ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (DECEMBER 16, 2012)

John 7:25-44
New International Version (NIV)
Division Over Who Jesus Is
25 At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? 26 Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Messiah? 27 But we know where this man is from; when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.”
28 Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, 29 but I know him because I am from him and he sent me.”
30 At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. 31 Still, many in the crowd believed in him. They said, “When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs than this man?”
32 The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him.
33 Jesus said, “I am with you for only a short time, and then I am going to the one who sent me. 34 You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.”
35 The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live scattered among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks? 36 What did he mean when he said, ‘You will look for me, but you will not find me,’ and ‘Where I am, you cannot come’?”
37 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”[a] 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
40 On hearing his words, some of the people said, “Surely this man is the Prophet.”
41 Others said, “He is the Messiah.”
Still others asked, “How can the Messiah come from Galilee? 42 Does not Scripture say that the Messiah will come from David’s descendants and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?” 43 Thus the people were divided because of Jesus. 44 Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him.
Footnotes:
a. John 7:38 Or me. And let anyone drink 38 who believes in me.” As Scripture has said, “Out of him (or them) will flow rivers of living water.”

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (DECEMBER 15, 2012)

Setting His Face

Proverbs 3:1-8


"But they did not understand what this meant. It was hidden from them so that they did not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask him about it."
(LUKE 9:45)

Satan didn't know. No human knew. Yet from the first steps of His ministry, Jesus and the Father knew the outcome of this journey. For the second time, Jesus reveals to the bewildered disciples the purpose of His coming. I imagine I would have been just as confused as they were.

Jesus had just cast out an evil spirit and given a healed boy back to his father. While the disciples marveled at the outward signs of divinity, they failed to grasp the meaning of His words. "Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you: The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men" (Luke 9:44). From this passage we learn of Jesus' true purpose: to bring salvation to the world - to you and to me! Nothing short of His death on the cross would accomplish the Father's will. Jesus never faltered. If you take Luke 9:51 literally from the Greek to the English, it says, He "set His face toward Jerusalem" and traveled the road He was asked to follow. His face was set on the cross because His heart was set on you.

INSIGHT
MAY WE LIVE
CROSS-CENTERED LIVES BECAUSE OF OUR SAVIOR WHO LIVED, DIED, AND ROSE AGAIN FOR US.

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Numbers 5-6
Psalm 63
John 4
Proverbs 3:1-8
New International Version (NIV)
Wisdom Bestows Well-Being
3 My son, do not forget my teaching,
but keep my commands in your heart,
2 for they will prolong your life many years
and bring you peace and prosperity.
3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Then you will win favor and a good name
in the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.[a]
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord and shun evil.
8 This will bring health to your body
and nourishment to your bones.
Footnotes:
a. Proverbs 3:6 Or will direct your paths
Cross references:
A. Proverbs 3:1 : S Pr 1:8
B. Proverbs 3:1 : S Ps 44:17
C. Proverbs 3:2 : S Dt 11:21
D. Proverbs 3:2 : S Dt 5:16; S 30:15, 16; S 1Ki 3:13, 14; Pr 9:6, 10-11
E. Proverbs 3:3 : S Ps 85:10
F. Proverbs 3:3 : S Ex 13:9; S Dt 6:6; Pr 6:21; 7:3; S 2Co 3:3
G. Proverbs 3:4 : S 1Sa 2:26; Lk 2:52
H. Proverbs 3:5 : S Ps 4:5
I. Proverbs 3:6 : S Job 33:11; S Isa 30:11
J. Proverbs 3:6 : Ps 5:8; Pr 16:3; Isa 40:3; Jer 42:3
K. Proverbs 3:7 : Pr 26:5, 12; Isa 5:21
L. Proverbs 3:7 : Ps 111:10
M. Proverbs 3:7 : S Ex 20:20; S Dt 4:6; S Job 1:1
N. Proverbs 3:8 : S Ps 38:3; Pr 4:22
O. Proverbs 3:8 : Job 21:24

PREACHING THE GOSPEL TO YOURSELF [PART 1]

with Milton Vincent

After preaching for 10 years he realized he was striving to please God through his works. Milton had forgotten the good news that Jesus was pleasing to God on his behalf. 

