A Re-post From Bill Crowder of Our Daily Bread

Bookmobile

November 28, 2012 — by Bill Crowder

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Our Daily Bread Radio is hosted by Les Lamborn

Read: Philippians 3:7-14

That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death. —Philippians 3:10

Bible in a Year:
2 Corinthians 4-6

Before the electronic gadgets and distractions of today, the long summer days of my boyhood were brightened each week when the bookmobile arrived. It was a bus lined with book-filled shelves that were transported from the regional library to neighborhoods so that those without transportation could access them. Because of the bookmobile, I spent many a happy summer day reading books that would otherwise have been inaccessible. To this day, I am thankful for the love of books that the bookmobile fostered in me.
Some Bible scholars say that the apostle Paul had a love of books and studied them till the end of his life. He wrote in his final letter, “Bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas when you come—and the books, especially the parchments” (2 Tim. 4:13). The books he was asking for could very well have been the Old Testament and/or some of his own writings.
I’m sure that Paul’s pursuit of knowledge was more than intellectual curiosity or entertainment. It was the pursuit of Christ that drove Paul. His goal: “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death” (Phil 3:10). I pray that this same pursuit will drive us today.

Heavenly Father, give me a passionate desire
to know You and Your Son. Please stir my heart
for this, the greatest of all pursuits, so that
I might grow ever closer to You. Amen.

To know Christ is the greatest of all knowledge.

A Re-post From David C. McCasland of Our Daily Bread

More And More

November 27, 2012 — by David C. McCasland

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Read: 1 Thessalonians 3:12–4:10

May the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you. —1 Thessalonians 3:12

Bible in a Year:
2 Corinthians 1-3

A rallying cry often heard today in our economically challenged world is “Less and less.” Governments are called to balance their budgets. People are urged to use less energy and decrease consumption of limited resources. It is good advice that we should all heed. In the realm of faith, however, there are no shortages of love and grace and strength. Therefore, as followers of Christ, we are urged to demonstrate His love in our lives in ever-increasing measure.
In the apostle Paul’s first letter to the believers in Thessalonica, he urged them to “abound more and more” in a lifestyle that pleases God (4:1). He also commended them for their demonstration of love for each other, and called them to “increase more and more” in brotherly love (v.10).
That kind of ever-increasing love is possible only because it comes from God’s limitless resources, not from our own dwindling supply. Poet Annie Johnson Flint wrote:
His love has no limit, His grace has no measure,
His power has no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus,
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.
The apostle Paul expressed his desire for the believers: “May the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you” (1 Thess. 3:12).
How much should we love God and others? More and more!

Our limited ability to love does not change God’s limitless power to love through us.

A Re-post From Randy Kilgore of Our Daily Bread

Surprised By God

November 24, 2012 — by Randy Kilgore

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Read: Ephesians 3:14-21

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us. —Ephesians 3:20

Bible in a Year:
1 Corinthians 5-8

After 10 years of renting in a charming location, we discovered that our landlord suddenly needed to sell the house. I asked God to change the circumstances and make it possible for my wife and me to stay in this place we’d made home, where we’d watched our children grow up. But God said no.
When it comes to my needs, I worry that I’m asking for the wrong thing or that I’m not worthy of the request I’m making. But God’s no doesn’t need to shake our faith when we’re grounded—surrounded I like to say—in His love. In Ephesians 3, Paul understood that those who know the love of Christ intimately (vv.16-17) can trust God to have a loving reason for saying no.
Shortly after hearing “no” from God about my request, friends from church offered to rent us a home they were vacating. Our new location—with new appliances, new plumbing, new electrical wiring, and an extra bedroom—sits on the ocean, an idyllic scene of ships, sails, and sounds that daily remind us that God is bigger than any issue we face. Our loving Father used loving friends to give more than we asked.
Whether God gives us more than we imagined or far less than we desired, we can trust that His plans are much better than ours.

Lord, we know that You are good whether Your answers
to our prayers are abundantly more than we asked or
much less than we desire. Help us to accept whatever
comes to us from Your hand. Thank You.

When God says no to our request,
we can be sure it’s for the best.

A Re-post From Joe Stowell of Our Daily Bread

The Joy Of A Generous God

November 22, 2012 — by Joe Stowell

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Read: Psalm 36:5-12

They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, and You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures. —Psalm 36:8

Bible in a Year:
Romans 12-16

Recently I walked into a hotel lobby that featured the largest arrangement of fresh flowers I have ever seen. It was bursting with color, perfectly arranged, and its fragrance was amazing. It stopped me in my tracks, and I lingered for a moment to admire its beauty. It made me think that there is something about abundance that captures our hearts. Think of the inviting beauty of a bowl overflowing with colorful fruit, or a countertop covered with three or four pies ready for enjoyment after a bountiful Thanksgiving meal.
The joy of abundance reminds me of the generosity of God. He makes our cup overflow (Ps. 23:5); He “is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Eph. 3:20); His grace is sufficient for any difficulty that life brings our way (2 Cor. 12:9); and it is He who kills the fatted calf and calls for the best robe when the prodigal returns (see Luke 15:20-24). No wonder the psalmist rejoices: “How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house” (Ps. 36:7-8). Our God is abundantly good. Let’s overflow with praise for His many blessings.

