Universal Sense of Right & Wrong

DAILY DEVOTIONAL, SEPTEMBER 30

Romans 2:14 ESV NASB

For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves,

universal problem, universal

In his book Human Universals, anthropologist Donald Brown lists over 400 human behaviors common across all cultures. Some of his findings are touching: All cultures have toys, jokes, dances, and proverbs; they have music, poetry, tickling, and thumb-sucking; the people of each culture develop languages, take names, are wary of snakes, and tie things with string! Likewise, Brown discovered a number of moral universals across humanity. All ethnic groups have concepts of true and false, good and bad, fairness and equity, and right and wrong. And while vices like gossip, manipulation, and feelings of ethnic superiority are also universal, many are acknowledged to be wrong. All people everywhere, it seems, have some sense of conscience.

The apostle Paul made the same point centuries before Brown. He noted that though God gave the Jews the Ten Commandments to clarify right and wrong, the fact that Gentiles can do the right thing by obeying their conscience shows that God has woven His laws into every human heart (Romans 2:14-15). Ever wonder why atheists can be kind or why cultures without biblical exposure have ethical codes? That’s why. Of course, knowing what is right—either through Jewish Law or conscience—doesn’t mean that we always do what is right. The Gentile senses what is right but still rebels (1:32); the Jew knows the Law but still breaks it (2:17-24). Break those mysterious universal rules and both Law and conscience condemn us, and this is Paul’s point.

Through the sacrificial death of Jesus, God frees us from the penalty of our rebellion and forgives us for breaking His rules! (3:23-26; 6:23). Everyone has a conscience, and no one obeys it fully. So everyone has a problem, which only Jesus can solve. —Sheridan Voysey

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Speak the truth

DAILY DEVOTIONAL, SEPTEMBER 28

Jeremiah 42:21 ESV NASB

So I have told you today, but you have not obeyed the LORD your God, even in whatever He has sent me to tell you.

speak the truth

Today, most of us live in a highly pluralistic society. Our next-door neighbor could well be Chinese, Ethiopian, or European. And, in the name of harmony, we’re told to respect differing views and opinions. But when voices of culture state that homosexuality, abortion, and cohabitation are acceptable lifestyle choices, what should believers in Jesus do? When God’s truth is replaced by “tolerance,” how do we live out our faith?

The prophet Jeremiah lived during a time when truth was spurned. In chapter 42, we find a group of Judean “guerrillas” and the people they had rescued coming to Jeremiah with what sounded like a sincere request for guidance (vv.1-5). At that time, Jerusalem had been destroyed and Egypt was applying great pressure on the kingdom of Judah to cast their lot with them. After receiving a message from God, Jeremiah delivered God’s pronouncement to the people. The substance of God’s reply was that they should not go down into Egypt, and that if they did they would be destroyed. The people were intent, however, on going to Egypt, and they rejected Jeremiah’s warning (43:4). They called the prophet a liar and added insult to injury by forcing him to accompany them (vv.2,6). Jeremiah knew his message wasn’t what the people wanted to hear. Yet he spoke forth God’s Word boldly, instead of trying to make it more palatable for the people.

Today, while we need to be discerning about how to present God’s truth to diverse audiences, we should never change what it says. When issues strike at the heart of biblical teaching, we must take a stand and winsomely continue to be God’s salt and light to people lost in a declining culture. Let’s speak His truth in love. —Poh Fang Chia

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To live and die

DAILY DEVOTIONAL, SEPTEMBER 24

Genesis 23:4 ESV NASB

“I am a stranger and a sojourner among you; give me a burial site among you that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”

To live and die

During a trip to Singapore, I was fascinated by the variety of cemeteries found there. One featured aboveground crypts with openings at the bottom. When I asked why the holes were there, my host explained that it was due to religious beliefs. The families of the deceased believe that the openings allow the spirits of the dead to move freely from their concrete confines.

