ANCHOR DEVOTIONAL - ATTACHED AT THE VINE

ANCHOR DEVOTIONAL - ATTACHED AT THE VINE

"I am the vine; you are the branches... apart from me you can do nothing."
(JOHN 15:5) 

Not long ago, my husband gave me a beautiful bouquet of flowers. The kids were mesmerized by them. As the week progressed, however, they began to look tired and started dropping their petals. Eventually, I had to throw them out. Eli asked me why these flowers died, but our plants stay alive and healthy. "The flowers have been cut off," I explained. "They are no longer part of a root that keeps them alive."

When Jesus tells us that we can do nothing apart from Him, it goes against our cultural sensibilities. We live in a culture that says with enough hard work and determination, you can do anything. But Jesus says, "False. Apart from me, you can do nothing." What can a branch, blossom, or piece of fruit do once it has been separated from the rest of the tree? Nothing. It has no life source. It stops growing. It dies. If we are not rooted in the Vine, Jesus Christ, we are like my beautiful bouquet that slowly wilts and dies. All our efforts get us nowhere unless we are still rooted in Christ, the True Vine.


SCRIPTURE FOCUS

John 15:1-17


INSIGHT

OUR EFFORTS WILL ONLY RESULT IN FRUIT IF WE ARE TRULY ATTACHED TO THE VINE. REMAIN IN HIM!


READ THROUGH THE BIBLE

Jeremiah 21-22
Psalm 114
1 Corinthians 3-4

ANCHOR DEVOTIONAL - WHAT'S IN A NAME?

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine."  (ISAIAH 43:1B) 

Have you ever been surprised in a public place when you suddenly hear your name called out? It can make your heart jump, especially if you're a long ways from home and far from anyone you know. I  remember walking the streets of Chicago when someone from my little home church in Eastern Canada saw me and yelled, "Andrea!" I was shocked - but also relieved - to be known by someone in such a busy and unfamiliar place!

Our world can feel busy and unfamiliar. Our world numbers us and gives us codes and uses our account numbers instead of our names. Increasingly, we feel less like individuals and more like numbers in a line. It is a great gift (and relief!) to be known by name, not just by the people in our lives, but by the very God who flung each star into the universe. He knows every star, yet He can name you. We laugh when my dad forgets my name from time to time and calls me a few of his sisters' names first. But God, who forgets your sins, will not forget your name. He has it engraved on the palm of His hands.


SCRIPTURE FOCUS

Isaiah 43:1-7


INSIGHT

"SATAN KNOWS YOUR NAME, BUT CALLS YOU BY YOUR SIN. JESUS KNOWS YOUR SIN, BUT CALLS YOU BY YOUR NAME."
(DAVID STONE)


READ THROUGH THE BIBLE

Jeremiah 19-20
Psalm 113
1 Corinthians 1-2

ANCHOR DEVOTIONAL - GOOD DISCIPLINE 10.21.14

"...Do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves..."
(HEBREWS 12:5-6) 

I have a rule when I am in the grocery store with my kids: do not touch the fruit! These colorful displays of lovely looking food seem to scream, "Touch me! Handle me! Throw me!" If my kids forget, their consequence is NO COOKIE when we get to the bakery. Tough love, right? One day we saw another child handling the fuzzy kiwis, squeezing them in his palms. My kids told me to do something about it. But of course, I wasn't going to discipline that boy. He wasn't mine. You only discipline those who belong to you.

In the same way, God's discipline is good news for us: it means we belong to Him. He disciplines us because we are His. He is the author of our faith, but also the finisher of it, and He knows the kind of discipline that will get us to where He wants us to be. "God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness" (v.10). This ongoing process of sanctification and discipline isn't always fun. It is tough love. But it is indeed love, and it's from a Father who loves us and calls us His own.

SCRIPTURE FOCUS
Hebrews 12:1-12


INSIGHT
YOU DON'T DISCIPLINE OTHER PEOPLE'S KIDS BECAUSE THEY DON'T BELONG TO YOU. GOD DISCIPLINES THOSE WHO BELONG TO HIM!


