Not Persuaded

Jesus' brothers said to him, "Leave here and go to Judea, where your followers can see your miracles! You can't become famous if you hide like this! If you can do such wonderful things, show yourself to the world!"John 7:3-4

The pressure was on. Michelle was really being pushed to launch the new product in the spring and get a jump on the competition. Everything was ready-almost, but not quite. It was the "not quite" that caused Michelle to hold back and reexamine the data. By the time the product was ready to be launched in the fall, the product had required critical changes. In the end, Michelle's ability to stand firm against outside pressures ensured the viability of the product and preserved the integrity of the company.Jesus faced similar pressures in John 7. His brothers were pushing him to go to the Feast of Tabernacles early and show off his miracle-performing abilities. Like many Jews, these brothers were looking for someone to "wow" the crowds and eventually lead the people in a rebellion against the Romans. The Feast would have been an ideal platform for launching Jesus' political career.

But Jesus could not be persuaded to become a crowd (or brother) pleaser. Jesus knew that his mission on earth was not to win fans, but to redeem people from their sin. Keeping his ultimate purpose in mind, Jesus chose to go to the festival, but in secret. In his wisdom, Jesus could not be persuaded to veer from his purpose, not even for one day of earthly glory. His choice to enter the festival quietly, instead of with a fanfare, led to a day of heated debates with his enemies and intense discussions with the crowd but no flashy miracles. By the end of the day, "many among the crowds at the Temple believed in him" (v. 31).

Regardless of the agenda others have, a leader needs to stand firm and keep her goal in focus. Leaders with integrity know that they cannot allow themselves to be persuaded to cave in to people-pleasing or glory-grabbing decisions. Pursuing integrity may not always be the popular or easy path, but it usually proves to be the wiser path.

Devotion by: Tyndale House Publishers

Weight off Our Shoulders

That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. - Romans 10:9 "

It was like having a burden lifted off of my shoulders," is a common description from people after they come to Christ.

Years ago I received a letter from a girl, who explained that she became sexually involved as a young girl. Soon after that, she got pregnant and had an abortion. She explained how she got married, but now finds herself in a marriage that is falling apart. Her life was empty and she was facing guilt over her abortion.

But then she heard the gospel. She said, "It was as if a big, huge stone had been lifted from off my back."

That's such an accurate description of what Christ accomplishes when we confess Him as Savior. No matter what you have done. No matter what sins you have committed. Jesus Christ is ready to forgive you and let you into heaven.

None of us deserve it, but He has saved us anyway. His offer of eternal salvation is there for you, if only you will come to Him.

Devotion by: Greg Laurie

Spell It Out

Jesus used many similar stories and illustrations to teach the people as much as they could understand. In fact, in his public ministry he never taught without using parables; but afterward, when he was alone with his disciples, he explained everything to them.Mark 4:33-34

The fine, the deep mid, the silly, the short square, the leg slip, the gully . . . If one is not familiar with these terms, he will find himself in the wrong place at the wrong time and will certainly lose the game of cricket for his team. Where would one learn the terminology for the game? It is readily available in the encyclopedia. But learning the terminology and actually playing the game are two different things entirely. Playing the positions well can only come from experience on the cricket field.

Jesus was a master at speaking in riddles for the public while at the same time teaching his disciples valuable lessons. He spoke with words that both taught and challenged. He taught those who could hear with faith and challenged those who were trying to trap him. There were times, however, when even the disciples were unable to understand Jesus. Then Jesus would patiently explain everything to them in detail. Jesus knew that as the disciples gained experience in the mission field, their understanding of his parables would grow. Meanwhile, Jesus took the time to spell parables out for the disciples by defining terms or by retelling the stories more simply.

Sometimes it may seem that things would go faster if we just used shortcuts to get the task at hand over and done with. However, in the long run, spelling things out and bringing new people along can be more efficient than doing it all on our own. Growing people into their positions takes patience and diligence. It requires commitment to the betterment of that other person. It requires the ability to see beyond the task at hand to the value of the person at hand.

Are we as patient as Jesus was with new Christians at church, or even new people at our workplace? The patience we show to our teammates can make the difference between a weak team and a strong, maturing, effective team.
Devotion by: Tyndale House Publishers

A Fresh Start

"Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls." - Jeremiah 6:16

As we come to the beginning of a new year and the ending of an old one, we often wish we could turn over a new leaf or gain a fresh start.

I once read about a man who was reading his morning newspaper and was shocked to find his name listed in the obituary column. He called up the newspaper and was outraged that they had made such a mistake. "This is terrible," he screamed, "How could you do this to me?" The newspaper's explanation did not satisfy the man, so he stormed down to their office and demanded to see the editor.

