ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (OCTOBER 9, 2012)

3,000 Lost – 3,000 Saved

Exodus 32



"The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life."
(JOHN 6:63)

At that first Pentecost at Sinai, there was rebellion among the children of Israel. Isn't it hard to believe that the nation would worship a golden calf rather than the LORD God who led them out from bondage in Egypt? "When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, "Make us gods who will go before us" (Exodus 32:1). So the people fashioned an idol in the form of a golden calf, and they worshipped it."

God's anger "burned" against them, "...and that day about three thousand of the people died" (Exodus 32:28).

Fast forward some 1,500 years. The place: an upper room in Jerusalem. The day: the Feast of Weeks. The scene: Peter has just preached the good news concerning Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, to the "men of Israel" (Acts 2:22). "When the [Jewish] people heard this, they were cut to the heart... Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day" (Acts 2:37, 41). The Spirit gives life!

INSIGHT
HOLY SPIRIT, DESCEND PLENTIFULLY INTO MY HEART. ENLIGHTEN THE DARK CORNERS OF THIS NEGLECTED DWELLING AND SCATTER THERE THY CHEERFUL BEAMS.
(SAINT AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO)

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Amos 1-3
Proverbs 17
1 John 1-2


THE ODES OF CHRISTMAS [PART 1]

Would you like to know how the first Christians worshiped? What did they sing before there were Christmas carols? For the first time in 2000 years, the first Christian hymns have been set to music.

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (OCTOBER 8, 2012)

Giving of the Spirit

Acts 2



"....I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions."
(JOEL 2:28)

It was fifty days after the resurrection of Jesus and "When the day of Pentecost [the Feast of Weeks] came, they were all together in one place" (Acts 2:1). About 120 of Jesus' followers were gathered in an upper room in Jerusalem. "Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit..." (Acts 2:2, 4).

Tens of thousands of Jews had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Weeks as required in the Law of Moses. Nevertheless this great "Appointed Day" given to Israel in Leviticus 23 was only a "picture," just a foreshadowing of a greater reality that would have its fulfillment on this very Feast Day in an upper room in Jerusalem.

There is absolutely nothing that happens in the universe that is outside of God's influence and authority. He has control of our eternal destiny, and He directs our path. God provides for our needs and works His perfect will through our life. He is sovereign!

INSIGHT
NO MATTER WHAT WE FACE IN LIFE, TAKE COMFORT IN THE FACT THAT GOD IS SOVEREIGN.

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Joel 1-3
Proverbs 16
2 Peter 1-3

SAVIOR MESSIAH LORD
with Dr. Mark Strauss

Names have significance. Names of God have divine significance and at Christmas time we look at the names of Jesus. This gives us a deeper understanding of who He is and what He came to do.

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (OCTOBER 7, 2012)

Giving the Law

Exodus 20:1-17;
Jeremiah 31:31-34



"'The time is coming,' declares the LORD, 'when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.'"
(HEBREWS 8:8)

Jewish tradition holds that God gave the Ten Commandments to Israel at Sinai exactly on the Feast of Weeks, 50 days after the Exodus from Egypt. Scripture says that "When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear (Exodus 20:18).

The first Pentecost was on a mountaintop, where God wrote His words on tablets of stone. And the LORD promised that there would be a time when He would write His laws not on stone, but on the hearts of His people. The law was given so that man could see the condition of his heart and his broken relationship with God. However, the law could only condemn; it couldn't save.

Now we can have confidence through Jesus Christ before God, "Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant-not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life (2 Corinthians 3:5-6)."


INSIGHT
THE PENALTY OF SIN IS DEATH AND NOTHING LESS. SOMEONE HAD TO PAY THAT DEBT.

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Hosea 12-14
Proverbs 15
1 Peter 4-5

Exodus 20:1-17
New Living Translation (NLT)
Ten Commandments for the Covenant Community
20 Then God gave the people all these instructions[a]:
2 “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.
3 “You must not have any other god but me.
4 “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. 5 You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. 6 But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those[b] who love me and obey my commands.
7 “You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name.
8 “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 You have six days each week for your ordinary work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.
12 “Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
13 “You must not murder.
14 “You must not commit adultery.
15 “You must not steal.
16 “You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.
17 “You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.”
Footnotes:
a. Exodus 20:1 Hebrew all these words.
b. Exodus 20:6 Hebrew for thousands of those.
Jeremiah 31:31-34
New International Version (NIV)
31 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“when I will make a new covenant
with the people of Israel
and with the people of Judah.
32 It will not be like the covenant
I made with their ancestors
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,
because they broke my covenant,
though I was a husband to[a] them,[b]”
declares the Lord.
33 “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel
after that time,” declares the Lord.
“I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
34 No longer will they teach their neighbor,
or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest,”
declares the Lord.
“For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more.”
Footnotes:
a. Jeremiah 31:32 Hebrew; Septuagint and Syriac / and I turned away from
b. Jeremiah 31:32 Or was their maste


SAVIOR MESSIAH LORD
with Dr. Mark Strauss

Names have significance. Names of God have divine significance and at Christmas time we look at the names of Jesus. This gives us a deeper understanding of who He is and what He came to do.

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (OCTOBER 6, 2012)

The Word in Our Hearts

Leviticus 23:15-21;
Psalm 119:11

"I will put my laws in their minds, and write them on their hearts." 

(HEBREWS 8:10)

Celebrated on the fiftieth day after Passover, the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot in Hebrew; Pentecost in Greek) is traditionally a joyous time of giving thanks and presenting offerings for the new grain of the summer wheat harvest in Israel. The name "Feast of Weeks" was given because God commanded the Jews to count seven full weeks (or 49 days), and then present offerings of new grain to the Lord as a lasting ordinance. 