Abraham needed a place for the body of his wife Sarah (Genesis 23:1-4). He wasn’t concerned about obtaining a crypt with an opening. He simply needed a cave in which to lay his beloved Sarah to rest. During that time, it was expected that people would be buried in the place of their birth. That meant leaving Canaan (Israel) and heading all the way back to Ur (Iraq). But instead of following that practice, Abraham secured a tomb and buried Sarah in their new land— the promised land of God (v.11). This showed that he believed by faith that God had called them to live and die in Canaan. We also live with a new land in view.

The apostle Paul wrote, “As long as we live in these bodies we are not home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:6). When we die, we leave this world behind and our spirit goes to dwell with Jesus (v.8). There will be no looking back to the land of our physical birth, for our eternal “house in heaven” will be beyond compare (2 Corinthians 5:1). Paul penned, “Living means living for Christ, and dying is even better” (Philippians 1:21). For he knew death would lead to being in God’s presence forever. Choose to live today with eternity in mind. There’s no need to fear death, for “whether we live or die, we belong to [Jesus]” (Romans 14:8). He has already set our spirit free for all eternity! (Hebrews 2:15). —Tom Felten

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Carpe Diem - PURENRG

PURENRG DAILY DEVOTIONAL , SEPTEMBER 22

Posted to Lamentations 3:23 on Sep 20, 2010 at 04:17 PM

Lamentations 3:23 ESV NASB

They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

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“Carpe Diem”

Do you know what that phrase means? It means seize the day. God has promised to give us new mercies so we can wake up every morning ready to sieze the day that He has given us.

There is a verse we feel goes with this song and it comes from Lamenations 3:21-23 “This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. The Lord’s loving kindness indeed never cease, For his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.”

Each day God offers us a new beginning. Because of his grace and mercy we can live each day to it’s fullest.

In our song, “Here We Go Again” it talks about the brand new day God gives us every day and asks God what He is going to bring us in that day.

Our favorite line is “I sing ‘cause I know you will lead my way. Life is good in a world where your wonder never ends.”

So how will you seize the day? There are so many opportunities to take advantage of this day and make every moment count. A great way to start is by serving others around you. By serving others in need. You could get up early and make breakfast for your whole family. Or you could clean your room before your mom asks you to. You also could help your younger siblings with their homework.

There are countless ways on how you can help others. We want to encourage you to go out and find a way to seize this day!

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Party

DAILY DEVOTIONAL, SEPTEMBER 21

Deuteronomy 14:26 ESV NASB

“You may spend the money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen, or sheep, or wine, or strong drink, or whatever your heart desires; and there you shall eat in the presence of the LORD your God and rejoice, you and your household.

party

We have friends who don’t get very excited about holidays. Our family, however—well, we get downright giddy when a special day pops up on the calendar.

Obviously, we throw a shindig for all the usual suspects (Christmas, Thanksgiving, Independence Day), and we make a big deal out of anniversaries, and any day when one of our boys loses a tooth. In fact, we celebrate birthday-week! One day just isn’t enough! The theme of partying—feasting, rejoicing, laughing— emerges consistently in Scripture. Whenever God’s kingdom breaks in, you find people rejoicing. In Deuteronomy, Moses lays out God’s instructions for all the details of how the Israelite nation is to structure their community. He offers a blueprint of tithes whereby the people would fund their worship and the livelihood of their leaders and, yes, their parties. God wanted these parties to be festive and lavish. The people were to bring “the new wine . . . the firstborn males of [their] flocks and herds” (Deuteronomy 14:23). God placed a high priority on the people remembering to throw feasts where they would rejoice and remember—together—that their God is kind and generous and the Giver of all gifts that are “good and perfect” (James 1:17).

When Jesus appeared on the scene, He brought the same message. Jesus’ first miracle was at a wedding feast (John 2:1-12), and He was noted as one who “feasts and drinks.” The Pharisees even used Jesus’ noted attendance at parties as an accusation against Him, calling Him a “glutton and drunkard” (Matthew 11:19).