Lord, thank You for the reminder that far from
being stingy You bless us with good things in
abundance. Thank You for Your presence and
the comfort of the promises in Your Word.

Keep praising God from whom all blessings flow.

A Re-post From Dennis Fisher of Our Daily Bread

The Deaf Hear

November 21, 2012 — by Dennis Fisher

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Read: Romans 10:1-14

How shall they hear without a preacher? —Romans 10:14

Bible in a Year:
Romans 9-11

When Thomas Gallaudet graduated from seminary in 1814, he had planned on becoming a preacher. However, his call to the ministry took a different turn when he met Alice, a 9-year-old, hearing-impaired girl in his neighborhood. Gallaudet began to communicate with her by writing words with a stick in the dirt.
Helping Alice motivated him to help others too. After consulting with European and American experts in educating the deaf, he refined a system widely known today as “signing” (a person’s hands spell out the message). Eventually, he established the American School for the Deaf.
Gallaudet’s school for the hearing-impaired contained a Christian curriculum that shared the gospel and included Bible instruction. He had answered the call to preach—but it was to a very special group of people. Signing was the way he communicated the gospel.
Like Gallaudet, we too should be sharing the Word of God with people in ways they can understand. Otherwise, “How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Rom. 10:14). How might God want you to reach out to those around you?

Seeking the lost, and pointing to Jesus,
Souls that are weak and hearts that are sore;
Leading them forth in ways of salvation,
Showing the path to life evermore. —Ogden

Don’t withhold from the world
the best news that’s ever come to it.

A Re-post From Bill Crowder of Our Daily Bread

Falling Short

November 19, 2012 — by Bill Crowder

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Read: Romans 3:19-28

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. —Romans 3:23

Bible in a Year:
Romans 1-4

One of the fads of 1970s America was the motorcycle jump. This trend reached its high (and low) point on September 8, 1974. Thousands of spectators gathered around the Snake River Canyon in Idaho to see if Evel Knievel could jump across the chasm in a specially designed “sky cycle.” In the end, however, it was unsuccessful. Knievel made it only part of the way across the gulf before his parachute deployed and he dropped to the canyon floor below. Some spectators asked, “How far across the canyon did he get?” But that wasn’t the point. He didn’t make it all the way across, so he fell short of his goal.
This scene is a good illustration of sin. The Bible talks about sin in Romans 3:23, where Paul declared, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” No one is capable of bridging the gap between God and ourselves by our own efforts, but the Savior came to do just that on our behalf. Christ perfectly fulfilled God’s standards, then gave His life on the cross to pay for our failure and wrongdoing. Where we could only fall short, Christ’s work, offered in love, accomplished all that was needed.
Our response is to trust Him and receive this matchless gift of salvation.

There is no other name on earth
By whom salvation’s given
Save Jesus Christ the Lamb of God,
God’s precious gift from heaven. —Stairs

The cross of Christ bridges the gap
we could never cross on our own.

A Re-post From Joe Stowell of Our Daily Bread

Warning Labels

November 18, 2012 — by Joe Stowell

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Read: Proverbs 6:16-22

Reproofs of instruction are the way of life. —Proverbs 6:23

Bible in a Year:
Acts 27-28

Warning labels are everywhere today—from new appliances to toys. Even medications include pages of small print about all that could possibly go wrong.
God’s Word is filled with warning labels, alerting us to things that are harmful to our spiritual health. When we read, “These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him” (Prov. 6:16), it grabs our attention like a flashing warning signal. The list that follows (vv.17-19) warns against destructive tendencies like pride and dishonesty—sins that damage earthly relationships and grieve our heavenly Father. The text further states that “reproofs of instruction are the way of life” (v.23). In other words, God’s warnings aren’t meant to take the fun out of life, but rather to protect and preserve life.
I’ll always remember as a child standing with my friend Bobby outside after church and watching him suddenly run toward the busy street. I heard his mother yell, “Stop!” It was a warning to protect him, not to hinder his freedom.
Too often we’ve ignored God’s warnings to stop running in the wrong direction and suffered the consequences. Let’s remember that there’s freedom in heeding His warnings. They’re for our good.

Lord, thank You for the warnings in Your Word
that are intended to protect and preserve my life.
Help me to heed Your reproofs and instruction
that I may live a life that is pleasing to You.

God’s Word is full of loving warnings
to protect and preserve us.