READ THROUGH THE BIBLE
Jeremiah 17-18
Psalm 112
Romans 15-16

Soothe Words

The soothing tongue is a tree of life,
but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit. (Prov. 15:4)

Still - Hillsong

Verse I:

 C   G/B   Am
Hide  me  now
   F   D/F#    Gsus  G
Under  Your  wings
C/E   F
Cover me
   Dm7               G
Within  Your mighty hand

Chorus:

C/E              F          G     Csus  C
When the oceans rise and thunders roar
                  F    G         Am
I will soar with You above the storm
C/E               F    G       Csus C
Father, You are king over the flood
G/B          F/A           G/B      F
I   will be still and know You are God

Verse II [same chords as verse I]:

Find rest my soul
In Christ alone
Know His power
In quietness and trust

Chorus:

C/E              F          G     Csus  C
When the oceans rise and thunders roar
                  F    G         Am
I will soar with You above the storm
C/E               F    G       Csus C
Father, You are king over the flood
G/B          F/A           G/B      F
I   will be still and know You are God

Instrumental [play x3]:

F  Am  C/G  G

Ending Chorus:

C/E              F          G     Csus  C
When the oceans rise and thunders roar
                  F    G         Am
I will soar with You above the storm
C/E               F    G       Csus C
Father, You are king over the flood
G/B          F/A           G/B      C
I   will be still and know You are God
C/E              F          G     Csus  C
When the oceans rise and thunders roar
                  F    G         Am
I will soar with You above the storm
C/E               F    G       Csus C
Father, You are king over the flood
G/B          F/A           G/B      F
I   will be still and know You are God

YOU ARE MY FATHER

CAPO 6

Intro: C G/B F C F C D

Verse 1:
CM7 G/B Dsus4 D
It doesn't matter where I run, You're there for me
CM7 G/B Dsus4 D
It doesn't matter what I've done Your love's for me
Em G/D C G/B
You wipe away the tears, You lift me when I fall
Am7 Dsus4 D
My life is safe by the mercy of Your grace

Verse 2:
CM7 G/B Dsus4 D
It doesn't matter where I go, You walk with me
CM7 G/B Dsus4 D
It doesn't matter when I fall, You cover me
Em G/D C G/B
You wipe away the tears, You lift me when I fall
Am7 Dsus4 D
My life is safe by the mercy of Your grace

Chorus:
G D/F#
You are my Father, Provider
CM7 D
You're my Deliverer
Em7 G/B
Your mercies embrace me, surround me
CM7 D
Through Your everlasting love
Em7 G/D C
Father I worship You
G C/G G
Father I worship You

Bridge:
Em
And Your love is for me
Csus2
And Your love is for me
G/B D
And Your love is forever

Ending:
G/B C
Father I worship You
G/B C
Father I worship You
Em7 D C
Father I worship You
Em7 D C
Father I worship You
G
Father I worship You

Consuming Fire - Hillsong

Verse 1
Em7                    D/F#        G
There must be more than this
C                Em7            D/F#       C    
O breath of God come breathe within
Em7                D/F#        G
There must be more than this
C           Em7       D          C
Spirit of God we wait for You
Am7     G/B         D
Fill us anew, we pray
Am7      G/B         D
Fill us anew, we pray

Chorus
                  G                 D/F#
Consuming Fire, fan into flame
    Em7                  C
a passion for Your name
              G                    D/F#
Spirit of God, fall in this place
                         Em7                             C
Lord, have Your way, Lord, have Your way

with us

Verse 2
Em7              D/F#     G
Come like a rushing wind
C                 Em7    D          C
Clothe us in power from on high
G                  D/F#     G
Now set the captives free
C              Em7         D            C
Leave us abandoned to Your praise
Am7                    G/B    D
Lord, let Your glory fall
Am7                     G/B   D
Lord, let Your glory fall

(REPEAT CHORUS)


-----------------------------------------------
You can also try those chords:

Verse 1:
Dm-C-F-Dm-C-Bd
Dm-C-F-Dm-C-Bd
Gm-Em7-C
Gm-Em7-C

Chorus:
F-C-Dm-Bb
F-C-Dm-C-Bb

Verse 2: (Same chords on Verse 1)

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (JANUARY 11, 2013)

he Road to Emmaus

Luke 24:13-53



"Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him ... 'Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?'"
(LUKE 24:31-32)

Don't we often miss seeing the Christ who is right next to us? We neglect to walk with Him, our faces are downcast, and we overlook that the risen Jesus is already near. We are taken aback that the first disciples and the remaining Apostles failed to accept the fact that the stone was rolled away, that the grave clothes were empty, and the tomb was vacant. But the truth that Christ is risen often escapes us also. We forget that Jesus still walks with us. The remarkable teaching from our risen Lord often fails to penetrate our minds.

Twice in the final chapter of Luke's gospel, Jesus shares with His disciples - heading on the road to Emmaus and again back in Jerusalem - that ... "Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms." All the Hebrew Bible and now the completed cannon of 66 books, Old and New, speak and point to the risen Savior. The entire Bible is all about Him! From the beginning pages to the very end, Jesus has been right there all along.

INSIGHT
MAY OUR MINDS BE OPENED AND OUR HEARTS STIRRED THIS RESURRECTION SUNDAY.