The message of the kingdom is clear: When Jesus is present, there is reason to party. —Winn Collier

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Forgiven & Forgiving

DAILY DEVOTIONAL, SEPTEMBER 17

Matthew 6:12 ESV NASB

‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Forgiven & Forgiving

According to psychologist Abraham Maslow, man’s basic needs are physiological—oxygen to breathe and food to eat. According to Jesus, man’s basic needs are spiritual—to be forgiven and to forgive.

With the same tenacity and intensity that we ask for God’s provisions (Matthew 6:11), we must also seek His pardon. This means asking Him to forgive us of our sins and to enable us to forgive those who have sinned against us. “Forgive us our sins” is an explicit prayer for God’s forgiveness. “As we have forgiven those who sin against us” is an implicit prayer for a forgiving spirit (v.12).

Commenting on this, Bible teacher Haddon Robinson wrote, “Augustine labeled this request for forgiveness ‘the terrible petition,’ because if we harbor an unforgiving spirit while we pray to be forgiven in the same way as we forgive others, we are actually asking God not to forgive us.” Perhaps that’s why Jesus, immediately after teaching His disciples this prayer, stated clearly what was at stake for those who pray it. In fact, this is the only request He elaborated on. He warned, “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins” (vv.14-15).

While our salvation is not based on our goodness in forgiving others (Ephesians 2:8-9), our personal fellowship and intimacy with God is dependent on the understanding that we have been forgiven much (Luke 7:40-47). And one who knows that he has been forgiven much will love much (v.47). Jesus is talking about family forgiveness. Just as the Father has forgiven us, we should forgive our brothers and sisters. For if we are truly forgiven, we will also be forgiving. —K.T. Sim

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Spilled Out

DAILY DEVOTIONAL, SEPTEMBER 16

Matthew 12:37 ESV NASB

“For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Spilled Out

As I was grading papers at school one day, I received a text from my husband that read, “we r all n.” When I responded “What?” he explained that he had spilled half a gallon of paint on the carpeting in our home office. Fortunately, the carpet was old, and we were planning on ripping it up anyhow.

Now we were “all in” and there would be no turning back from the upcoming floor project. Meanwhile, until we could afford to remove the carpet, the colored, crusty spot was an ever-present reminder of what spilled paint can do. Words matter.

Whether written or spoken, they have the power to color our world with life or death (Proverbs 18:21). Because we live in a hyper-communicative society, our communication extends thousands of miles in a matter of seconds. From cell phones to Twitter, we have the power to influence others in an instant. Often, we text or e-mail what we refuse to say in person because we feel a measure of safety behind the inanimate keyboard beneath our fingers. Frustrations are bound to arise when we live in relationship with others. Like paint soaking into carpeting, however, words cannot be gathered up and their effects held back. Crusting over hearts, harsh words continue to speak long after we’ve had our say—even in the shortest text, the quickest tweet. Wrongfully perceiving electronic communication to be benign, we are still accountable— maybe even more so—for what we write. Erasing our sent box takes only a moment; words we wrote last a lifetime. We can say we’re just venting or even claim our arrows are well-deserved, but the fact remains: If we claim to be religious but don’t control our tongue, we’re just fooling ourselves, and our religion is worthless (James 1:26). —Regina Franklin

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keeping up with appearances

DAILY DEVOTIONAL, SEPTEMBER 15

Philippians 2:10 ESV NASB

so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

keeping up with appearances

A young woman was living the high life in Beijing. She resided in a private villa, danced her weekends away, and had her own chauffeur.

But she lost it all when new comrades rose to power and threw her father out of his government office. The young woman, however, was not exactly humbled. When friends offered to pay her rent or give her a ride, she would say, “Yes, I will allow you to purchase that for me” or “I grant you permission to do me this favor.” Her feeble attempts to retain a charade of privilege annoyed her friends. They would have preferred a simple, “Thank you, I don’t know what I would do without you.” It’s easy to see that she needed a hefty helping of humble gratitude. But don’t you and I act similarly toward God when we say that we permit Jesus to be our Lord or we accept Him into our hearts?