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (DECEMBER 14, 2012)

Pray in the Morning

Psalm 88


"Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed."
(MARK 1:35)

If you want to know what it was like when Jesus walked the paths around Galilee, get up at sunrise. While the stars still shine, before the cars start and people begin to stir, you can hear the sparrows sing. This was the time of day when Jesus was praying on the northwest side of the lake, probably near a natural stone grotto. The cold bites as the winter rains subside; to the east the Golan Heights glow pink.

Jesus' prayers from here amidst the purple iris, yellow mustard and roses of Sharon are not recorded. When I was praying in this same spot, I was surprised by how suddenly the light comes. The early sun pierces down on the region where most of Jesus' ministry took place before the first Easter. Later He would pray the high priestly prayer recorded in John 17. As that night wore on, He would beg His disciples to join Him for prayer in a garden overlooking the City of David. In His final moments on the cross, He would pray, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

INSIGHT
"DEVOTE YOURSELVES TO PRAYER, BEING WATCHFUL AND THANKFUL."
(COLOSSIANS 4:2)

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Numbers 3-4
Psalm 62
John 2-3

Psalm 88[a]
A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah. For the director of music. According to mahalath leannoth.[b] A maskil[c] of Heman the Ezrahite.
1 Lord, you are the God who saves me;
day and night I cry out to you.
2 May my prayer come before you;
turn your ear to my cry.

3 I am overwhelmed with troubles
and my life draws near to death.
4 I am counted among those who go down to the pit;
I am like one without strength.
5 I am set apart with the dead,
like the slain who lie in the grave,
whom you remember no more,
who are cut off from your care.

6 You have put me in the lowest pit,
in the darkest depths.
7 Your wrath lies heavily on me;
you have overwhelmed me with all your waves.[d]
8 You have taken from me my closest friends
and have made me repulsive to them.
I am confined and cannot escape;
9 my eyes are dim with grief.
I call to you, Lord, every day;
I spread out my hands to you.
10 Do you show your wonders to the dead?
Do their spirits rise up and praise you?
11 Is your love declared in the grave,
your faithfulness in Destruction[e]?
12 Are your wonders known in the place of darkness,
or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?

13 But I cry to you for help, Lord;
in the morning my prayer comes before you.
14 Why, Lord, do you reject me
and hide your face from me?

15 From my youth I have suffered and been close to death;
I have borne your terrors and am in despair.
16 Your wrath has swept over me;
your terrors have destroyed me.
17 All day long they surround me like a flood;
they have completely engulfed me.
18 You have taken from me friend and neighbor—
darkness is my closest friend.
Footnotes:
a. Psalm 88:1 In Hebrew texts 88:1-18 is numbered 88:2-19.
b. Psalm 88:1 Title: Possibly a tune, “The Suffering of Affliction”
c. Psalm 88:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
d. Psalm 88:7 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 10.
e. Psalm 88:11 Hebrew Abaddon


GIVE THEM GRACE
with Elyse Fitzpatrick & Jessica Thompson

There are two ways to live. We all default to control and fear, but by the grace of Jesus Christ it is possible to live by trust and hope. This is a program of powerful encouragement!

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (DECEMBER 13, 2012)

His Life Before Me

Psalm 46



"Be still and know that I am God."
(PSALM 46:10)

The sun has set and the breeze is gone. My eyes turn from the Sea of Galilee below and shift to a large boulder on Mount Arbel. There sits Jim, my pastor friend and colleague, a man with years of wisdom. His head is bowed, but I can see large tears running down his cheeks. "What's wrong?" I ask. And he replies, "All my life, I've preached my Jesus from birth to death to life, and now here is His life laid out below me on this living map." The Great Story was coming together and evidencing itself in a smile on my face and great tears on Jim's.

We two brothers pray and give thanks to the Lord for His enduring love. We're renewed in our call to proclaim His salvation once we reach home. I am reminded of the archeologist who once said, "Five gospels record the life of Jesus. Four you will find in books and one you will find in the land they call holy. Read the fifth gospel and the world of the four will open to you." Jesus' life and mission were real, in an actual time and place. May they become real for you in a new way this month.

INSIGHT
THIS EASTER SEASON LET'S SIT STILL BEFORE THE WORD IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD.