For an Orthodox Jew it is customary to engage in all-night study of the Torah (the first five Books of the Old Testament) on the first evening of Shavuot. As a child, I was always encouraged to memorize Scripture on this night, and I was rewarded with special treats for a job well done. 

Do you hide God's Word in your heart? Proverbs tells us to "Bind [God's teachings] upon your heart forever; fasten them around your neck. When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you" (Proverbs 6:21-22). Can you think of a better reward?

INSIGHT

HIDE THE WORD IN YOUR HEART, THAT WE MAY NOT SIN AGAINST GOD. 

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR

Hosea 9-11 

Proverbs 14

1 Peter 2-3

Leviticus 23:15-21

New Living Translation (NLT)

The Festival of Harvest

15 “From the day after the Sabbath—the day you bring the bundle of grain to be lifted up as a special offering—count off seven full weeks. 16 Keep counting until the day after the seventh Sabbath, fifty days later. Then present an offering of new grain to the Lord. 17 From wherever you live, bring two loaves of bread to be lifted up before the Lord as a special offering. Make these loaves from four quarts of choice flour, and bake them with yeast. They will be an offering to the Lord from the first of your crops. 18 Along with the bread, present seven one-year-old male lambs with no defects, one young bull, and two rams as burnt offerings to the Lord. These burnt offerings, together with the grain offerings and liquid offerings, will be a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 19 Then you must offer one male goat as a sin offering and two one-year-old male lambs as a peace offering.

20 “The priest will lift up the two lambs as a special offering to the Lord, together with the loaves representing the first of your crops. These offerings, which are holy to the Lord, belong to the priests. 21 That same day will be proclaimed an official day for holy assembly, a day on which you do no ordinary work. This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed from generation to generation wherever you live.[a]

Footnotes:

a. Leviticus 23:21 This celebration, called the Festival of Harvest or the Festival of Weeks, was later called the Festival of Pentecost (see Acts 2:1). It is celebrated today as Shavuot (or Shabuoth).

Psalm 119:11

New Living Translation (NLT)

11 I have hidden your word in my heart,

that I might not sin against you.

GOD WITH US

with Dr. Scott Swanson

The Israelites waited hundreds of years for the arrival of their savior. When He finally came as a gift, they did not recognize Him. Will you receive the gift of Immanuel this Christmas? 

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (OCTOBER 5, 2012)

Messiah, our Firstfruits

Leviticus 23:9-14;
Deuteronomy 26:1-10


"But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep."
(1 CORINTHIANS 15:20)

Just days after the Passover, God institutes the offering of firstfruits on His calendar of appointed times. Firstfruits was the first day after the sabbath following Passover. The offering was made in remembrance of Israel's bondage in Egypt, the Lord's deliverance from slavery, and their possession of "a land that flows with milk and honey." The Feast of Firstfruits was also a celebration of the firstfruits of the barley harvest, the first harvest celebration of the year for Israel.

But like all of God's appointed times, what was given to the nation of Israel was only a temporary "picture" or a "shadow" which had a future fulfillment pointing to the permanent reality of the Jewish Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Jesus is called "the firstfruits." After His crucifixion and burial, He rose from the grave early Sunday morning, on the first day of the week and exactly on the Feast of Firstfruits. Crucified on Passover; raised on Firstfruits. God pre-ordained His appointed times for great things.


INSIGHT
"ACCORDING TO THE LAWS OF LEGAL EVIDENCE... THERE IS MORE EVIDENCE FOR THE... RESURRECTION OF JESUS THAN FOR JUST ABOUT ANY OTHER EVENT IN HISTORY."
(DR. SIMON GREENLEAF)

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Hosea 4-6
Proverbs 12
James 4-5

Leviticus 23:9-14
New International Version (NIV)
Offering the Firstfruits
9 The Lord said to Moses, 10 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am going to give you and you reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain you harvest. 11 He is to wave the sheaf before the Lord so it will be accepted on your behalf; the priest is to wave it on the day after the Sabbath. 12 On the day you wave the sheaf, you must sacrifice as a burnt offering to the Lord a lamb a year old without defect, 13 together with its grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah[a] of the finest flour mixed with olive oil—a food offering presented to the Lord, a pleasing aroma—and its drink offering of a quarter of a hin[b] of wine. 14 You must not eat any bread, or roasted or new grain, until the very day you bring this offering to your God. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.
Footnotes:
a. Leviticus 23:13 That is, probably about 7 pounds or about 3.2 kilograms; also in verse 17
b. Leviticus 23:13 That is, about 1 quart or about 1 liter


Deuteronomy 26:1-10
New International Version (NIV)
Firstfruits and Tithes
26 When you have entered the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance and have taken possession of it and settled in it, 2 take some of the firstfruits of all that you produce from the soil of the land the Lord your God is giving you and put them in a basket. Then go to the place the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name 3 and say to the priest in office at the time, “I declare today to the Lord your God that I have come to the land the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us.” 4 The priest shall take the basket from your hands and set it down in front of the altar of the Lord your God. 5 Then you shall declare before the Lord your God: “My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down into Egypt with a few people and lived there and became a great nation, powerful and numerous. 6 But the Egyptians mistreated us and made us suffer, subjecting us to harsh labor. 7 Then we cried out to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, and the Lord heard our voice and saw our misery, toil and oppression. 8 So the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror and with signs and wonders. 9 He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey; 10 and now I bring the firstfruits of the soil that you, Lord, have given me.” Place the basket before the Lord your God and bow down before him.

