2/26-3/2 Devo One

This is the first devotional for the week of February 26 to March 2. This article is a devotional from Dr. Ray C. Stedman. He takes a look at the heart of the Gospel and how it applies to us today.

"I went to church with Ray for 15 years (Peninsula Bible Church in Palo Alto). He was an amazing expositor of Scripture and has a national and international ministry. Click here to read more about him. Some of the influential books he wrote were Authentic Christianity and Body Life. His love for truth and the Bible inspired me to attend two years of bible school after college and learn Greek and Hebrew. Unfortunately for us, cancer got him and he is now with the Lord." ~ Reggie

You can read the article right here or go to his webpage at:

https://www.raystedman.org/daily-devotions/isaiah/the-heart-of-the-gospel

When you're through, add a comment on this blog to get CBU credit and share with your colleagues?

The Heart of the Gospel
A daily devotional by Ray Stedman

Read the Scripture: Isaiah 53:1-6

We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)

This, of course, is the very heart of the gospel, the good news. Jesus took our place. As Peter puts it, He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, (1 Peter 2:24). He took our sins and paid the price for them. He had no sins of his own and Scripture is very careful to record the sinlessness of Jesus himself. He was not suffering for his own transgressions, but for the sins of others. One writer has put it rather well. It was for me that Jesus died, For me and a world of men. Just as sinful and just as slow to give back His love again. And He did not wait until I came to Him. He loved me at my worst. He needn't ever have died for me If I could have loved Him first.

That is the problem, isn't it? Why do not we love him first? Why is it that we can only learn to love our Lord once we have beheld his suffering — his excruciating agony on our behalf? It is because of our transgressions, as this passage declares. They have cut us off from recognizing the divine gift of love that ought to be in every human heart.

Sin is a disease that has afflicted our entire race. We cannot understand the depth of human depravity until we see the awful agony through which our Lord passed, behold the hours of darkness and hear the terrible orphaned cry, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46). All this spells out for us what we really are like. Most think of ourselves as decent people, good people. We have not done, perhaps, some of the terrible things that others have done. But when we see in the cross of Jesus, we realize the depth of evil in our hearts and understand that sin is a disease that has infiltrated our whole lives. Man, who was created in the image of God and once wore the glory of his manhood, has become bruised and marred, sick and broken, his conscience ruined, his understanding faulty, his will enfeebled. Genuine integrity and the resolve to do right has been completely undermined in all of us. We know this to be true. No wonder, then, this verse comes as the best of news: He was wounded for our transgressions. The bruising that he felt was the chastisement that we deserved, but it was laid upon him.

There is no way to read this and fail to see that our Lord is the great divine Substitute for the evil of the human heart. We can lay hold of this personally by the honest admission stated in Verse 6: All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way. How true that is of each of us! Who can claim anything else? I grew up in Montana, and I know something about sheep. Sheep are very foolish and willful creatures. They can find a hole in the fence and get out, but they cannot find it to get back in. Someone must go and get them every time. How true are the words, We have turned every one to his own way.

Frank Sinatra made a song popular a few years ago, I Did It My Way. When you hear that it sounds like something admirable, something everybody ought to emulate. How proud we feel that we did it our way. But when you turn to the record of the Scripture, you find that that is the problem, not the solution. Everyone is doing things their way, so we have a race that is in constant conflict, forever striving with one another, unable to work anything out, because we all did it our way.

The way to lay hold of the redemption of Jesus is to admit that All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned every one to his own way; and then to believe the next line, But the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He bore our punishment and took our place.

Thank you, Lord, for taking my own punishment upon yourself. Forgive me for those times that I still seek to do things my way rather than yours.

Life Application: The problem of sin puts us all in equal need of redemption. Jesus died for us all, so that we could be free to live no longer for ourselves but out of worship and gratitude for His atoning death. Do our lives disparage this amazing grace?

We hope you were blessed by this daily devotion.

From your friends at www.RayStedman.org

2/12-2/16 Devo Two

This is the second devotional for the week of February 12 to February 16. This video is a devotional from Vicki Wagner. She helps us maintain hope in the midst of difficult times. This is not a video, but text only (we try to have variety in devotional presentations). What do you think? Leave a comment in order to get credit.