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Numbers 1-2
Psalm 61
John 1
Psalm 46
New International Version (NIV)
Psalm 46[a]
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to alamoth.[b] A song.
1 God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.[c]
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
5 God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
8 Come and see what the Lord has done,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease
to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields[d] with fire.
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Footnotes:
a. Psalm 46:1 In Hebrew texts 46:1-11 is numbered 46:2-12.
b. Psalm 46:1 Title: Probably a musical term
c. Psalm 46:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 7 and 11.
d. Psalm 46:9 Or chariots
Cross references:
A. Psalm 46:1 : Ps 9:9; 37:39; 61:3; 73:26; 91:2, 9; 142:5; Isa 33:16; Jer 16:19; 17:17; Joel 3:16; Na 1:7
B. Psalm 46:1 : Ps 18:1
C. Psalm 46:1 : Ps 34:18; La 3:57
D. Psalm 46:1 : Ps 18:6; Lk 1:54
E. Psalm 46:1 : S Dt 4:30; Ps 25:17
F. Psalm 46:2 : S Ge 4:7; Ps 3:6
G. Psalm 46:2 : Ps 82:5; Isa 13:13; 24:1, 19, 20; Jer 4:23; Da 11:19; Am 8:14; S Rev 6:14
H. Psalm 46:2 : ver 6; Ps 18:7; 97:5; Isa 54:10; Am 9:5; Mic 1:4; Na 1:5; Hab 3:6
I. Psalm 46:2 : Ex 15:8
J. Psalm 46:3 : Ps 93:3; Isa 17:13; Jer 5:22; Eze 1:24; Rev 19:6
K. Psalm 46:3 : S Job 9:26
L. Psalm 46:3 : S Jdg 5:5
M. Psalm 46:4 : S Ge 2:10; Rev 22:1
N. Psalm 46:4 : S Ps 1:3
O. Psalm 46:4 : Ps 48:1, 8; 87:3; 101:8; Rev 3:12
P. Psalm 46:4 : Ge 14:18
Q. Psalm 46:4 : S 2Sa 15:25
R. Psalm 46:5 : Dt 23:14; S Ps 26:8; Isa 12:6; Zec 2:5
S. Psalm 46:5 : Ps 125:1
T. Psalm 46:5 : S 1Ch 5:20
U. Psalm 46:6 : S Job 12:23
V. Psalm 46:6 : Ps 74:23; Isa 5:30; 17:12
W. Psalm 46:6 : Ps 68:32; 102:22; Isa 13:4, 13; 23:11; Eze 26:18; Mt 4:8
X. Psalm 46:6 : S Ps 29:3; Isa 33:3
Y. Psalm 46:6 : S ver 2
Z. Psalm 46:7 : S 1Sa 1:11
AA. Psalm 46:7 : S Ge 21:22
AB. Psalm 46:7 : S Ps 20:1
AC. Psalm 46:7 : ver 11; Ps 18:2
AD. Psalm 46:8 : Ps 66:5
AE. Psalm 46:8 : Isa 17:9; 64:10; Da 9:26; Lk 21:20
AF. Psalm 46:9 : Isa 2:4
AG. Psalm 46:9 : S Ps 37:15; S Isa 22:6
AH. Psalm 46:9 : Isa 9:5; Eze 39:9; Hos 2:18
AI. Psalm 46:10 : Dt 4:35; 1Ki 18:36, 39; Ps 100:3; Isa 37:16, 20; 43:11; 45:21; Eze 36:23
AJ. Psalm 46:10 : Ps 18:46; Isa 2:11
AK. Psalm 46:11 : S Ps 20:1
AL. Psalm 46:11 : S ver 7

GIVE THEM GRACE

with Elyse Fitzpatrick & Jessica Thompson

There are two ways to live. We all default to control and fear, but by the grace of Jesus Christ it is possible to live by trust and hope. This is a program of powerful encouragement! 

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (DECEMBER 12, 2012)

On the Way to the Cross

2 Corinthians 6:14-18

"'I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.'" 