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Deuteronomy 21-22
Psalm 90
Acts 14

uke 24:13-53
New International Version (NIV)
On the Road to Emmaus
13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles[a] from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him.
17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”
They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”
19 “What things?” he asked.
“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place.22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning23 but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”
25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?”27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.
30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34 and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” 35 Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.
Jesus Appears to the Disciples
36 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
37 They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. 38 He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”
40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41 And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate it in their presence.
44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”
45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them,“This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day,47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations,beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
The Ascension of Jesus
50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.
Footnotes:
a. Luke 24:13 Or about 11 kilometers


THE LAMB OF GOD
with Darrell Johnson

Do you know the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world? This weekend we celebrate the risen Christ who offers forgiveness on the basis of his own sacrificial death for our sins.

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (JANUARY 10, 2013)

The Tomb is Empty

Luke 24:1-12


"They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus."
(LUKE 24:2-3)

It is Saturday in Jerusalem. There is a hush over the city as Jews observe the day of rest. Commerce ceases, shops are shuttered and trucks don't rumble. It reminds me of the day before the first Easter, when all was quiet, and the disciples were in mourning, with no hope for the future.

Thanks to the account of the Gospels, we today know the outcome. There were miracles over the prior three days, sudden darkness in daytime, an earthquake, tombs opening, the dead walking. Astounding though those things were, still none of it compared to the grand miracle to come on Easter Sunday.

Because of that Miracle we have the personal gladness of realizing our Messiah lives and reigns and that we are forgiven. We are new creations in Christ. His dominion reigns inside of us and yet extends over all His creation. Our risen Lord no longer hangs on the cross, and His body no longer rests in the tomb outside Jerusalem. We serve a risen Lord who conquered the grave! There is no other god who could claim or prove that.

INSIGHT
ONE DAY HE WILL RETURN AGAIN. MARANATHA, COME QUICKLY, LORD JESUS! ARE YOU READY?

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Deuteronomy 19-20
Psalm 89
Acts 13

Luke 24:1-12
New International Version (NIV)
Jesus Has Risen
24 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” 8 Then they remembered his words.
9 When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. 11 But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. 12 Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.


THE LAMB OF GOD
with Darrell Johnson

Do you know the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world? This weekend we celebrate the risen Christ who offers forgiveness on the basis of his own sacrificial death for our sins.

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (JANUARY 9, 2013)

Good Friday

Matthew 27:27-56


"...we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body..."
(HEBREWS 10:19-20)

It is ugly; it is the darkest day in history. And yet we call it Good Friday. Watching Mel Gibson's movie was the closest I ever came to understanding the grisly suffering of the cross, but even the best Hollywood can put forward doesn't do the Passion justice. Walking in the very places Jesus may have stepped on His way to His death stirs wonder and awe in me, but I still cannot come close to knowing what it really was like.

Jesus died from cruel and unusual punishment. He died for me. He took on my sins and paid what I could never pay. He spilled His blood to make me pure and acceptable in His sight. The cross is the pivotal moment in history. The sky darkened, the earth quaked, and Jesus declared with His final breath, "It is finished."

Christ has conquered, and if we have made our way to the foot of the cross, we can be so thankful for that terrible Good Friday. Jesus came to this earth to seek and save the lost, the rebels, the sinners - the people like me. Praise be to God for Good Friday!


INSIGHT
FATHER, KEEP ME NEAR THE CROSS. THIS IS WHERE MY SIN WAS FORGIVEN, MY BURDENS ARE LIFTED, AND WHERE JESUS DRAWS NEAR.

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Deuteronomy 17-18
Psalm 88
Acts 11-12

Matthew 27:27-56
New International Version (NIV)
The Soldiers Mock Jesus
27 Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. 30 They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. 31 After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
The Crucifixion of Jesus
32 As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. 33 They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). 34 There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. 35 When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 36 And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. 37 Above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is jesus, the king of the jews.
38 Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 39 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads 40 and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” 41 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 42 “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
The Death of Jesus
45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,[a] lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).[b]
47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”
48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49 The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”
50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and[c] went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”
55 Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph,[d] and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.
Footnotes:
a. Matthew 27:46 Some manuscripts Eloi, Eloi
b. Matthew 27:46 Psalm 22:1
c. Matthew 27:53 Or tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they
d. Matthew 27:56 Greek Joses, a variant of Joseph

THE LAMB OF GOD [PART 5]

with Darrell Johnson

Do you know the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world? This weekend we will celebrate the risen Christ who offers forgiveness on the basis of his own sacrificial death for our sins. 

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (JANUARY 8, 2013)

Christian: Little Christs

John 13


"'Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.'"
(JOHN 15:4)

In the Essene section of what was old Jerusalem, I visited a large house that would have belonged to a wealthy first century family. Tradition says it was the home of John Mark's mother and possibly the site of the Last Supper. Whether it was or not, there is a lengthy account in John 13 of what happened that last night before Jesus died.

