his mother, but himself.

He had been given the greatest resources available -- life, family, health -- and in squandering his family's lives, lost his own. He held such little value in that which he had been given that he murdered the last resource that ultimately mattered to him: himself.

You know, the way we treat our resources says a lot about what we value. We don't squander that which we hold dear. We don't let go to waste that which holds potential. Jesus tells the parable in Matthew 25 of a master who gives his three servants a measure of money. The first two servants invest the money, and make the master a profit.

But the third servant does nothing with it. And without notice, the master takes the money from the third servant, giving it to the servant who had more. Why? Because the third servant didn't value the little he'd been given. Sure, he says he did, but he sat on it. Maybe he didn't realize its potential to grow. Maybe he didn't care, or was afraid. Whatever the case, the master took the money away. You see, if we truly value the resources God has given us, we will use them. If we hold dear our life, our family, our health -- we will do everything we can not only to preserve them, but to invest in them.

No doubt, God has given us amazing resources. Do you realize the value of your breath? Of your family? Of God's Word? Of His power to work in and through you?

 

Today, don't squander God's blessings.

 

Don't sit on the gifts he's given you. Actively invest in them, grow them, and realize their potential. May we become people who appreciate and use the awesome resources God has given us!

 

THURSDAY

And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table.
Matthew 26:6-7

Years ago, a chaplain friend of mine in northern California received a 2:00 AM phone call.  It was the Highway Patrol, and they needed him right away -- there had been an accident, and it was ugly.  So he raced to the scene, exhausted, but eager to help.  As he pulled up, he saw car parts everywhere and the typical ominous, swirling police lights. "How can I help?" he asked an officer.  "Chaplain, this is one of the worst accidents we've seen, but we need to identify the victim, the driver..."  Without hesitation, the chaplain interrupted, saying, "I'll do it; I'll get in the car somehow."  He walked up to the shattered car; the driver's body was beyond recognition.  He pulled out the driver's wallet, and froze.  The driver was his son.

Understandably, he flipped out, unable to absorb what was happening.  That night, he broke the news to his wife that their only son had lost his life on Interstate 5.  It was the start of a horrible time in his life -- a time of anger and bitterness towards God.  A time of brokenness and unanswered questions.

Shortly thereafter, he received another phone call, this time from back east.  Terrorists had just flown two planes into the World Trade Center towers, and the voice on the other end of the line pleaded, "We need you to come to Ground Zero."  He refused.  It was the last place he wanted to go.  Months passed, though, and that Christmas, after some convincing from his wife, he packed his bags and made the trip to New York.

Walking Ground Zero, he encountered a devastated couple, still wondering if their daughter had been killed in the attacks.  "Can you tell me about her?" he asked them.  He wrote down her description -- 24 years old, brown hair, brown eyes, 115 pounds -- and said he'd ask around.  Later that day, as he walked inside the police perimeter, a truck came around the corner, filled with debris.  As it passed by, something fell off the back, and he randomly picked it up.  Pulling out his notes, he realized what he had just found: the identification for the couples' missing daughter.

He went back to the couple, hugged them, and cried.  And cried, and cried.  "Is this your daughter?"  Mom and Dad fell apart.  But that day, the chaplain was able to put it all in perspective.  God healed his heart that day, and used him to lead the couple to Jesus.

You know, it's amazing how God not only loves the broken-hearted -- He uses them to bring love and healing to other broken-hearted people.  In Matthew 26, Jesus visits the home of someone who knew what it felt like to be broken-hearted: a leper.  Here was a man who had been ostracized and rejected not only by his friends and family, but even by the religious leaders of his day.  Jesus, though, freely visited his home.  He loved this leper, even when everyone else rejected him.  Why?  Because Jesus, too, was broken-hearted.

You see, Jesus knew that He would be crucified in only a matter of days.  He knew the burden of sin He would carry as He would be tortured and nailed to a cross.  And it broke His heart.  But there, in the leper's home of all places, a woman poured out expensive fragrant oil over His head to bless Him.  Can you imagine how encouraged Jesus must have felt?  Can you imagine how blessed He must have been by this woman, broken before her Lord, sacrificing her costly fragrance to honor Him?  The disciples, though, grumbled amongst themselves.  "This fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor," they reasoned (Matthew 26:9).  They didn't share Jesus' brokenness, and couldn't minister to Him. They didn't understand.

Maybe today you feel like a failure, or an outcast, or that you'll never amount to anything.  Maybe you, like my chaplain friend, are broken-hearted and crushed.  Jesus understands.  He loves you, and He wants to heal you.  He suffered great loss -- even death on a cross -- because He cares for you so much.  Let Jesus heal your heart, and He will use you to heal others.

 

 

FRIDAY

 

Jesus said to Peter, "Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." Peter said to Him, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!" And so said all the disciples.
Matthew 26:34-35

Peter and Judas were seemingly polar opposites.  Peter was pushy, presumptuous, aggressive, and often flippant with his mouth.  "Even if I have to die with You," he arrogantly announced to Jesus, "I will not deny You!"  Judas, on the other hand, flew under the radar.  He stayed in the background, unlike Peter, never making such bold statements.  But both men were arrogant.  Both acted selfishly.  And both betrayed Jesus.  Really, for all their apparent dissimilarities, they only differed in one major aspect: Peter had an authentic, loving relationship with Jesus Christ, and Judas didn't.