(2 CORINTHIANS 6:16B)

"Come to me," are the words of Jesus that I hear in my mind as I climb the path to the top of Mount Arbel. At my back is the setting Galilean sun; on my face a soft breeze blows. Beneath me is a living map, seven miles long by three miles wide. To my left and north, water meets land and instantly my heart leaps when I see it, for there is where Jesus invited the brothers Peter and Andrew to "Come, follow me." 

Above the water on the hillside, wildflowers are tended by their heavenly Father and there Jesus blessed and multiplied the loaves and fishes. My eyes trace the shoreline from Capernaum to the desolate eastern shore where He ordered out a demonic legion and the first Gentile revival broke out. With sunset near, my eyes linger on the fresh water of Kinneret where my Savior walked and commanded storms. Facing south and Jerusalem, He knew He must lay down His life to take it up again for others. As you follow me this month on this journey in Israel, may Jesus speak to and lead you in His way.

About the writer:

Charles Morris has a news background including previous posts as a bureau chief for UPI and press secretary for two former U.S. Senators, but now he shares the good news that's all about Jesus on the HAVEN Today radio program. He and his wife Janet have three children, three grandchildren, a dog named Doctor, and a love for poking around used bookstores.

INSIGHT

WALKING WITH JESUS ISN'T THE EASY ROAD, BUT IT IS THE ROAD THAT LEADS TO LIFE.

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR

Leviticus 26-27 

Psalm 60 

Luke 24

2 Corinthians 6:14-18

New International Version (NIV)

Warning Against Idolatry

14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial[a]? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

“I will live with them

and walk among them,

and I will be their God,

and they will be my people.”[b]

17 Therefore,

“Come out from them

and be separate,

says the Lord.

Touch no unclean thing,

and I will receive you.”[c]

18 And,

“I will be a Father to you,

and you will be my sons and daughters,

says the Lord Almighty.”[d]

Footnotes:

a. 2 Corinthians 6:15 Greek Beliar, a variant of Belial

b. 2 Corinthians 6:16 Lev. 26:12; Jer. 32:38; Ezek. 37:27

c. 2 Corinthians 6:17 Isaiah 52:11; Ezek. 20:34,41

d. 2 Corinthians 6:18 2 Samuel 7:14; 7:8

GIVE THEM GRACE [PART 5]

with Elyse Fitzpatrick & Jessica Thompson

There are two ways to live. We all default to control and fear, but by the grace of Jesus Christ it is possible to live by trust and hope. This is a program of powerful encouragement! 

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (DECEMBER 11, 2012)

Ending Slavery

Deuteronomy 28:1-14



"The borrower is servant to the lender."
(PROVERBS 22:7B)

When I left Soledad Prison after more than 15 years there, all of my worldly possessions fit into a standard foot locker. Once in the "real" world, I immediately began purchasing things: televisions, stereos, watches, furniture, etc. I had accumulated a mountain of debt in only a few months. Here I had just been set free from prison and then went and signed myself into slavery through financial debt! Was I ever to know what true freedom felt like?

Two years ago, my wife and I decided we want to live debt-free. While we aren't there yet, we are on our way to ending that slavery in our lives.

What has become even more valuable to me is knowing that I am free from the bonds of sin and temptation in my life through Jesus Christ. He lent me something more than a ticket out of prison or a pile of cash to pay my bills. He gave me His perfect life - I don't owe Him money or time with good behavior. Salvation is freely given. I pray that you will receive Him in your heart, too, and end the slavery in your life.

INSIGHT
JESUS CAME TO SET YOU FREE! YOU HAVE A SAVIOR WHO LOVES YOU AND HOLDS NO DEBT OVER YOUR HEAD.

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Leviticus 25
Psalm 59
Luke 23

Deuteronomy 28:1-14
New International Version (NIV)
Blessings for Obedience
28 If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. 2 All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God:
3 You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.
4 The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.
5 Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed.
6 You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.
7 The Lord will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.
8 The Lord will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The Lord your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.
9 The Lord will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the Lord your God and walk in obedience to him. 10 Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they will fear you. 11 The Lord will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you.
12 The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. 13 The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. 14 Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them.


GIVE THEM GRACE [PART 4]
with Charles & Janet Morris

Along with great joy, raising children brings great pain. Parents have an opportunity like no other to dazzle their children's hearts with the love of Jesus, if they are willing to be dazzled as well.