According to John, Jesus washed His disciples' feet and then told them to do as He had done for them. He made it clear that being a Christian means not only believing in Him but also following His example. It was later in Antioch that His followers were first called Christians or "little Christs."

But how can we be like Christ? How can we follow His example? That night in the upper room Jesus gave us the answer. He promised to send the Spirit to live with us and in us. It's as if we were branches connected to Him, the vine. As we abide in Him, enduring through everything that would seek to tear us away from Him, we will bear the fruit of Jesus' life in us.

INSIGHT
LORD, MAY THOSE OF US WHO BEAR THE NAME "CHRISTIAN" TRULY BE "LITTLE CHRISTS" AS WE HUMBLE OURSELVES AND SERVE EACH OTHER.

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Deuteronomy 11-12
Psalm 85
Acts 8


THE LAMB OF GOD [PART 2]
with Darrell Johnson

Who is Jesus? The Bible calls him "The Lamb of God." On the cross the world's sin takes away the Lamb. And then in the brilliant reverse of Gospel, the Lamb takes away the sin of the world!

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (JANUARY 8, 2013)

Location Uncertainty

John 19:38-42



"... you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay."
(PSALM 16:10)

A common complaint on a tour of Israel is about how often we don't know the exact spot things took place. We aren't even certain where Jesus was crucified or buried or resurrected.

The "traditional" Church of the Holy Sepulcher in the Christian Quarter was built where Constantine's mother, Queen Helena, discovered three wooden crosses. But then, in 1883, General Charles Gordon of the British Army was convinced the traditional site did not match John's account that Jesus was crucified outside the city walls. On one of his frequent explorations, he found a burial tomb cut out of the rock, an ancient winepress and cistern signifying a garden from the first century, and a nearby outcrop known historically as the "Place of the Skull" (Golgotha in Aramaic).

Today, the place is known as the Garden Tomb, and while the British ministry overseeing the property in the Arab section of Jerusalem claims no certainty, it is a place to meditate and take communion and remember, "He is not here, he is risen indeed."

INSIGHT
TODAY THE RISEN CHRIST IS WITH YOU AND WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU.

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Deuteronomy 9-10
Psalm 84
Acts 7

John 19:38-42
New International Version (NIV)
The Burial of Jesus
38 Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. 39 He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.[a] 40 Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. 41 At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. 42 Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
Footnotes:
a. John 19:39 Or about 34 kilograms

John 13
New International Version (NIV)
Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet
13 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”
10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.
12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
Jesus Predicts His Betrayal
18 “I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill this passage of Scripture: ‘He who shared my bread has turned[a] against me.’[b]
19 “I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am. 20 Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.”
21 After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.”
22 His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. 23 One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. 24 Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, “Ask him which one he means.”
25 Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?”
26 Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.
So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” 28 But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. 29 Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the festival, or to give something to the poor. 30 As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.
Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial
31 When he was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him,[c] God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.
33 “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
36 Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?”
Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.”
37 Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”
38 Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!
Footnotes:
a. John 13:18 Greek has lifted up his heel
b. John 13:18 Psalm 41:9
c. John 13:32 Many early manuscripts do not have If God is glorified in him.

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (JANUARY 7, 2013)

Christian: Little Christs

John 13



"'Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.'"
(JOHN 15:4)

In the Essene section of what was old Jerusalem, I visited a large house that would have belonged to a wealthy first century family. Tradition says it was the home of John Mark's mother and possibly the site of the Last Supper. Whether it was or not, there is a lengthy account in John 13 of what happened that last night before Jesus died.

According to John, Jesus washed His disciples' feet and then told them to do as He had done for them. He made it clear that being a Christian means not only believing in Him but also following His example. It was later in Antioch that His followers were first called Christians or "little Christs."

But how can we be like Christ? How can we follow His example? That night in the upper room Jesus gave us the answer. He promised to send the Spirit to live with us and in us. It's as if we were branches connected to Him, the vine. As we abide in Him, enduring through everything that would seek to tear us away from Him, we will bear the fruit of Jesus' life in us.

INSIGHT
LORD, MAY THOSE OF US WHO BEAR THE NAME "CHRISTIAN" TRULY BE "LITTLE CHRISTS" AS WE HUMBLE OURSELVES AND SERVE EACH OTHER.

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Deuteronomy 11-12
Psalm 85
Acts 8

THE LAMB OF GOD [PART 2]

with Darrell Johnson

Who is Jesus? The Bible calls him "The Lamb of God." On the cross the world's sin takes away the Lamb. And then in the brilliant reverse of Gospel, the Lamb takes away the sin of the world! 