Judas had walked with Jesus, had heard Jesus teach, and had witnessed the miracles Jesus had performed.  He had seen Jesusfeed people, heal people, raise people from the dead -- and yet the whole time, had probably speculated, "How can I profit from whatJesus is doing?"  He had likely wondered to himself, "What's in it for me?"  Boy, his eyes must have lit up as he watched the Pharisees, seeing in them his golden opportunity to turn a profit.  Surely he could tell that they wanted Jesus dead, so he approached the chief priest with a bribe.  "What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?" he asked (Matthew 26:14).  And for thirty pieces of silver, Judas betrayed Jesus to them.

Peter, too, betrayed Jesus; He denied even knowing Him.  Not once, or even twice, but three times.  Matthew 26:74 says that he became so vehement in his denial that he "began to curse and swear, saying, 'I do not know the Man!'"  And immediately, as the rooster crowed, Peter realized his sin, remembering how pompously he had sworn toJesus that he would never deny Him -- the way he had just done.

Both men denied Jesus, but we see their hearts in the way they reacted.  Peter, when he realized his sin, "went out and wept bitterly" (Matthew 26:74).  Judas, on the other hand, "went out and hanged himself" (Matthew 27:5).  Peter reacted with tears of indignity; Judas attempted to salvage his dignity, with the selfish act of suicide.  Peter wept over his sin, while Judas ran from his.

You see, if Judas had any relationship with Jesus, it was so shallow and inconsequential that it could be undone by thirty mere pieces of silver.  If he loved Jesus, he wouldn't have tried to profit off Him.  If he truly knew Jesus, he wouldn't have run from his sin, but would have repented from it.  Peter, for all his flaws, not only recognized his sin, but wept over it, and repented from it.

We have all betrayed Jesus.  We have all sinned.  Romans 3:10 says, "There is none righteous, no, not one."  But may we be like Peter, who "wept bitterly" over his sin and repented.  Today, if you have an authentic relationship with Jesus Christ, you don't have to run from your sin -- you are forgiven!  If you will repent from your sin, "He is faithful and just to forgive us" (1 John 1:9).  Today, may you realize God's unfailing love for you, even as you inevitably fail him.  May you know the "width and length and depth and height" of the "love of Christ, which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:18-19).

SATURDAY

No grain offering which you bring to the LORD shall be made with leaven, for you shall burn no leaven nor any honey in any offering to the LORD made by fire. Leviticus 2:11 Any good marketing executive will tell you that in order to sell a new product to the public, you can't just tell your audience what it is; you must show them how it will improve their lives. In essence, you must show your audience a version of themselves that is happier, more attractive, and more fulfilled than the current, real version -- all because of your product. Weight loss ads, movie trailers, beer commercials -- they don't simply tell you about the product they're selling, but show you how consuming it in some way will make you happier and more fulfilled. Why does this work so well? Because we all want that which makes us happy. We all want to be fulfilled. But when the world is quick to offer you the lure of happiness and the promise of fulfillment, do they really care about a more fulfilled, happier you? Of course not. To the world, you are simply a means to profit; you are a pawn to be played. The world wants us to act like it, dress like it, spend money like it, talk like it -- all for the sake of draining us of everything we hold dear. Is it any wonder, then, that in looking to the world for fulfillment, we end up drained? Is it any surprise that in trying to "fit in" with the world, we are gouged by it? The Israelites had a bad habit of looking to the world and imitating it, just as we often do. But the Lord did not want the Israelites acting like, dressing like, or talking like the rest of the world. They were to be set apart -- a "special treasure to Me above all people" (Exodus 19:5) and "a holy nation" (Exodus 19:6). Notice in Leviticus 2:11 that the Lord forbid their grain offerings from being made with leaven or honey. This may sound like a small detail to us, but leaven and honey were used heavily by the Gentiles in making sacrifices to their false gods. The Lord was commanding His people to be unlike the Gentiles -- to make a different kind of sacrifice. He was calling His people to be set apart from the rest of the world. We, like the Israelites, are called to be set apart. Romans 12:2 says, "Do not be conformed to this world." But where the Lord commanded the Israelites to make a different kind of sacrifice, He calls us to be a different kind of sacrifice. We are to present our bodies a "living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God" (Romans 12:1). We are to not only act differently than the world, but to truly live differently. How else will the world ever know the power of God in our lives unless they first acknowledge a difference in us? Proverbs 4:27 says, "Do not turn to the right or the left; remove your foot from evil." Today, may I encourage you to look straight ahead into the loving eyes of Jesus, and follow Him -- and Him alone -- at all costs. Don't waste time looking to your left and your right. The world has nothing to offer you, but as a believer in Jesus Christ, you have something to offer the world. Be set apart. Look to Jesus, and let Him fulfill you.

 

 

 

THE WEEKLY WORD WITH MIKE MACINTOSH 

Can be found here:

http://theweeklywordmikemacintosh.blogspot.com/