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (DECEMBER 10, 2012)

Hide in God, not from God

Psalm 139



"The man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden."
(GENESIS 3:8)

When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, their reaction was to hide from God. Speaking as someone who has struggled with sin and spent more than a decade in prison because of it, I understand their inclination to hide. Adam knew God was omnipresent and that He knew all things. Adam's sin convinced him that he could go unnoticed by the All-Knowing and Everywhere-Present One. What a familiar feeling.

Whenever I am "hiding from God," avoiding reading the Bible regularly or wanting to skip worship, I refresh my knowledge of who He is by reading Psalm 139. This chapter of the Bible speaks powerfully of the nature of God and His perfect, comprehensive knowledge of man.

David assures us that there is nowhere we can hide from God. Even more than that, we shouldn't want to hide from Him. David also comforts us with this thought: "When I awake, I am still with you" (v. 18). There is no condemnation - not even for those whom the civil law has convicted - for those who are in Christ Jesus. Hide in Him, not from Him.

INSIGHT
AS CHRISTIANS JUSTIFIED BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH, WE NEED NOT RUN FROM GOD WHEN WE SIN. RATHER, TAKE REFUGE IN THE SHADOW OF HIS WINGS.

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Leviticus 23-24
Psalm 58
Luke 22

GIVE THEM GRACE [PART 3]

with Charles & Janet Morris

Parents cannot give kids grace unless they have found grace themselves. Today Charles and Janet Morris engage one of the most honest and life-changing spiritual issues Christian parents will face. 

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (DECEMBER 9, 2012)

Apologize like Paul

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." 

(1 PETER 3:15)

When Peter writes that we are to be prepared to "give an answer," the Greek word he uses is apologia, from which we get our English word "apology." While we commonly know "apology" to mean "I'm sorry," here it has a different meaning: a defense of what we believe. There is an entire department of study in theology called apologetics, or the science of defending the faith. 

What an amazing defense of the faith Paul gives us in 1 Corinthians 15. In the first few verses, he tells his readers that the gospel is that in which they stand and by which they are saved. What is this good news? It's that Jesus died for our sins, was buried and rose again. You will notice a phrase repeats a couple of times: "according to the Scriptures". If anyone asks us why we believe what we believe, our answer, or apology, must, like Paul's, be according to the Scriptures. It need not be at the level of a theology class. But when it comes from your heart, your defense of the God of grace who redeemed your life will speak volumes.

INSIGHT

WHEN WE ARE GIVING A DEFENSE OF OUR FAITH, IT MUST BE ROOTED IN THE SCRIPTURES AND NOT IN OUR EXPERIENCES OR FEELINGS.

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR

Leviticus 21-22 

Psalm 57

Luke 21

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

New International Version (NIV)

The Resurrection of Christ

15 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas,[b] and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11 Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

Footnotes:

a. 1 Corinthians 15:3 Or you at the first

b. 1 Corinthians 15:5 That is, Peter

GIVE THEM GRACE [PART 2]

with Elyse Fitzpatrick & Jessica Thompson

Children's behavior is not always a window into their heart. Too often parents stress outward obedience when obedience of the heart is the real issue. The solution is grace. 

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (DECEMBER 8, 2012)

A Lesson from Calvin

Ecclesiastes 3

"Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." 

(EPHESIANS 5:15-16)

1,440. That is how many minutes each of us gets every day. Have you ever wondered where some of your time has gone? Many days I am convicted about how I've wasted my time. As I counted the minutes and days during my long years in prison, that conviction grew heavy on my heart. 

The life of John Calvin, a Reformer in the 1500s, is a testimony of one who truly redeemed the time. He preached every day and gave two sermons on Sundays, many of which we can read today. He wrote 22 volumes' worth of commentaries on most of the books of the Bible. One of his best-known theological works, "The Institutes of the Christian Religion," has been used in colleges and seminaries and by lay people for centuries. The amazing thing is that he did all of this writing in an era with no electricity. I'm writing this at 9:40 p.m. on my laptop computer with such ease. Imagine the time and effort Calvin gave! He had the same 1,440 daily minutes that we have...let's make the most of the days our Lord has set out for us.

INSIGHT

"TEACH US TO NUMBER OUR DAYS ARIGHT, THAT WE MAY GAIN A HEART OF WISDOM." 