KNOWING THE NAMES OF GOD [PART 3]

with Ann Spangler

The Word of God became flesh on the first Christmas, and the Word of God still speaks to us today. But are you willing to hear the message of new life this Christmas? 

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (OCTOBER 4, 2012

Jesus is God

John 10:25-30;
Colossians 1:15-20


"For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him."
(COLOSSIANS 1:19)

Isn't it interesting that Jesus chose Hanukkah, the Feast of Dedication, to proclaim again to the Jewish people that He is God? He said, "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30). He told the Jews who gathered around Him, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me" (John 10:27). The Jewish religious leaders then "picked up stones to stone him" because in their eyes He was guilty of blasphemy by claiming "to be God." They considered that an offense punishable by death.

It was at Hanukkah that Jesus pointed the crowds to His words, the works that He did, and the witness of His life to demonstrate that He was not only the long awaited Messiah of Israel, but God in human flesh. But many did not believe Him, seeking to kill Him because they only saw "a mere man, claim[ing] to be God."

If "God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him" must we not also acknowledge who Jesus really is? "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1).


INSIGHT
"YOU CAN SHUT HIM UP FOR A FOOL, YOU CAN SPIT AT HIM AND KILL HIM AS A DEMON; OR YOU CAN...CALL HIM LORD AND GOD."
(C.S. LEWIS)

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Hosea 1-3
Proverbs 11
James 1-3

LION OF JUDAH

with Dr. Tremper Longman

Israel wasn't content with having God as king, they wanted a human king they could see with their eyes. Little did they know that an even better king was coming - the Lion and the Lamb in one person. 

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (OCTOBER 4, 2012)

Jesus, the Light of the World

John 8:12; 1 John 1



"When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'"
(JOHN 8:12)

With God's great miracle of the oil for the Temple menorah, Hanukkah has come to be known as the "Festival of Lights." Light is both beautiful and mysterious. The psalmist spoke of God as light: "The LORD is my light" (Psalm 27:1). The Jewish prophets also spoke of Messiah as light: "your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you" (Isaiah 60:1). And then Simeon proclaimed the baby Jesus as "a light for revelation to the Gentiles" (Luke 2:32).

We live in a world today whose darkness has settled on the hearts and the minds of people everywhere. There is a moral darkness; a darkness of hopelessness and despair. At some point in our lives we are all faced with the darkness of our greatest enemy: death.

But there is really good news! "God is light; in him there is no darkness at all" and "if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin" (1 John 1:5-7). The Light of the World has shed His love on you!

INSIGHT
"FOR LIGHT I GO DIRECTLY TO THE SOURCE OF LIGHT, NOT TO ANY OF THE REFLECTIONS."
(PEACE PILGRIM QUOTES)

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Daniel 11-12
Proverbs 10
Hebrews 13

John 8:12
New International Version (NIV)
Dispute Over Jesus’ Testimony
12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
1 John 1
New International Version (NIV)
The Incarnation of the Word of Life
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We write this to make our[a] joy complete.
Light and Darkness, Sin and Forgiveness
5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[b] sin.
8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.
Footnotes:
a. 1 John 1:4 Some manuscripts your
b. 1 John 1:7 Or every

SAVIOR MESSIAH LORD

with Dr. Mark Strauss

Names have significance. Names of God have divine significance and at Christmas time we look at the names of Jesus. This gives us a deeper understanding of who He is and what He came to do. 

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (OCTOBER 3, 2012

Delivered From Sin

Leviticus 23:6-8;
Romans 6:18

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." 

(GALATIANS 5:1)

Scripture tells us that the one-day Passover celebration is followed by seven days known as the Festival of Matzah (Unleavened Bread). In haste to leave Egypt on the day of their Exodus, the children of Israel did not have enough time for the dough to rise. Observant Jews today still eat only Matzah during these days to commemorate. 

What a wonderful picture God has given to us! Leaven puffs things up. It spreads and it permeates. And this is exactly what sin does in our lives. We are puffed up by sins of pride, and this sin permeates our lives, affecting us and those around us. There are many damaging sins that yeast pictures in the Bible: hypocrisy, wickedness, malice and even false teaching. Jesus warned His students to "be on your guard against the yeast" of the Jewish religious leaders of His day (Matthew 16:11). 

But Jesus Christ wants to deliver us from the leaven of sin. Only He can "set us free" and cause us to happily be "slaves of righteousness," unburdened by the grip of sin in our lives.

INSIGHT

God is ready to assume full responsibility for the life wholly yielded to Him." 

(Andrew Murray)

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR

Daniel 7-8 

Proverbs 8

Hebrews 11

Leviticus 23:6-8

New International Version (NIV)

6 On the fifteenth day of that month the Lord’s Festival of Unleavened Bread begins; for seven days you must eat bread made without yeast. 7 On the first day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. 8 For seven days present a food offering to the Lord. And on the seventh day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.’”

Romans 6:18

New International Version (NIV)

18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

CHRISTMAS STORIES

with Sally Lloyd-Jones

Is Christmas a time for joy or stress? For many it is both. But when the to-do list gets too big and busyness gets in the way, we can ask "Who am I?" The answer will always be "The one Jesus loves." 

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (OCTOBER 2, 2012)

Messiah, Our Communion

Exodus 12:14;
Luke 22:1-20



"...do this in remembrance of me."
(LUKE 22:19)

The night before our Messiah Jesus was to endure His suffering on the cross, He assembled Himself with His beloved disciples to share in the Passover. The Passover was part of the Old Testament Law, one of those very special Appointed Times that the Lord gave to Israel on her yearly calendar. "This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD - a lasting ordinance" (Exodus 12:14).