After some time of screaming and yelling, the editor grew frustrated and said, "Look buddy! Cheer up. I'll put your name in the birth column tomorrow and you can have a fresh start."

You may laugh at a story like that, but wouldn't it be great just to start over again. In reality, as a Christian you can have a fresh start. 2009 is still a blank slate. There are opportunities ahead of you. You decide which course you are going to take.

In Jeremiah 6:16, God says, " 'Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls.' " You decide which path you are going to walk in this coming year.

You decide what your priorities will be and what direction you will take. Those are decisions that each of us will make each and every day.

In 2009, choose the good way and walk in it. Only there will you find peace.

Devotion by: Greg Laurie

What Kind of Fisherman?

Devotion by:
Tyndale House Publishers

One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers-Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew-throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, "Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!" And they left their nets at once and followed him. Matthew 4:18-20

A good leader looks for undiscovered qualities in people and provides opportunities for those qualities to become assets. The ability to nurture talent and encourage growth in others can also create deep loyalty.

One of the tasks Jesus had to accomplish in his three years of ministry was to put an effective team together that could follow through with his mission after he had ascended to heaven. One problem was that no one had ever been trained in the field of church planting. Jesus had to pick people for his team who could grow into their jobs. His ability to see potential in people brought twelve very different men together.

How did Jesus persuade the disciples to join him? No begging, no buttering up. Jesus did not give the disciples false hope or exaggerate their potential. He simply told them that they would remain fishermen but that the bait and the catch would be much more significant.

Scripture tells us that Andrew and Peter responded immediately to the offer Jesus made. They faltered and fell along the way but always got back up and continued to follow Jesus. History records that they were loyal to Jesus unto death. Jesus called them away from an unexciting, common existence to a compelling and challenging career. The disciples could not have envisioned themselves as part of future earth-changing events, but Jesus knew exactly how they would be used to further his kingdom. Jesus had a vision and he invited simple men to step out of the common and into something completely new. That invitation made all the difference for the disciples and for the world.

Endurance Training

by: Greg Laurie

Caleb is one of the unsung heroes of the Bible. He stands as a shining example of one who never lost his edge spiritually. He himself said at age 85, "I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and coming in" (Joshua 14:11 NKJV).

At that point in the history of God's people, the Israelites had finally made it to the long-awaited Promised Land, and Joshua was dispersing portions of it to the various tribes. Caleb suddenly spoke up and asked for the land he had surveyed.

In response, Joshua granted faithful Caleb what he asked. Yet the old man proved he had not yet exhausted his courage, for then he said: Here I am this day, eighty-five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me . . . Now therefore, give me this mountain [the land of Hebron] of which the Lord spoke in that day. . . . (Joshua 14:10-12 NKJV)

The other guys must have thought old Caleb was senile. Hebron was not some beautiful green pasture; it was one of the most treacherous mountainous areas of the Promised Land.

Even worse, formidable adversaries-identified as the three sons of Anak-lived there. No one wanted to take them on except 85-year-old Caleb, holding up that muscular old arm, saying, "Give me this mountain."

I love his boldness. Caleb ran up the mountain. He slew his adversaries. He was victorious. He had been strong all those years, and he finished well.

Let me share some principles with you from Caleb's life that can give us this spiritual stamina we need to run and indeed finish in the race of life.

1. Follow the Lord 100 percent. Scripture says again and again that Caleb "wholly followed the Lord." It's in Joshua 14:8-9 and verse 14 too: Joshua blessed Caleb and gave the old man what he asked because "he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel."

This is clearly a key to Caleb's spiritual success. But what does it mean to "wholly follow the Lord"? It means that you must fully follow our Lord not halfheartedly, but completely. One hundred percent.

Are you wholly following the Lord your God? If you are not, you will eventually be picked off. It is only a matter of time until you become a casualty in the race of life.

2. Don't compromise-stand your ground. At the risk of being personally ostracized, Caleb took a stand for what was he knew was true. He knew he needed to be more concerned with God's approval than man's. And he was rewarded.

As you walk with the Lord, you will face many temptations to cave in to peer pressure, to do what everybody else does. But if you are going to fully follow the Lord, then, like Caleb, you must make this principle operative in your life. Stand firm-seek God's pleasure, no one else's.

3. Take God at His Word. Caleb didn't win immediate entrance to the Promised Land. First, he had to wander around with those ungrateful, complaining Israelites for 40 years. They said things like "We remember the good old days back in Egypt, where we had garlic, leeks, and onions."