(PSALM 90:12)

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR

Leviticus 19-20 

Psalm 56

Luke 20

Ecclesiastes 3 

New International Version (NIV)

A Time for Everything

3 There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under the heavens:

2 a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3 a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

6 a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7 a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8 a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace.

9 What do workers gain from their toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet[a] no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 13 That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.

15 Whatever is has already been,

and what will be has been before;

and God will call the past to account.[b]

16 And I saw something else under the sun:

In the place of judgment—wickedness was there,

in the place of justice—wickedness was there.

17 I said to myself,

“God will bring into judgment

both the righteous and the wicked,

for there will be a time for every activity,

a time to judge every deed.”

18 I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. 19 Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath[c]; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. 20 All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. 21 Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?”

22 So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?

Footnotes:

a. Ecclesiastes 3:11 Or also placed ignorance in the human heart, so that

b. Ecclesiastes 3:15 Or God calls back the past

c. Ecclesiastes 3:19 Or spirit

GIVE THEM GRACE [PART 1]

with Elyse Fitzpatrick & Jessica Thompson

Any responsible parent wants to raise well-behaved children, but for Christian parents that's not the ultimate goal. What matters most is that kids are dazzled by and respond to the love of Jesus. 

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (DECEMBER 7, 2012)

Trusting the Good Shepherd

Psalm 23


"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."
JOHN 10:11

Throughout history the comforting words of Psalm 23 have heartened people going through the "valley of the shadow of death." I was one of them. My "valley" was prison, but it was there that I met my Good Shepherd. While in one of the darkest times of my life, I actually came to know peaceful streams of His love from which to drink and green pastures of His care from which to eat. At all times my needs were provided for.

Jesus tells us in John 10 that He is the Good Shepherd who gives His life for the sheep. Paul tells us that God who freely gave us His own Son will also give us everything. If God gave us the greatest gift, wouldn't He also freely give us everything else we need to live out this life for His glory?

Christians and non-Christians alike get caught up in the fast-paced affairs of this world. We put our trust in elected officials, bosses, bank accounts, forgetting we have a Shepherd who cares for us like no one else and who gave all for us. Our life sentence was paid with His perfect life.

INSIGHT
TAKE SOME TIME TODAY TO PONDER PSALM 23, THANKING THE LORD THAT YOU ARE UNDER THE CARE OF THE GREAT SHEPHERD.

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Leviticus 17-18
Psalm 55
Luke 19

Psalm 23
A psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,[a]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
Footnotes:
a. Psalm 23:4 Or the valley of the shadow of death

CHRISTIANS YOU SHOULD KNOW

with Tommy Walker

There has been great division in the church when it comes to worship. The difficulty of getting all ages to worship in the same room has troubled many churches. Can there be a solution? 

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (DECEMBER 6, 2012)

Talking to God

Matthew 6:5-13



"Be joyful always; pray continually."
(1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-17)

In Matthew 6, Jesus teaches His disciples to pray. During His life and ministry on earth, He often went apart from His disciples to pray. As His trial and death drew near, Jesus could be found in the Garden of Gethsemane, praying (Luke 22:39-45). The fact that the Creator of the universe prayed often speaks volumes of the necessity of prayer. How much more do we mere creatures of His need it?

But it can be very hard to do as Paul says: be joyful at all times and pray continually. Paul is telling us that our lives are to be always breathing in and out our conversations to the Lord. Prayer should be the beginning, middle and end of all that we do, not simply an afterthought or a hurried sentence before we eat.

Many a desperate prayer is uttered by prisoners whose lives seem hopeless. My prayers were among them! While I served out my prison sentence, talking with God became a way of life. Hard circumstances that any of us face may bring us to our knees where our Savior has been waiting all along to hear us.

INSIGHT
ISN'T IT MARVELOUS THAT WE CAN TALK TO THE VERY GOD WHO CREATED US AND THAT HE LOVES TO HEAR FROM HIS CHILDREN?