We enter this world needy and rebellious—under the curse of sin and death and bound for hell (Romans 3:23, 6:23). When we learn that Jesus gave His life to save us (Philippians 2:8), we sometimes grudgingly announce that we will grant Him this privilege. Theologian Karl Barth noticed this tendency and explained that our professed “openness” toward God may actually be a spiritual way of remaining closed. We concede that we need God’s help. But by granting permission for God to save us, we try to retain the power in our relationship. We refuse to admit that we are “this needy man,” and even in our poverty we strive to play “the rich man closed against God.” Like the young woman from Beijing, we’re dying to be in control. That’s fitting, because our attempt to keep the upper hand is killing us. Salvation comes when we confess that Jesus is Lord, with or without our permission (v.11). —Mike Wittmer

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risky business

DAILY DEVOTIONAL, SEPTEMBER 14

Ecclesiastes 5:14 ESV NASB

When those riches were lost through a bad investment and he had fathered a son, then there was nothing to support him.

risky business

A recent study by the US-based Virginia Tech Transportation Institute reveals that texting while driving is risky business. The study concluded that the risk of being in a collision is 23 times greater for truck drivers who text. The Institute’s research team is recommending that texting be banned for all drivers.

If Solomon were alive today, he would definitely recommend that we ban a certain risk—dicey investments. He wrote, “Money is put into risky investments that turn sour, and everything is lost” (Ecclesiastes 5:14). Just preceding this verse and setting the context for its instruction, Solomon was condemning the act of “hoarding” (v.13). The practice of stockpiling stuff out of personal greed can often be a prelude to investing in unwise things. The motives for doing both, along with the character of the individual committing the acts, are tainted. Jesus condemned this type of greed when He said, “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them” (Matthew 6:19). He then told His disciples to invest instead in something that’s not risky—eternal treasure. For “wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be” (v.21). The realization that all our treasures come from God leads us to take these points to heart (Ecclesiastes 5:19): • Right investing—Hoarding and risky investments don’t reflect the realization that “we can’t take our riches with us” (v.15). They don’t reflect the heart of God. • Acceptance—We should accept the material things we receive in life with gratitude and delight in what He has provided (v.18). Let’s avoid texting while driving and steer clear of risky investments. Both lead to devastating results. —Tom Felten

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Christian Song - Lucy (by Skillet)

SKILLET DAILY DEVOTIONAL, SEPTEMBER 10

John 11:32 ESV NASB

Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”

LUCY

“When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “‘Where have you laid him?’ he asked. “‘Come and see, Lord,’ they replied. Jesus wept.” ~ John 11: 32-35

Peter had never seen Jesus cry until now. He and the other disciples had followed Jesus back to the suburbs of Jerusalem where his good friend Lazarus had reportedly died four days earlier. Peter expected to attend the funeral, stand quietly in the background, and comfort the sisters Mary and Martha if he was needed.

But he wasn’t expecting the cold reception they got from the family when they arrived.

Everyone knew about Jesus’ power to heal people. They had seen him heal blind men, cure leprosy, and restore the crippled. So when Jesus arrived four days too late, they were upset with him. Why didn’t he come earlier? He could have saved Lazarus. Now his body was lying in a tomb where nothing could be done.

Death was never meant to be a part of life. When God created Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, he designed us to live forever. But something tragic happened that altered our destiny. We sinned. We chose our own way over God and brought a death sentence upon ourselves.

And things would have stayed this way if it weren’t for God’s love for us. We violated his law, but he refused to let us bear the consequences. Jesus came to take our place on the cross and give eternal life back to us. In spite of our mistakes, he offered us another way.

As Jesus walked into Lazarus’ hometown, Mary and Martha confronted him with their sorrow. They didn’t understand that death is not the end, and they blamed Jesus for not stopping it.

He told them, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

Jesus didn’t see death as the end because he knew what was on the other side. He knew that Heaven was more desirable than earth. If they could only see what it was like.