As they were all enjoying their Passover seder (the holiday ritual meal) in that upper room in Jerusalem almost 2,000 years ago, "...Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, 'Take it; this is my body.' Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it. 'This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many...'" (Mark 14:22-24).

When we observe the Lord's Supper, remember His death upon the cross and the picture God gave us in the Passover of a "lasting ordinance" for all His people.


INSIGHT
CLOTHE YOURSELVES WITH MEEKNESS AND BE RENEWED IN FAITH - THAT IS, THE FLESH OF THE LORD.
AND IN LOVE - THAT IS, THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST.
(IGNATIUS)

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Daniel 5-6
Proverbs 7
Hebrews 9-10

Exodus 12:14
New International Version (NIV)
14 “This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—a lasting ordinance.
Luke 22:1-20
New International Version (NIV)
Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus
22 Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching, 2 and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people. 3 Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. 4 And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. 5 They were delighted and agreed to give him money. 6 He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present.
The Last Supper
7 Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8 Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.”
9 “Where do you want us to prepare for it?” they asked.
10 He replied, “As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, 11 and say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 12 He will show you a large room upstairs, all furnished. Make preparations there.”
13 They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.
14 When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. 15 And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.”
17 After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. 18 For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”
19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.[a]
Footnotes:
a. Luke 22:20 Some manuscripts do not have given for you … poured out for you.
CHRISTMAS STORIES [PART 5]
with Sally Lloyd-Jones

Is Christmas a time for joy or stress? For many it is both. But when the to-do list gets too big and busyness gets in the way, we can ask "Who am I?" The answer will always be "The one Jesus loves." 

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (OCTOBER 1, 2012)

Messiah, Our Passover

Leviticus 23:4-5;
1 Corinthians 5:6-8


"Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation."
(1 CORINTHIANS 5:7)

The first of seven "appointed" annual Feast days given by the LORD to Israel was the Passover. Of all the Jewish holidays, Passover is the one for which I have the fondest memories. I can still taste the sinus-clearing sting of Bubbie's (Grandmother's) homemade horseradish atop a mound of gefilte fish. But it wasn't all about the food. This was about history - the mighty God of Israel delivering His people from slavery and bondage in a foreign land.

As our family got together each year to retell the story of how "the LORD brought the Israelites out of Egypt" (Exodus 12:51), I always wondered why it was the blood of a lamb "on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses" which saved God's people from certain death. They were saved by the blood of the lamb.

God's people are still saved by the blood of the Lamb today! One day John the Baptizer saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). Jesus is our true Passover Lamb!

INSIGHT
THERE IS A FOUNTAIN FILLED WITH BLOOD
DRAWN FROM EMMANUEL'S VEINS.
AND SINNERS PLUNGED BENEATH THAT FLOOD LOSE ALL THEIR GUILTY STAINS.
(WILLIAM COWPER, 1772)

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Daniel 3-4
Proverbs 6
Hebrews 7-8


Leviticus 23:4-5
New International Version (NIV)
The Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread
4 “‘These are the Lord’s appointed festivals, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times: 5 The Lord’s Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month.
1 Corinthians 5:6-8
New International Version (NIV)
6 Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? 7 Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.


CHRISTMAS STORIES [PART 4]
with Sally Lloyd-Jones

Have you ever stared in wonder at the stars? By faith the wise men followed a star for miles and miles to find the King of all kings as a baby. And when they finally arrived - it was all worth it.

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (SEPTEMBER 31, 2012)

Messiah, Our Sabbath Rest

Leviticus 23:3;
Matthew 11:28-30



"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
(MATTHEW 11:28)

The origin of the Sabbath goes back to Creation. After creating the heavens and the earth in six days, God "rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made" (Genesis 2:2). Was God tired after all that creative work of putting together the universe? Did He need a rest? Of course not!

Sabbath is the Hebrew word Shabbat which means "to stop or cease from work." Creation was complete and God simply stopped what He was doing. Likewise, in Leviticus 23:3, God sets aside the seventh day Sabbath as one of His appointed times, a day every week when He would have a holy encounter with His people - a day when they, too, would cease from all work.

But the Sabbath rest given to Israel was, again, only a shadow. If you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ, then you have already "entered into" His Sabbath rest. "There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God" (Hebrews 4:9).

Are you wearied and burdened? Come to Jesus - His burden is light, and only He will give you complete Sabbath rest.

INSIGHT
"REST IN GOD'S LOVE. THE ONLY WORK YOU ARE REQUIRED NOW TO DO IS TO GIVE YOUR MOST INTENSE ATTENTION TO HIS STILL, SMALL VOICE WITHIN."
(MADAME JEANNE GUYON)

Leviticus 23:3
New International Version (NIV)
The Sabbath
3 “‘There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a sabbath to the Lord.
Matthew 11:28-30
New International Version (NIV)
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (SEPTEMBER 30, 2012)

God's Appointed Times

Leviticus 23; John 5:39-40



"You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me..."
(JOHN 5:39)

Jesus often rebuked the Jewish religious leaders of His day. They should have recognized Him as Israel's long-awaited Messiah. They had the Hebrew Scriptures containing detailed "pictures" painted by God Himself to reveal the identity of the Redeemer. But they missed Him, and God held them accountable, "...because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you" (Luke 19:44).

Jesus told the Pharisees that the things concerning Him would now be "hidden" from their eyes. But in every generation God has kept a "remnant" of believing Jews for Himself, a fact for which I am eternally grateful. Some of us who are Jewish, by God's grace and sovereign desire, can still see Jesus clearly through those "Scriptures that testify about me..."