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Leviticus 15-16
Psalm 54
Luke 18


Matthew 6:5-13
New International Version (NIV)
Prayer
5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,[a]
but deliver us from the evil one.[b]’
Footnotes:
a. Matthew 6:13 The Greek for temptation can also mean testing.
b. Matthew 6:13 Or from evil; some late manuscripts one, / for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

CHRISTIANS YOU SHOULD KNOW
with Tommy Walker

There has been great division in the church when it comes to worship. The difficulty of getting all ages to worship in the same room has troubled many churches. Can there be a solution?

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (DECEMBER 5, 2012)

Steal No Longer

Exodus 20:1-17


"He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need."
(EPHESIANS 4:28)

When a prison sentence actually reforms a person, he sees that he not only must give up the life of crime he once knew, but also must pursue a new life of usefulness. What a perfect picture of the sinful man who has been redeemed and reformed by the blood of Christ! He gives up the old life and seeks to live for Jesus. This Ephesians passage is a beautiful expression of new life in Christ and of practical theology for us sinners.

Paul first tells us that the thief is to stop stealing and then that the thief must work. The same hand that once was used for stealing must now be used for work. It has been redeemed. Whatever the sin is in our lives, we must put it off and replace it with good.

Notice that Paul doesn't tell us to work for ourselves, so that we might earn much. Rather, he tells us to work so that we might share with those in need. Our sin puts the focus on ourselves; the opposite of sin puts the focus on others. Christ lived His entire life and died to reform and redeem others - namely, you and me.

INSIGHT
AS BELIEVERS IN JESUS, LET'S FOCUS ON THE WELL-BEING OF OTHERS AND NOT JUST ON OURSELVES.

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Leviticus 14
Psalm 53
Luke 17

Exodus 20:1-17
New International Version (NIV)
The Ten Commandments
20 And God spoke all these words:
2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
3 “You shall have no other gods before[a] me.
4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
7 “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
13 “You shall not murder.
14 “You shall not commit adultery.
15 “You shall not steal.
16 “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
Footnotes:
a. Exodus 20:3 Or besides



CHRISTIANS YOU SHOULD KNOW [PART 5]
with Andy Sprenger

He was a missionary in Lebanon with his wife before having to flee the country. Needing a way to provide for his family, he found coffee. Now he is the 2nd best coffee roaster in the world.

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (DECEMBER 4, 2012)

Your Joy and Heart's Delight

Psalm 119:105-112

"When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God Almighty." 

(JEREMIAH 15:16)

One thing sorely missed by a person serving time behind bars is good home cooking. Thinking about foods that used to be so immensely enjoyed on the outside can almost become an obsession. Eventually, I had to ask myself (and perhaps you do, too) if my longings for certain foods were actually stronger than my longing to consume the Word of God. The most sumptuous meal that we can ever imagine pales in comparison to the joy and delight which comes from a feast in God's Word! 

Jeremiah knew that this was true because he realized that this Word came from the One by whose Name he was called: The LORD God of hosts. Isn't it great that Jeremiah writes of "eating" God's Word? However, for the prophet, it wasn't just any old food. The Word of God was the "joy and rejoicing" of his heart. There was no greater banquet spread before him! 

As much as I now appreciate more than ever a good home-cooked meal, my greater love is for the Word which nourishes my soul and delights my heart with the good news of Jesus Christ.

INSIGHT

AS CHILDREN OF GOD, THE GREATEST DELIGHT WE CAN HAVE IS IN THE WORD OF GOD, FOR WE ARE CALLED BY HIS NAME.

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR

Leviticus 11-12 

Psalm 51

Luke 15

Psalm 119:105-112

New International Version (NIV)

נ Nun

105 Your word is a lamp for my feet,

a light on my path.

106 I have taken an oath and confirmed it,

that I will follow your righteous laws.

107 I have suffered much;

preserve my life, Lord, according to your word.

108 Accept, Lord, the willing praise of my mouth,

and teach me your laws.

109 Though I constantly take my life in my hands,

I will not forget your law.

110 The wicked have set a snare for me,

but I have not strayed from your precepts.

111 Your statutes are my heritage forever;

they are the joy of my heart.

112 My heart is set on keeping your decrees

to the very end.[a]

CHRISTIANS YOU SHOULD KNOW [PART 3]

with Vanguard University Students

Millennials are leaving the church! We've all seen the headlines, but it might not be as bleak as you think. Listen to five university students talk about what it's like to be a Christian in college.