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (JANUARY 6, 2013)

Location Uncertainty

John 19:38-42


"... you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay."
(PSALM 16:10)

A common complaint on a tour of Israel is about how often we don't know the exact spot things took place. We aren't even certain where Jesus was crucified or buried or resurrected.

The "traditional" Church of the Holy Sepulcher in the Christian Quarter was built where Constantine's mother, Queen Helena, discovered three wooden crosses. But then, in 1883, General Charles Gordon of the British Army was convinced the traditional site did not match John's account that Jesus was crucified outside the city walls. On one of his frequent explorations, he found a burial tomb cut out of the rock, an ancient winepress and cistern signifying a garden from the first century, and a nearby outcrop known historically as the "Place of the Skull" (Golgotha in Aramaic).

Today, the place is known as the Garden Tomb, and while the British ministry overseeing the property in the Arab section of Jerusalem claims no certainty, it is a place to meditate and take communion and remember, "He is not here, he is risen indeed."

INSIGHT
TODAY THE RISEN CHRIST IS WITH YOU AND WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU.

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Deuteronomy 9-10
Psalm 84
Acts 7

John 19:38-42
New International Version (NIV)
The Burial of Jesus
38 Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. 39 He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.[a] 40 Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. 41 At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. 42 Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
Footnotes:
a. John 19:39 Or about 34 kilograms

John 13
New International Version (NIV)
Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet
13 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”
10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.
12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
Jesus Predicts His Betrayal
18 “I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill this passage of Scripture: ‘He who shared my bread has turned[a] against me.’[b]
19 “I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am. 20 Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.”
21 After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.”
22 His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. 23 One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. 24 Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, “Ask him which one he means.”
25 Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?”
26 Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.
So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” 28 But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. 29 Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the festival, or to give something to the poor. 30 As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.
Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial
31 When he was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him,[c] God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.
33 “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
36 Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?”
Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.”
37 Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”
38 Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!
Footnotes:
a. John 13:18 Greek has lifted up his heel
b. John 13:18 Psalm 41:9
c. John 13:32 Many early manuscripts do not have If God is glorified in him.


THE LAMB OF GOD [PART 1]
with Darrell Johnson

John the Baptist said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world." This says a lot about who Jesus really is, but do we fully understand what it means for us today?

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (JANUARY 5, 2013)

Riding on a Donkey

Mark 11:1-10


"The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, 'Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!'"
(MATTHEW 21:9)

We call it the Triumphal Entry. Some day in the future, Jesus will come again, riding on a warhorse of judgment. But on this particular Sunday, on His way to the cross in that final week, He chose to ride on the animal of the symbol of Israelite kings: a colt of peace.

Though the expectation was for a conquering Messiah, this time He came on a mission to save. By which gate did He enter the royal city as the palm fronds and cloaks were spread and shouts of Hosanna went up? Did He enter by way of the Royal or Golden Gate - walled up by an Arab leader in the year 810 AD? Or did Jesus make a slight detour, coming down from the Mount of Olives, down through the Kidron Valley and up to the city walls? Indeed, He entered by way of the Sheep Gate in the northeast corner. This was the way of the Passover lambs, on their way for sacrifice, symbolic of the coming Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world! He was the Passover Lamb given for us! On His mission to save, He conquered death and hell.

INSIGHT
MAY WE LOOK FORWARD TO JESUS' RETURN, COMING ON A WARHORSE OF JUDGMENT, BUT TO AN ETERNITY OF PEACE.

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Deuteronomy 7-8
Psalm 83
Acts 5-6

Mark 11:1-10
New International Version (NIV)
Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King
11 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’”
4 They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it,5 some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 6 They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. 7 When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. 8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted,
“Hosanna![a]”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”[b]
10
“Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!”
“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
Footnotes:
a. Mark 11:9 A Hebrew expression meaning “Save!” which became an exclamation of praise; also in verse 10
b. Mark 11:9 Psalm 118:25,26


LEARNING TO LINGER
with Scotty Smith

It is easy to treat prayer as a way to get what we want. But there is a deeper meaning to prayer that is motivated by the Gospel. When we understand this, prayer turns into fellowship with the Father.

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (JANUARY 4, 2013)

The Shepherd and the Sheep

John 10:1-18

"May the God of peace... that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ..." 

(HEBREWS 13:20-21) 

"The Lord is my shepherd" begins the most famous psalm in all Scripture. Shepherding was a common occupation in the Ancient Near East. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses all spent time tending sheep. The future King David was a shepherd but also a shadow of the coming Messiah, pointing to the Lord being our shepherd, too. 