And there is no better place to see the Jewish Messiah in the Hebrew Scriptures than in the Holy days given to Israel in Leviticus 23. While the Hebrew Scriptures provided the pictures-the shadows-the New Testament points us to the reality, the fulfillment in Jesus Christ.


INSIGHT
CHASING A SHADOW IS A VAIN VENTURE: DON'T CHASE THE SHADOW; CHASE THE SUBSTANCE.

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Isaiah 49-50
Psalm 95
Acts 18

Leviticus 23
New International Version (NIV)
The Appointed Festivals
23 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘These are my appointed festivals, the appointed festivals of the Lord, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies.
The Sabbath
3 “‘There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a sabbath to the Lord.
The Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread
4 “‘These are the Lord’s appointed festivals, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times: 5 The Lord’s Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. 6 On the fifteenth day of that month the Lord’s Festival of Unleavened Bread begins; for seven days you must eat bread made without yeast. 7 On the first day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. 8 For seven days present a food offering to the Lord. And on the seventh day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.’”
Offering the Firstfruits
9 The Lord said to Moses, 10 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am going to give you and you reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain you harvest. 11 He is to wave the sheaf before the Lord so it will be accepted on your behalf; the priest is to wave it on the day after the Sabbath. 12 On the day you wave the sheaf, you must sacrifice as a burnt offering to the Lord a lamb a year old without defect, 13 together with its grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah[a] of the finest flour mixed with olive oil—a food offering presented to the Lord, a pleasing aroma—and its drink offering of a quarter of a hin[b] of wine. 14 You must not eat any bread, or roasted or new grain, until the very day you bring this offering to your God. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.
The Festival of Weeks
15 “‘From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks. 16 Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the Lord. 17 From wherever you live, bring two loaves made of two-tenths of an ephah of the finest flour, baked with yeast, as a wave offering of firstfruits to the Lord. 18 Present with this bread seven male lambs, each a year old and without defect, one young bull and two rams. They will be a burnt offering to the Lord, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings—a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord. 19 Then sacrifice one male goat for a sin offering[c] and two lambs, each a year old, for a fellowship offering. 20 The priest is to wave the two lambs before the Lord as a wave offering, together with the bread of the firstfruits. They are a sacred offering to the Lord for the priest. 21 On that same day you are to proclaim a sacred assembly and do no regular work. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.
22 “‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and for the foreigner residing among you. I am the Lord your God.’”
The Festival of Trumpets
23 The Lord said to Moses, 24 “Say to the Israelites: ‘On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of sabbath rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts. 25 Do no regular work, but present a food offering to the Lord.’”
The Day of Atonement
26 The Lord said to Moses, 27 “The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves,[d] and present a food offering to the Lord. 28 Do not do any work on that day, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for you before the Lord your God. 29 Those who do not deny themselves on that day must be cut off from their people. 30 I will destroy from among their people anyone who does any work on that day. 31 You shall do no work at all. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live. 32 It is a day of sabbath rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. From the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening you are to observe your sabbath.”
The Festival of Tabernacles
33 The Lord said to Moses, 34 “Say to the Israelites: ‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month the Lord’s Festival of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days. 35 The first day is a sacred assembly; do no regular work. 36 For seven days present food offerings to the Lord, and on the eighth day hold a sacred assembly and present a food offering to the Lord. It is the closing special assembly; do no regular work.
37 (“‘These are the Lord’s appointed festivals, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies for bringing food offerings to the Lord—the burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings required for each day. 38 These offerings are in addition to those for the Lord’s Sabbaths and[e] in addition to your gifts and whatever you have vowed and all the freewill offerings you give to the Lord.)
39 “‘So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival to the Lord for seven days; the first day is a day of sabbath rest, and the eighth day also is a day of sabbath rest. 40 On the first day you are to take branches from luxuriant trees—from palms, willows and other leafy trees—and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. 41 Celebrate this as a festival to the Lord for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 Live in temporary shelters for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in such shelters 43 so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in temporary shelters when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’”
44 So Moses announced to the Israelites the appointed festivals of the Lord.
Footnotes:
a. Leviticus 23:13 That is, probably about 7 pounds or about 3.2 kilograms; also in verse 17
b. Leviticus 23:13 That is, about 1 quart or about 1 liter
c. Leviticus 23:19 Or purification offering
d. Leviticus 23:27 Or and fast; similarly in verses 29 and 32
e. Leviticus 23:38 Or These festivals are in addition to the Lord’s Sabbaths, and these offerings are
John 5:39-40
New International Version (NIV)
39 You study[a] the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
Footnotes:
a. John 5:39 Or 39 Study


LIGHT OF THE WORLD
with Sally Lloyd-Jones

Think of the shepherds on that first Christmas night. They usually take their place next to the wise men in the nativity scene. But how can the shepherds teach us the whole Gospel?

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (SEPTEMBER 29, 2012)

Pictures of Messiah

Leviticus 23:1-2; Colossians 2:16-17


"Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'These are my appointed feasts, the appointed feasts of the LORD, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies.'"
(LEVITICUS 23:2)

Even before I received Jesus as my Jewish Messiah over 30 years ago, I had a good understanding that God often used stories with visual aids in my Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament) to teach great spiritual truths. These "pictures," experienced with the physical senses, demonstrated to Israel what God required of them, how they could come to know Him better, and how they should walk with Him daily.