So when Jesus wept, it wasn’t necessarily because he lost his friend. Sure, Lazarus was his good friend. But Jesus knew he’d see him again. Jesus cried because he was reminded of the consequences of our mistakes, the loss of our innocence, and the tragedy of death.

Our mistakes bring about death. This goes for more than just abortion, suicide or murder. It applies to every sin we’ve ever committed. The Bible says that the outcome of all sin is death.

But it doesn’t have to stay this way.

Jesus took death upon himself so that we could receive eternal life. All we have to do is believe in him. We will see our loved ones again. We will be restored from all of our mistakes. And Jesus will wipe away our tears.

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NEW Website

Well, it's great to announce that the NEW Soul Harvest website will soon be up. We're working on a few last things, but predicting it will be live within a month!

In the meantime, you can still shop our Christian Shirts & Christian Clothing @ www.SoulHarvest.net.

Thank you!

Skillet Song - AWAKE AND ALIVE

SKILLET DAILY DEVOTIONAL, SEPTEMBER 8

Acts 2:1 ESV NASB

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.

AWAKE AND ALIVE

“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” - Acts 2:1-4

Peter had been staying in a rented house in Jerusalem with the other disciples after Jesus’ crucifixion. Part of it was fear; if they killed Jesus, they might kill his followers too. But he was also devastated. His messiah, his long-awaited savior was dead. The questions were swirling through Peter’s head: Was he wrong to trust in Jesus? Didn’t Jesus promise a better life? What was going to happen to him now?

Peter probably thought about going back to his family’s fishing business. It had been several years since he walked away from those familiar boats and nets; surely his father would welcome him back. Maybe he shouldn’t have left in the first place.

In fact, Peter wouldn’t have stayed in this house at all if Jesus hadn’t asked them to wait. He was fulfilling the request of his beloved teacher, but he was waiting for who knows what.

When we’re walking with God and can sense his presence, it’s easy to live the Christian life. Our hope is alive and our fears are vanquished. But when we go through dark times, we start wondering where God is. We begin doubting our faith. Suddenly, the life we abandoned for Jesus starts to look a whole lot more attractive, and we’re tempted to go back where we started.

But if we did this, we would miss out on a crucial part of following Jesus – experiencing the spirit of God. One of Jesus’ greatest promises to us was that we would never be alone. And because of the Holy Spirit, we never have to be.

After 40 days of waiting in the upper room, the disciples were overtaken by a mighty rushing wind. In one, sweeping force, the disciples were filled with the spirit of God. It was a sign of their genuine faith in Jesus. And suddenly, instantly, they awakened to the truth of everything that Jesus had taught them. Their eyes were opened, and their lives were never going to be the same.

At this time, the Jewish people were celebrating the feast of Pentecost in Jerusalem. The story says that people were gathered together from every nation under Heaven. So when they heard the violent wind, they circled around the house to see what was going on.

Once afraid and doubtful, Peter now stood in front of the crowd awakened and alive. This was his moment. This was his time. He spoke passionately and courageously about how Jesus came to save them from their sins. He insisted that they repent from their ways and trust in Jesus so they could find forgiveness as well.

A Christian life without the spirit of God is dead. But when the Holy Spirit fills us, we know what we believe. We stand strong for our convictions and speak truth at every opportunity. The spirit banishes fear and doubt, and we sense God’s presence inside us.

The good news is that this gift is available to all of us who believe in Jesus.

As Peter said to the crowd, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

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Christian Artist Skillet - Monster

SKILLET DAILY DEVOTIONAL, SEPTEMBER 7

Luke 22:54 ESV NASB

Having arrested Him, they led Him away and brought Him to the house of the high priest; but Peter was following at a distance.

MONSTER

“Then seizing [Jesus], they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. But when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, ‘This man was with him.’ But he denied it. ‘Woman, I don't know him,’ he said.” - Luke 22:54-57

The dark, diabolical side of Peter took over when he least expected it. He always knew it was there, lurking under the surface. But he never thought it would come out against someone he loved.

After Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter crept into to the temple courtyard to eavesdrop. But this wasn’t a gathering of protestors or peace advocates. He stood around burning trashcans with people who couldn’t wait to see Jesus hang on a cross.

Peter tried to blend in. He only wanted to know what was going on. But suddenly the situation turned frightening. A young girl recognized Peter as one of Jesus’ disciples and hurled accusations at him. Roman soldiers were surrounding him, so it could have meant death for him.

What he did next was unthinkable. It wasn’t enough for Peter to escape into the night. He thought he had to prove them wrong. So he gave himself over to the beast that lives inside all of us – our sin nature. He began cursing with the vilest words he knew. He lied through his teeth with seething anger. And worst of all, he denied even knowing Jesus. He let the monster out of its cage.

At this one, shameful moment, Peter became an enemy of God.

Maybe you’ve sensed it within you too. You’ve been following Jesus, but there’s something horrible lurking inside you. Sometimes you’re surprised by the thoughts that flash through your mind. You refuse to tell anyone because you’re afraid of what they’ll think of you.

Take heart. You’re not alone.

Jesus didn’t tell Peter not to betray him. He told him that he would betray him. In other words, he expected it. Jesus knew something about human nature – that even when we’re filled with the spirit of God, we still have to contend with our old, sinful nature. And as long as we walk this earth, we’ll always struggle to restrain it.

When Peter realized what he had done, he was mortified. The story says that he wept bitterly. What’s worse, he had even told Jesus that he would never deny him. Can you imagine the shame he must have felt? Peter hated himself for it.

The magnificent part of this story is that Jesus knew about the monster inside Peter and loved him anyway. Jesus predicted that Peter would betray him, but he never turned his back on him.

It turns out that the monster inside us is exactly why Jesus came to earth. We could never restrain the monster ourselves; it’s much too powerful. Jesus took the punishment for our sins on the cross because we could never gain favor with God on our own.

As we walk in the presence of God, he gives us the power to become a new person in him. Our lives are no longer judged by the actions we take, but by the belief that we have in him.

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Christian Band Skillet - HERO

DAILY DEVOTIONAL, SEPTEMBER 6

John 18:10 ESV NASB

Simon Peter then, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear; and the slave’s name was Malchus.

HERO

“Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.) Jesus commanded Peter, ‘Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?’” – John 18:10-11

If Jesus had known Peter was carrying a sword, he would have put a stop to it. He knew Peter belonged to a group of radicals called the Zealots who were furious about Rome’s oppression against the Jewish people. Peter was prone to get angry at times, even violent.

But Jesus hoped Peter had changed. It had been several years since this young, hotheaded revolutionary walked away from his family’s business to take after Jesus. He was livid over how the Romans treated the Jews. They were abusive and harsh. But Jesus tried to show Peter a different way to respond.

“If you live by the sword, you’ll die by the sword,” Jesus told him.

Those of us without a hero go lashing out at every injustice and offense. We see ourselves as vigilantes for what’s right. After all, who else is going to stop them? No wonder Peter carried a weapon under his clothes. He couldn’t see a better way.

We don’t carry real swords, of course, but our weapons of choice can be just as dangerous. It’s a sharp tongue that cuts down other people. It’s the cold silence with which we freeze others out. It’s the slander we speak against them. It’s the poisonous anger that boils up inside us.

Peter didn’t understand the kind of hero Jesus came to be. He only had the human perspective. So when Jesus spoke about liberating Israel, Peter thought it was from Roman rule. When Jesus spoke of a new kingdom, Peter thought it was an earthly one.

But Jesus was talking about so much more. He was talking about spiritual freedom. He was talking about a Heavenly kingdom. Peter underestimated the kind of life Jesus promised to bring.

There is a new kind of hero that Jesus introduced to us. It’s not very gratifying to our human desires; it doesn’t seem very effective; and it feels like we’re letting others get away with their abuses. But it’s the superhuman way. It’s the way of the divine. And quite frankly, it’s the only way that works. It’s the way of trusting Jesus, our hero. No one else can heal the ills of our society. No one else can restore our marriages. No one else can bring justice to the persecuted or restore fathers to the fatherless. Only Jesus. When Jesus admonished Peter to put away his sword and he miraculously replaced Malchus’ ear, he was showing a more heroic way. It was the kind of heroism that gives life, rather than takes it.