As Scripture moves along into the New Testament books, Jesus identifies Himself as the divine "I am" who is also the "Good Shepherd" who lays down His life for the sheep (see John 10). Peter, in his first letter, reveals that Jesus is the "chief shepherd." Driving south from Jerusalem towards the Dead Sea, I couldn't help but notice how, just like in ancient times, Bedouins today still make their living as shepherds. Flocks are mingled where green grass grows, following the life-giving winter rains. When it comes time to return to the sheepfold, the sheep know their master's voice, and they answer his call. Likewise, the Shepherd knows His sheep - every one of us - by name. 

INSIGHT

PRAISE GOD FOR THE LAMB AT THE CENTER OF THE THRONE WHO IS ALSO OUR GOOD SHEPHERD. (SEE REVELATION 7:17) 

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR

Deuteronomy 5-6 

Psalm 82 

Acts 3-4

John 10:1-18

New International Version (NIV)

The Good Shepherd and His Sheep

10 “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.

7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.[a] They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

Footnotes:

a. John 10:9 Or kept safe

LEARNING TO LINGER

with Scotty Smith 

It is easy to treat prayer as a way to get what we want. But there is a deeper meaning to prayer that is motivated by the Gospel. When we understand this, prayer turns into fellowship with the Father.

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (JANUARY 3, 2013)

Storms Happen

Mark 4:35-41

"'You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm." 

(MATTHEW 8:26)

Wind, water, and waves keep showing up in the Gospels. The Sea of Galilee, a place where all three are found, is the perfect place for a sudden storm. Westerly winds can change quickly to the east. This body of water and its unique characteristics offer analogies to life. Just as gentle breezes can kick up and clouds turn into a furious squall on the Sea of Galilee, storms rush in on our lives. It is all too easy to join the voices of the disciples, saying, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" 

Most of us have asked the question, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" found in Psalm 22, the "Psalm of the Cross." It may seem like God has withdrawn and left us alone. But the truth is, we are never alone; He never leaves His children. During one of those storms on the Sea of Galilee, Jesus was sleeping until the disciples awakened Him, crying out for help. The Creator of this earth ordered the winds to die down and then reminded His followers, as well as you and me, that they need never be afraid.

INSIGHT

THANK YOU, LORD, FOR FAITH THAT HELPS US OVERCOME FEAR AND REMINDS US THAT YOU, OUR SAVIOR, ARE ALWAYS NEAR.

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR

Deuteronomy 3-4 

Psalm 81 

Acts 2

Mark 4:35-41

New Living Translation (NLT)

Jesus Calms the Storm

35 As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” 36 So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). 37 But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.

38 Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”

39 When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. 40 Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

41 The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”

LEARNING TO LINGER [PART 5]

with Scotty Smith

Prayer is something every human does at one time or another - even when we don't have a clue who we're talking to or what to say. But it's not really prayer when you speak to an unknown god. 

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (JANUARY 2, 2013)

Names Matter

Mark 5:1-18


"...at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth..."
(PHILIPPIANS 2:10)

Driving on the east side of the Galilee in what was the country of the Gaderenes, we find the one outcrop where pigs could have run over the cliff and fallen into the lake. This is the historical site for the miracle.

"What is your name?" Jesus asks the man in Mark 5:9. The demons are forced to answer, "My name is Legion, for we are many." Names have significance in Scripture. The angel Gabriel told Joseph to call Him Jesus (Yeshua), because "he will save his people from their sins." This name above all names is the one the demons fear, the name that drives them into the pigs. As Isaiah predicted and Matthew 12 confirmed, it is the name in whom "the nations will put their hope."

The great "I am who I am" who appeared in a burning bush to Moses has been made flesh and revealed to all humanity so that those who call on His name are saved. In the end, every knee in heaven and on earth and under the earth will bow. For believers, it is the name that brings both our salvation and our greatest joy: Jesus.

INSIGHT
LORD, MAY BOTH THE GLORY AND THE SWEETNESS OF YOUR NAME FILL MY HEART TODAY.

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Deuteronomy 1-2
Psalm 80
Acts 1


Mark 5:1-18
New Living Translation (NLT)
Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Man
5 So they arrived at the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gerasenes.[a] 2 When Jesus climbed out of the boat, a man possessed by an evil[b] spirit came out from a cemetery to meet him. 3 This man lived among the burial caves and could no longer be restrained, even with a chain. 4 Whenever he was put into chains and shackles—as he often was—he snapped the chains from his wrists and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Day and night he wandered among the burial caves and in the hills, howling and cutting himself with sharp stones.
6 When Jesus was still some distance away, the man saw him, ran to meet him, and bowed low before him. 7 With a shriek, he screamed, “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In the name of God, I beg you, don’t torture me!” 8 For Jesus had already said to the spirit, “Come out of the man, you evil spirit.”
9 Then Jesus demanded, “What is your name?”
And he replied, “My name is Legion, because there are many of us inside this man.” 10 Then the evil spirits begged him again and again not to send them to some distant place.
11 There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby. 12 “Send us into those pigs,” the spirits begged. “Let us enter them.”
13 So Jesus gave them permission. The evil spirits came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd of about 2,000 pigs plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water.
14 The herdsmen fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. People rushed out to see what had happened. 15 A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons. He was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid. 16 Then those who had seen what happened told the others about the demon-possessed man and the pigs. 17 And the crowd began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone.
18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go with him.
Footnotes:
a. 5:1 Other manuscripts read Gadarenes; still others read Gergesenes. See Matt 8:28; Luke 8:26.
b. 5:2 Greek unclean; also in 5:8, 13.