What I didn't realize as I sat in cheder (Hebrew school), learning about my Judaism and bar mitzvah (a "son of the commandment"), was that every one of those "pictures" pointed to Jesus Christ. Referring to God's appointed times in Leviticus 23, the Jewish Rabbi Shaul (that's the Apostle Paul) writes in the New Testament, "These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ" (Colossians 2:17).

Shabbat (the Sabbath), Pesach (Passover), Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year), Succoth (Tabernacles), and the holiest day of the Jewish Year, Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)-all shadows of Jesus!

INSIGHT
THE RABBIS SAY THAT "COINCIDENCE" IS NOT A KOSHER WORD!

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Isaiah 47-48
Psalm 94
Acts 17


Leviticus 23:1-2
New International Version (NIV)
The Appointed Festivals
23 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘These are my appointed festivals, the appointed festivals of the Lord, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies.
Colossians 2:16-17
New International Version (NIV)
Freedom From Human Rules
16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.


HE IS HERE
with Sally Lloyd-Jones

Fictional characters like Santa Claus and Scrooge often overshadow the nativity. How can we keep the spotlight on Jesus in our own homes?

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (SEPTEMBER 28, 2012)

The God of the Calendar

Exodus 12:1-2; Psalm 104:19

"This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year." 

(Exodus 12:2)

All of God's important dates were written far in advance, even before the foundations of the Earth. When He gave His calendar to Israel, He marked those dates in the stars, kept them by the moon and observed them by the sun. "The moon marks off the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down" (Psalm 104:19). 

But God doesn't only have a calendar for Israel; He has one for each of us! Before you were born, He knew all about you. "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart" (Jeremiah 1:5). He knows when you will die. "...All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be" (Psalm 139:16). Israel's King David wrote, "My times are in your hands" (Psalm 31:15). 

The sovereign Creator of all things has given us His calendar and His appointed times because "For everything there is an appointed time, even a time for every affair under the heavens" (Ecclesiastes 3:1). What is written on God's calendar for you? Each event in your life He has ordained.

INSIGHT

Seek God with a renewed heart and watch His calendar come alive with your own divine destiny.

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR

Isaiah 45-46 

Psalm 93

Acts 16

 

Psalm 104:19

New Living Translation (NLT)

19 You made the moon to mark the seasons,

and the sun knows when to set.

Exodus 12:1-2

New International Version (NIV)

The Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread

12 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, 2 “This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year.

STRING CHRISTMAS

with Gerard Le Feuvre

He is a world-class cellist, founder of The Kings Chamber Orchestra, and a father. Gerard Le Feuvre recently received devastating news and knew his only hope was Jesus. And in the end that was enough. 

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (SEPTEMBER 27, 2012)

Out of the Shadows

John 1:1-18; 1 John 1:1-3


"Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."
(1 CORINTHIANS 13:12)

We have spent the past month examining the images of our relationship to Christ: being born into His family, being His bride, and being adopted by Him. Unfortunately, those images - ones that He put in place for us to know Him better - in reality stir up great heartache for many. They bring to mind miscarriages and barrenness, horrible parents and abuse, broken marriages and unfaithfulness. They leave us longing for so much more.

Friend, you may be one who right now is in the shadows of those agonies. You may understand how you are called Christ's bride and His child, but you don't feel like that at all. Please consider that the Lord will use even these longing of your heart and these broken parts of your life to bring you out of the shadows, to show you that the reflection is not clear right now but will be one day when you are face to face with Jesus. Your heartaches are being used to draw you close to Him, to bring you fully into His family where you are known and where you know Jesus Christ as Lord.

INSIGHT
OUT OF EARTH'S SORROWS, INTO THY BALM,
OUT OF LIFE'S STORMS AND INTO THY CALM,
OUT OF DISTRESS TO JUBILANT PSALM,
JESUS, I COME TO THEE.
(WILLIAM SLEEPER, 1887)

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Ezekiel 39-40
Psalm 150
2 Timothy 3-4

John 1:1-18
New International Version (NIV)
The Word Became Flesh
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it.
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and[b] is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
Footnotes:
a. John 1:5 Or understood
b. John 1:18 Some manuscripts but the only Son, who
1 John 1:1-3
New Living Translation (NLT)
Introduction
1 We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning,[a] whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. 2 This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
Footnotes:
a. 1 John 1:1 Greek What was from the beginning.

STRING CHRISTMAS [PART 5]

with Gerard Le Feuvre

In life and death, in health and sickness. Christians can give thanks because of the grace given to us in Christ. Even at the bleakest points in our lives, we are called to approach Him in faith. 

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (SEPTEMBER 26, 2012)

Our Forever Family

Romans 8:28-39

"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance..."

(EPHESIANS 1:18)

Since our children were adopted as babies, they do not remember ever not being in our family. But I know plenty of children whose adoptions came later in life and who still recollect when their "forever family" first appeared. Can you imagine the joy they felt? Yet I know from their stories that those children, uncertain of what lay ahead, were afraid, too. It was only after "coming home" and adjusting to their new life that they realized the blessing of their new family and that truly they would not want to go back. 

Do you see how we all were like that once? While we were orphans, God came and sought us for His own. We did not choose Him; He chose us. Under the pull of sin and our flesh, we instinctively wanted to go the other way, perhaps even stay where we were. But the riches of a new life in Him began to open the eyes of our heart to all He offered us as His children. We could see the hope we'd have in Him that far outweighed staying back as an orphan. In adoption we have found ourselves - in Jesus! 

INSIGHT

THERE IS NO GOING BACK TO THE FATHER OF THIS WORLD, SATAN, ONCE YOU HAVE BEEN ADOPTED BY THE FATHER OF ALL CREATION!