Despite the Israelites' childish clinging to fictitious memories, Caleb hung on to the promises of God. He knew God would be faithful, regardless of the time frame. Caleb trusted God's word to him. We can do the same.

4. Long for fellowship with your God. Caleb asked for a place in the Promised Land called Hebron. There is something interesting thing about the name Hebron, which-in the original language-means "fellowship, love, and communion." Hebron is where Abraham met with God face-to-face and received the promise of the new land in the first place.

Caleb yearned for fellowship with God. While the other Israelites longed for Egypt, Caleb longed for Hebron. While the others looked back, Caleb looked forward. While others wanted to please themselves, Caleb wanted to please God.

This is an essential key to spiritual longevity. You must always move forward. You must always seek to grow spiritually and never look back. That's what will keep you going.

If you are living this Christian life for others' applause, you won't make it. You have to run empowered by your love for God.

Distractions

When "When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had arrived, they came and started to argue with him. Testing him, they demanded that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority. When he heard this, he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, "Why do these people keep demanding a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, I will not give this generation any such sign." So he got back into the boat and left them, and he crossed to the other side of the lake. Mark 8:11-13

"I can't seem to get anything done. I spend most of my day just putting out fires." Do those words sound familiar? Those little "fires" can distract us from accomplishing our major goals. They seem to take up all our time, and in the end, we realize that we haven't made any significant progress all day.

Jesus was familiar with distractions. The disciples sought him out while he was in the desert praying to his Father. The multitudes hunted him down and begged for healings or bread. His family dropped in unannounced. Often Jesus consented to the requests of the people. Indeed, much of Jesus' ministry centered on meeting the real needs of people. He willingly provided food, healing, or forgiveness. What may have appeared to be distractions were, in fact, vital parts of Jesus' ministry.

Still, there were times when Jesus flatly refused to be interrupted. When the Pharisees demanded signs after they had witnessed countless miracles, Jesus simply said no. Certainly the powers of Jesus were boundless. He could have complied with the requests of the Pharisees. But Jesus had set boundaries to his ministry. He came for the sick and the imprisoned. He came for the poor and the weak. He came for those who would believe. Knowing that his ministry on earth had limited time, he focused on those activities that proved fruitful.

Do we have the resolve to stay focused on the big picture? Are we able to say no to activities that will prove fruitless or people who are simply distracters? At the same time, are we sensitive to the little interruptions of the day that are really part of our calling? The choices before us require wisdom that only comes from God.

Devotion by Tyndale House Publishers

Passionate Prayer

Have you ever felt like the bottom has just dropped out of your life? Have you ever felt like you were just hanging on by a thread, because things had become so incredibly difficult? What does God tell us we should do when we are suffering, when we are in trouble?We find the answer in James 5: we should pray. Why? It just may be that God will remove your problems because of your prayer. By simply bringing your circumstances before the Lord and acknowledging your need and dependence on Him, God can lift that problem you are presently facing.That is not to say that God will always take our suffering or troubles away. But even then, prayer gives us the grace we need to endure our troubles and grow closer to God.I find it interesting that James, in the midst of addressing this very important subject of prayer, cites the example of a righteous man greatly admired by his readers and says, Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. (James 5:17-18 NKJV)

The prophet Elijah was known for his special acts of courage and dramatic miracles. When we think of him, we recall his outrunning chariots, raising the dead, and resting in the wilderness while ravens dropped off his food. We read about him calling fire down from heaven and stopping the rain with his prayers.

It is hard for us to think of a man like that as human. He seems superhuman. Yet James points out Elijah, one of the most dramatic of the prophets, and says that he was someone like us.

What we forget is that the same Elijah who called fire from heaven in that great contest with the prophets of Baal on Mt Carmel is the same Elijah who ran for his life when he heard that Queen Jezebel wanted him killed. He prayed, "It is enough. Now Lord, take my life. . . " (1 Kings 19:4 NKJV). He was a man just like us-a man subject to like passions, a man with the same vulnerabilities. If a man like that, with his weaknesses, could still muster up the faith to believe God for great things, then surely we could do the same.

James tells us that Elijah "prayed earnestly that it would not rain" (5:17 NKJV). Now, Elijah's prayer was not some laid-back request. He didn't say, "God, I don't know. It would be kind of nice to have some rain." He put his heart into it. He passionately poured out his heart to heaven.

It says in 1 Kings that Elijah "bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees" (18:42 NKJV). Elijah poured himself into it. He prayed with fervor.