LEARNING TO LINGER [PART 4]
with Scotty Smith

When we treat prayer as a task, we miss the amazing gift that God has given us through the gospel. But if we can learn to linger with the Lord, our time with Him goes from being a duty to a delight.

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (JANUARY 1, 2013)

The Coming One

Matthew 24


"'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'"
(MATTHEW 23:39)

From the early days of His ministry to walking the steps to Golgotha, Jesus always pressed on with the main mission - the cross. But one theme kept resurfacing, and that was His impending return. His most lengthy teaching on what to expect is found in Matthew 24. Many will show up claiming, "I am the Messiah." We are warned not to be deceived by false prophets. Nations and kingdoms will rise up against each other, famines will break out and the earth will quake. It will be like the time of Noah with people eating and drinking, not regarding what is to come. Even some who appear faithful will fall away. Wickedness will increase and the love of most will grow cold.

But whoever "stands firm to the end will be saved" (v. 13). These are the birth pains leading up to the great hope of His return. Jesus wants us to live every day in light of that. He's telling us to make our decisions and set our priorities with the joyous expectation that our Master might be coming back soon, perhaps even today.

INSIGHT
JESUS KEEP ME READY, HOLD ME STEADY. MAY I WAIT WITH GREAT EXPECTATION OF MY FUTURE WITH YOU AND YOUR KINGDOM TO COME.

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Numbers 35-36
Psalm 79
John 21

Matthew 24
New Living Translation (NLT)
Jesus Foretells the Future
24 As Jesus was leaving the Temple grounds, his disciples pointed out to him the various Temple buildings. 2 But he responded, “Do you see all these buildings? I tell you the truth, they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!”
3 Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will signal your return and the end of the world?[a]”
4 Jesus told them, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, 5 for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. 7 Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. 8 But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.
9 “Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers.[b] 10 And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. 11 And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. 12 Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations[c] will hear it; and then the end will come.
15 “The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about—the sacrilegious object that causes desecration[d] standing in the Holy Place.” (Reader, pay attention!) 16 “Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. 17 A person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. 18 A person out in the field must not return even to get a coat. 19 How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days. 20 And pray that your flight will not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began. And it will never be so great again. 22 In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive. But it will be shortened for the sake of God’s chosen ones.
23 “Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,’ or ‘There he is,’ don’t believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones. 25 See, I have warned you about this ahead of time.
26 “So if someone tells you, ‘Look, the Messiah is out in the desert,’ don’t bother to go and look. Or, ‘Look, he is hiding here,’ don’t believe it! 27 For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man[e] comes. 28 Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near.[f]
29 “Immediately after the anguish of those days,
the sun will be darkened,
the moon will give no light,
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.[g]
30 And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.[h] 31 And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world[i]—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.
32 “Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. 33 In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door. 34 I tell you the truth, this generation[j] will not pass from the scene until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.
36 “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself.[k] Only the Father knows.
37 “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. 38 In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. 39 People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes.
40 “Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left.
42 “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. 43 Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. 44 You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.
45 “A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. 46 If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. 47 I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. 48 But what if the servant is evil and thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’ 49 and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? 50 The master will return unannounced and unexpected, 51 and he will cut the servant to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Footnotes:
a. 24:3 Or the age?
b. 24:9 Greek on account of my name.
c. 24:14 Or all peoples.
d. 24:15 Greek the abomination of desolation. See Dan 9:27; 11:31; 12:11.
e. 24:27 “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself.
f. 24:28 Greek Wherever the carcass is, the vultures gather.
g. 24:29 See Isa 13:10; 34:4; Joel 2:10.
h. 24:30 See Dan 7:13.
i. 24:31 Greek from the four winds.
j. 24:34 Or this age, or this nation.
k. 24:36 Some manuscripts do not include or the Son himself.


LEARNING TO LINGER [PART 3]
with Scotty Smith

When you are hungry, do you go out of your way to eat? What about when you're thirsty? In the same way we are sustained by food and drink, we are in dire need of a continuous relationship with Jesus.