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR

Ezekiel 37-38 

Psalm 149 

2 Timothy 1-2

Romans 8:28-39

New International Version (NIV)

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

More Than Conquerors

31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;

we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”[b]

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[c] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Footnotes:

a. Romans 8:28 Or that all things work together for good to those who love God, who; or that in all things God works together with those who love him to bring about what is good—with those who

b. Romans 8:36 Psalm 44:22

c. Romans 8:38 Or nor heavenly rulers

STRING CHRISTMAS [PART 4]

with Gerard Le Feuvre

Can you think of the best Christmas ever? Does it include stockings and gifts under a tree? These gifts are often forgotten. The best Christmas came when God gave us the perfect gift - His Son. 

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (SEPTEMBER 25, 2012)

Every Tribe, Tongue, Nation

Revelation 5:9-10; 7:9-10


"...there before me was a great multitude... from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb."
(REVELATION 7:9)

"We believe Jesus in heavenly things - our adoption in Christ; so we follow Him in earthly things - the adoption of children" (Russell Moore, "Adopted for Life," 2009). You probably will not have to look very far - perhaps just to your own dining table! - to see families who have adopted, a young woman who has placed a child in an adoptive home, or an older couple who volunteers at a local crisis pregnancy center. You may be adopted. Adoption brings a whole new unity to mind. It's not like a support group; it's a deeper unity in Christ, and it's all around us.

God told Abraham from the beginning of his journey that through him all nations would be blessed (Genesis 26:4, Galatians 3:8). God's love would go out with fervency to every tribe tongue and nation. The God who adopts from every corner of this earth brings us together in Jesus. We can marvel at the far reaches of His love that brings children from an orphanage in Haiti or a hospital in middle-America to the same table. That love reaches to you, too.


INSIGHT
ADOPTION BRINGS A WHOLE KALEIDOSCOPE OF PEOPLE TOGETHER. YOU AND I ARE AMONG THE WIDE VARIETY THAT MAKE UP GOD'S BIG AND GROWING FAMILY.

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Ezekiel 35-36
Psalm 148
1 Timothy 5-6

Revelation 5:9-10
New International Version (NIV)
9 And they sang a new song, saying:
“You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased for God
persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign[a] on the earth.”
Footnotes:
a. Revelation 5:10 Some manuscripts they reign
Revelation 7:9-10
New International Version (NIV)
The Great Multitude in White Robes
9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.”


TRING CHRISTMAS [PART 3]
with Gerard Le Feuvre

What happens to the pieces when a cello breaks? What happened to the leftover bread after Jesus fed the five thousand? What can Christ do with the broken pieces of our lives?

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (SEPTEMBER 24, 2012)

Not Entitlement but Grace

Ephesians 1:3-14

"In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will - to the praise of his glorious grace..."

(EPHESIANS 1:4-6)

Seeing ourselves as adopted children in Christ reminds us that if we are children, "then heirs - heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:17). "Inheritance" isn't really an idea many of us grow up with. You may think it's something reserved for the very wealthy. In the Bible, the idea of inheritance had everything to do with who a person's father was (Russell Moore, "Adopted for Life," 2009). The father's livelihood guaranteed survival through the generations. It was security for a person. 

And for us, it's a picture of the inheritance that the Father gives to His children, even to us as adopted children. When God created man, this entire world was meant to be our inheritance, but sin destroyed that model, leaving us all orphans. It's as if we no longer are entitled to anything. Yet through God's matchless grace in sending His Son, we have everything! "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things" (Romans 8:32)?

INSIGHT

WE OUGHT TO SHUDDER TO THINK WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY ENTITLED TO.

YET THROUGH GOD'S GRACE WE HAVE EVERYTHING...

WE HAVE JESUS!

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR

Ezekiel 33-34 

Psalm 147 

1 Timothy 3-4

Ephesians 1:3-14

Common English Bible (CEB)

The believers’ blessings

3 Bless the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! He has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing that comes from heaven. 4 God chose us in Christ to be holy and blameless in God’s presence before the creation of the world. 5 God destined us to be his adopted children through Jesus Christ because of his love. This was according to his goodwill and plan 6 and to honor his glorious grace that he has given to us freely through the Son whom he loves. 7 We have been ransomed through his Son’s blood, and we have forgiveness for our failures based on his overflowing grace, 8 which he poured over us with wisdom and understanding. 9 God revealed his hidden design[a] to us, which is according to his goodwill and the plan that he intended to accomplish through his Son. 10 This is what God planned for the climax of all times:[b] to bring all things together in Christ, the things in heaven along with the things on earth. 11 We have also received an inheritance in Christ. We were destined by the plan of God, who accomplishes everything according to his design. 12 We are called to be an honor to God’s glory because we were the first to hope in Christ. 13 You too heard the word of truth in Christ, which is the good news of your salvation. You were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit because you believed in Christ. 14 The Holy Spirit is the down payment on our inheritance, which is applied toward our redemption as God’s own people, resulting in the honor of God’s glory.

Footnotes:

a. Ephesians 1:9 Or mystery

b. Ephesians 1:10 Or the fullness of times

STRING CHRISTMAS [PART 2]

with Gerard Le Feuvre

Gerard Le Feuvre is a world-class cellist and a Christian. He leads a chamber orchestra of Christian musicians who encourage others to glorify Christ through music and fun. 

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (SEPTEMBER 23, 2012)

Really Yours?

Romans 1:1-6; 8:12-15


"And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ."
(ROMANS 1:6)

"Is she really yours?" and "Do you have any children of your own?" are familiar questions to adoptive parents. Sometimes I have wondered if the inquiries are implying that ours is not really a family.