A servant came and said, "There is a cloud out there about the size of a man's hand." That is a pretty small cloud. Elijah kept praying. The cloud grew, and soon it began to rain. God answered, and still, Elijah kept praying and praying. Soon it was El Niño time. Yet Elijah didn't give up.

We need to remember to do the same. Sometimes we will be praying and we'll see a partial answer-a cloud the size of a man's hand, so to speak. Maybe you are praying for someone who is closed to the gospel. Then you begin to see a little openness here and there. Or maybe you are praying for someone to be healed. The person you're praying for gets a little better, but not completely better. Maybe you're praying for provision. You have received some of that provision, but not all.

Don't give up. Keep praying. That little cloud may grow. That answer may come in God's timing. Pray with fervor. Pray with passion.

Much of our prayer has no power in it because there is no heart in it. If we put so little heart into prayer, then how can we expect God to put much heart into answering? We need to truly pray.

Rather than offering up some casual, God-save-the-earth-amen kind of prayer, we need to pray specifically. We need to pray fervently. We need to pray continually. Don't give up, James is saying. Pray with energy. Put your heart into it. That is what really matters.

Devotion by Greg Laurie

A Credible Identity

For I know where I came from and where I am going . . . I am not alone. The Father who sent me is with me.John 8:14, 16

There is nothing more attractive than a confident leader. "I know who I am, I know where I'm going, and I know how to get there," are statements that exude certainty and vision. But the most critical issue for confident leaders is whether or not they have the right to be confident. Do they have credibility? Credibility is related not to the amount of confidence one exudes but to one's past résumé of achievements. Credibility answers the question, "What is the caliber of the people who have already placed their trust in you?"By the eighth chapter of the Gospel of John, Jesus had fed thousands, healed multitudes, taught the scholars, and forgiven sinners. Still the Pharisees were compelled to challenge the credibility of Jesus. Fully aware of the agenda of the lawyers he was facing, Jesus nevertheless stated that he was sent by the Father and that the Father stood with him in his claims. He used language that forced them to make a choice about him.The words Jesus spoke resonated with some and offended others. But they all understood him. Jesus knew that regardless of his résumé, regardless of his Father's support, some would be dead set on opposing him.Interestingly, Jesus did not focus long on those who rejected his call to redemption. Instead, he turned to those who did believe and encouraged them: "Jesus said to the people who believed in him, 'You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free'" (v. 31).Jesus' dialogue with the Pharisees served not simply to defend his credibility, though he was impressively successful in doing so. His statements primarily called some to saving faith. He then encouraged them to press on toward the freedom that comes from being pulled out from under the condemnation of the law that they knew so well. Jesus never allowed personal pride to interfere with the redemption of one heart. He never allowed the defense of his reputation to take precedence over his overall purpose: to bring sinners home.Confidence and credibility are useful tools to have in carrying out leadership functions. They certainly affect our effectiveness in guiding people to Jesus. But they must be driven by a passion for others to experience spiritual freedom in Jesus Christ. Jesus calls us to be completely available for his service in this grand purpose.

Devotion by: Tyndale House Publishers

The Lord's Supper

So if anyone eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily, that person is guilty of sinning against the body and the blood of the Lord. That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking from the cup. - 1 Corinthians 11:27-28

Matthew 26 contains one of the most well-known events in human history and certainly the most famous meal ever eaten, the Last Supper. As the disciples sat together, Jesus said, " 'Take it and eat it, for this is my body' " (verse 26). He then gave thanks and offered them the cup and said, " 'Each of you drink from it, for this is my blood, which seals the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out to forgive the sins of many' " (verses 27-28).

Jesus, as He often did, was speaking symbolically. To say He was speaking literally here does not fit with the word pictures He often used. After all, Jesus said He was the Bread of Life. And didn't He say that He was the Door?

So, do we insist that Christ is an actual loaf of bread or a door? Of course not. Nor should we insist that the bread and the contents of the cup are actually Christ's body and blood. There is no evidence of a supernatural process that transforms the cup's contents into Jesus' blood and the bread into His flesh.

Therefore, as we participate in Communion, we don't want to overly mystify what it represents. We don't want to think of the bread as flesh and the cup as containing blood.

On the other hand, we don't want to devalue Communion by thinking it means nothing. Clearly, the Scriptures warn us about taking part in Communion without recognizing its significance (see 1 Corinthians 11:23-30).

The bread and the cup are not holy elements in and of themselves. But they do represent something that is very holy. So it is with great respect and reverence that we come to the Communion table, recognizing it is a symbol of what Jesus Christ accomplished for us on the cross.

Devotion by Pastor Greg Laurie.