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (DECEMBER 31, 2012)

The Spirit of a Pharisee

Matthew 23


"'For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.'"
(MATTHEW 23:12)

Like me, are you a recovering Pharisee? I first traveled to Israel in the early 2000s, during the second Intifada, when tourism had dwindled for fear of suicide bombers. On the plane from London to Tel Aviv, my wife, Janet, and I seemed to be the only Gentiles. I'll never forget the ultra-orthodox man who stood up as we flew somewhere over Europe and pulled out the most colorful prayer shawl I had ever seen. Slowly, he wrapped two small leather boxes around his left arm and his forehead. Phylacteries in place and adorned with his embroidered shawl, he looked around to make sure others were watching before he faced Jerusalem and began to pray.

Right there in front of me was a living example of Jesus' words in Matthew 23 where He pronounced seven woes on the teachers of the law and the Pharisees. The rest of my flight, I spent reading that passage and asking the Lord to show me my own spiritual blindness, my own hypocrisy, my own people pleasing, and to lead me to repent every day of my sins.


INSIGHT
LORD, TEACH US ON-GOING REPENTANCE. MAY OUR PRIDE AND SELF-IMPORTANCE BE LOWERED AS YOU COME TO US AND GIVE US GRACE.

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Numbers 33-34
Psalm 78
John 20

Matthew 23
New Living Translation (NLT)
Jesus Criticizes the Religious Leaders
23 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses.[a] 3 So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach. 4 They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.
5 “Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear robes with extra long tassels.[b] 6 And they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the seats of honor in the synagogues. 7 They love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi.’[c]
8 “Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters.[d] 9 And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only God in heaven is your spiritual Father. 10 And don’t let anyone call you ‘Teacher,’ for you have only one teacher, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you must be a servant. 12 But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
13 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either.[e]
15 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn that person into twice the child of hell[f] you yourselves are!
16 “Blind guides! What sorrow awaits you! For you say that it means nothing to swear ‘by God’s Temple,’ but that it is binding to swear ‘by the gold in the Temple.’ 17 Blind fools! Which is more important—the gold or the Temple that makes the gold sacred? 18 And you say that to swear ‘by the altar’ is not binding, but to swear ‘by the gifts on the altar’ is binding. 19 How blind! For which is more important—the gift on the altar or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 When you swear ‘by the altar,’ you are swearing by it and by everything on it. 21 And when you swear ‘by the Temple,’ you are swearing by it and by God, who lives in it. 22 And when you swear ‘by heaven,’ you are swearing by the throne of God and by God, who sits on the throne.
23 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens,[g] but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. 24 Blind guides! You strain your water so you won’t accidentally swallow a gnat, but you swallow a camel![h]
25 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence! 26 You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish,[i] and then the outside will become clean, too.
27 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. 28 Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you build tombs for the prophets your ancestors killed, and you decorate the monuments of the godly people your ancestors destroyed. 30 Then you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would never have joined them in killing the prophets.’
31 “But in saying that, you testify against yourselves that you are indeed the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Go ahead and finish what your ancestors started. 33 Snakes! Sons of vipers! How will you escape the judgment of hell?
34 “Therefore, I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers of religious law. But you will kill some by crucifixion, and you will flog others with whips in your synagogues, chasing them from city to city. 35 As a result, you will be held responsible for the murder of all godly people of all time—from the murder of righteous Abel to the murder of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you killed in the Temple between the sanctuary and the altar. 36 I tell you the truth, this judgment will fall on this very generation.
Jesus Grieves over Jerusalem
37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. 38 And now, look, your house is abandoned and desolate.[j] 39 For I tell you this, you will never see me again until you say, ‘Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’[k]”
Footnotes:
a. 23:2 Greek and the Pharisees sit in the seat of Moses.
b. 23:5 Greek They enlarge their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
c. 23:7 Rabbi, from Aramaic, means “master” or “teacher.”
d. 23:8 Greek brothers.
e. 23:13 Some manuscripts add verse 14, What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! You shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then pretend to be pious by making long prayers in public. Because of this, you will be severely punished. Compare Mark 12:40 and Luke 20:47.
f. 23:15 Greek of Gehenna; also in 23:33.
g. 23:23 Greek tithe the mint, the dill, and the cumin.
h. 23:24 See Lev 11:4, 23, where gnats and camels are both forbidden as food.
i. 23:26 Some manuscripts do not include and the dish.
j. 23:38 Some manuscripts do not include and desolate.
k. 23:39 Ps 118:26.



LEARNING TO LINGER [PART 2]
with Scotty Smith

When you pray, do you ever feel like you are trying to convince God to do something? When we become motivated by the gospel, our prayer life turns into a binding relationship with the Father.