"Am I really in the family?" is an age-old question. Paul often reminded the believers in Rome, Ephesus and Galatia that they were brothers, adopted, and children of God. He told them that the family extended beyond Israel and into the whole Gentile world. They needed to know just as much then as we do now what our identity is in Jesus. We really do belong to Him.

At times I've been defensive about the "really yours?" question, probably because I have thought that somehow "naturally born" was better than adopted. Does any of us want to admit that in our adoption by Christ we all once were lost, abandoned and enslaved? Yet even Israel was adopted (Romans 9:4), Paul says, and was an abandoned baby (Ezekiel 16:4-6) before the Lord "adopted" her. So are we really His? Yes, and more welcomed than we will ever know!


INSIGHT
"THE SPIRIT HIMSELF TESTIFIES WITH OUR SPIRIT THAT WE ARE GOD'S CHILDREN."
(ROMANS 8:16)

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Ezekiel 31-32
Psalm 146
1 Timothy 1-2

Romans 1:1-6
New International Version (NIV)
1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— 2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life[a] was a descendant of David, 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power[b] by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. 5 Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from[c] faith for his name’s sake. 6 And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.
Footnotes:
a. Romans 1:3 Or who according to the flesh
b. Romans 1:4 Or was declared with power to be the Son of God
c. Romans 1:5 Or that is
Romans 8:12-15
Common English Bible (CEB)
12 So then, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation, but it isn’t an obligation to ourselves to live our lives on the basis of selfishness. 13 If you live on the basis of selfishness, you are going to die. But if you put to death the actions of the body with the Spirit, you will live. 14 All who are led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons and daughters. 15 You didn’t receive a spirit of slavery to lead you back again into fear, but you received a Spirit that shows you are adopted as his children. With this Spirit, we cry, “Abba, Father.”


STRING CHRISTMAS [PART 1]
with Gerard Le Feuvre

Gerard Le Feuvre is a world-class cellist, the founder of The Kings Chamber Orchestra, and a young father. Several months ago he received devastating news and knew his only hope was Jesus.

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (SEPTEMBER 22, 2012)

If Only We'd Known...

Psalm 139


"All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."
(PSALM 139:16)

When we adopted our children, there was no "choosing" involved on our part. Rather, their birth families chose us. We knew that whatever the baby would be - boy or girl, sick or healthy, beautiful or not - the child would be the one we'd welcome into our home. It's a good picture of God's love for us.

But we don't live out His pictures perfectly at all times. If any parent had known how hard the road ahead would be, how defeated they'd feel some days, would any of us have continued?

God never second guesses His pursuit of us, despite knowing what lay ahead. He knew how naughty I'd be as a child, how disappointing my choices would be as a young adult, how I'd hurt people's feelings, how I'd break every commandment of His in new ways throughout my life, how I'd turn my back on Him at one point and come crying to Him at another - and He yet sought me anyway. In knowing all of this and more before we even were born, Jesus tells each of us that we are His chosen ones, belonging to Him (see 1 Peter 2:9-10), receiving His mercy.

INSIGHT
ADOPTING A SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD IS NOT NOTEWORTHY. WHAT IS AMAZING IS GOD LOOKING BEYOND ALL OF OUR "SPECIAL NEEDS" AND FAILURES, LOVING US ANYWAY.

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Ezekiel 29-30
Psalm 145
2 Thessalonians 1-3

Psalm 139
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
1 You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.
5 You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts,[a] God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you.

19 If only you, God, would slay the wicked!
Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty!
20 They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name.
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord,
and abhor those who are in rebellion against you?
22 I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
Footnotes:
a. Psalm 139:17 Or How amazing are your thoughts concerning me


A PRAYING LIFE
with Paul Miller

We know prayer is important, so why do we avoid praying? There's only one cure for this and Jesus is the One with the remedy.

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (SEPTEMBER 21, 2012)

Naming Rights

Psalm 147:1-5



"He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name."
(PSALM 147:4)

"He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out."
(JOHN 10:3)

I had hoped from the very beginning of the adoption process that my husband and I might be able to name the children who would become ours. I thought naming a child would make that little one feel more like "mine." But that privilege was to be for the birthparents. By God's providence, both mothers in different years had planned to choose names that turned out to be (or be close to) our last name. When they learned of our last name and that naming a child "Dane Daane" would never do, they laughed and invited us to join them in choosing different names.

Naming the babies was sweet, but by that time I had settled in my heart that God in His sovereignty had names chosen for those babies even before they were born. If I am really a believer in Jesus Christ, He has given me a new name, too (Revelation 2:17 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.). My greater longing would be not to make sure my adopted children "feel like mine," and carry my name, but to seek with all my heart to follow after Christ so that together we would live for His name.


INSIGHT
JESUS, THE ONE WHO KNOWS US, WILL GIVE US A NEW NAME IN GLORY, AND WE WILL KNOW IT. OUR ADOPTION BY HIM WILL BE FINALIZED!

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Ezekiel 27-28
Psalm 144
1 Thessalonians 5

Psalm 147:1-5
New International Version (NIV)
1 Praise the Lord.[a]
How good it is to sing praises to our God,
how pleasant and fitting to praise him!
2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
he gathers the exiles of Israel.
3 He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
4 He determines the number of the stars
and calls them each by name.
5 Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
his understanding has no limit.
Footnotes:
a. Psalm 147:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 2


A PRAYING LIFE
with Paul Miller

We know prayer is important, so why do we avoid praying? There's only one cure for this and Jesus is the One with the remedy.