At this moment in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus needed to surrender because his death on the cross would bring eternal life to every generation to come. This was God’s plan; this was the “cup” Jesus needed to drink. And without knowing it, Peter was fighting against this purpose.

Laying down our swords doesn’t mean we’re victims. It means we’re embracing the kind of heroism that Jesus demonstrated. He gave his life on the cross so that others wouldn’t have to. As we seek to live like Jesus, we’ll find that our own sacrificial responses show Jesus to everyone around us.

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Latest Craze

DAILY DEVOTIONAL, SEPTEMBER 3

Isaiah 1:2 ESV NASB

Listen, O heavens, and hear, O earth; For the LORD speaks, “Sons I have reared and brought up, But they have revolted against Me.

Latest Craze

These days it’s hip to hate God. Unfortunately, the fashion industry is cashing in on this anti-Christian cultural trend. One particular brand of jeans is popular because of its satanic logo. The emblem’s creator admits that it is “an active statement against Christianity.”

While many people think this movement is the latest craze, out-and-out rebellion against God is nothing new. When the Israelites turned away from Him, God said, “The children I raised . . . have rebelled against Me” (Isaiah 1:2). If this statement captures the relationships in your home, check out God’s response to His wayward kids. God said, “My people don’t recognize My care for them” (v.3). Just like Israel, our rebellious children don’t always see our love for them. They tend to reject it in exchange for the acceptance of their friends. It’s okay to remind our kids that we care about them, even if they don’t mirror our affection.

Loving them does not mean enabling them to go on with their insurgency. Rebellion invites punishment. Isaiah described rebels this way: heartsick, injured, helpless, covered in bruises, plundered, and burned (vv.5-7). Although it’s heartbreaking to watch, we can pray that our children’s discomfort will propel them back into harmony with God. Hurting people are often difficult people. That’s why we need to be reasonable, even when our kids are unreasonable. Israel’s mutiny made God angry, yet His levelheaded approach went like this: “Come now, let’s settle this” (v.18). Sometimes it’s hard to know what to say to children who are immersed in a culture that despises God. When we lovingly direct them onto the right path (Proverbs 22:6), they will see that faith in Jesus never goes out of style. —Jennifer Benson Schuldt

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Discover The Book

DAILY DEVOTIONAL, SEPTEMBER 2

2 Kings 22:8 ESV NASB

Then Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD .” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan who read it.

Discover The Book

While preaching one Sunday morning, I invited three children to search our church sanctuary for several scrolls with Bible verses written on them. Whenever they found a scroll, I would have them read the words aloud, and then I would give them a prize. You should have seen those kids. They ran, moved chairs, and looked under plants and in purses (they had permission). Their quest for the Scriptures was extremely intense, but exciting. In a similar way, we are to search diligently to discover the importance of the Word of God in our lives.

In 2 Kings 22, King Josiah and the people of Judah also discovered the importance of the Word of God in their lives. When Josiah began taking action against idol worship in Judah, Hilkiah found the Book of the Law (probably referring to the book of Deuteronomy—28:61; 29:21) in the temple. It must have been lost or concealed during the reign of King Manasseh. Josiah did several things after uncovering God’s Word. He had it read to him as he listened intently (v.10). In so doing, he became aware of God’s commands. He responded by tearing his clothes in grief (v.11). Then he refined his knowledge by submitting to others who could help him understand it (vv.12-20).

Finally, he and the people renewed their commitment to its prominence in their lives by pledging themselves to the covenant written in the Book (23:1-4).

Today, God’s Word is not concealed or lost; it’s at our fingertips. Yet there’s still a need to rediscover its power and prominence in our lives. Let’s spend our time reading, responding, refining our understanding, and renewing our commitment to be changed by its message. —Marvin Williams

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