Hope During Hard Times

Most of us pray and think to turn to God during hard times, such as illness. And most of us have friends and family who have been given the challenge of battling cancer.

I thought I would share my recent experience in both, and a good resource I found online one dark night when I couldn’t sleep.

My brother-in-law, Dave (aged 60), was diagnosed in late October with a malignant tumor in a gland near his ear. It started as a minor irritation, but by the time he had it checked out, it was a definite, painful lump. We were all worried because his father had died from melanoma at age 64. He has been careful to get checked frequently.

After meeting with many doctors and surgeons, it was determined that surgery would be necessary, followed by radiation. The prognosis was good, however he would lose his entire left ear, possibly part of his jaw, and possibly his left eye. This was a shock, and scary to the family. Also, due to the holidays and the 5 doctors who would be involved, the surgery couldn’t be scheduled until January, after the holidays.

Dave and my sister, Jane, have a large church family, so I knew they would have help. Their two boys also flew in to help their mom. The planned surgery was also complicated by the fact that my sister is disabled with rheumatoid arthritis, and depends on Dave daily for many things.

The weeks and the night before the surgery, the texts and emails were flying, offering prayers, help, and support. Only God knew what the team of surgeons would find and would have to do in the 11-hour surgery.

I found it hard to sleep after talking with my sister that night. I searched online for some cancer support/prayers, and found the following site:

Hello Hope   Stories and Resources for Medical Adversity

It had just the words I needed to pray that night. I sent them out to the prayer chain that had been created. These verses might help you too, sometime. Also, check out the Hello Hope website.

Epilogue:  Dave came through surgery well, the “worst case” did not prove to happen, and while he did lose his ear, they did not have to take his jaw bone out or damage his optic nerve. God had his hands in the OR that day. He’s planning a victory 5K walk in two weeks!

Prayers for God’s Presence

I will be the same until your old age, and I will bear you up when you turn gray. I have made you, and I will carry you; I will bear and save you.

Isaiah 46:4

Can a woman forget her nursing child, or lack compassion for the child in her womb? Even if these forget, yet I will not forget you.

Isaiah 49:15

Now this is what the Lord says–the One who created you, Jacob, and the One who formed you, Israel–”Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine. I will be with you when you pass through the waters, and when you pass through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. You will not be scorched when you walk through the fire, and the flame will not burn you…Because you are precious in My sight and honored, and I love you.”

Isaiah 43:1-2,4

He watches over His nest like an eagle and hovers over His young; He spreads His wings, catches him, and lifts him up on His pinions. The Lord alone led him, with no help from a foreign god.
Deuteronomy 32:11-12

The Lord your God who goes before you will fight for you, just as you saw Him do for you in Egypt. And you saw in the wilderness how the Lord your God carried you as a man carries his son all along the way you traveled until you reached this place.

Deuteronomy 1:30-31

He lifted them up and carried them all the days of the past.

Isaiah 63:9

Lord, You are a God who heals. You are a God who loves. You are a God who holds and carries Your children through the hardest moments. I can’t hold [Dave or Jane] right now, but You can. Your heart of love is tender towards those who are Yours. Carry [Dave and Jane] today. Let him/her feel Your presence with them. I ask that You would calm his/her heart and mind and allow [them] to rest in Your faithful love. You promise that whatever comes our way, You are there guiding us and will never let us go. Never once have we walked alone, and [Dave] is not alone now. Watch over [Dave] through this surgery.

Prayers for God’s Healing

For I am the Lord who heals you.

Exodus 15:26

Praise the Lord, Oh my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits–who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion; who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Psalm 103:1-5

Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for You are my praise.

Jeremiah 17:14

And Jesus said to the centurion, “Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.

Matthew 8:13

Lord, You are the Healer. Your power that healed the centurion’s servant in Matthew is working today. You are in the miracle business.  Thank you for gifting the staff at the hospital  with the brilliance and skill to excel at administering medical healing. Thank you for the training that the surgeons and medical staff have received to perform [Dave’s] surgery today. We ask that You would be their wisdom and guide their hands as the ultimate Physician. Let the surgery go smoothly and with no complications. Bring a full recovery to [Dave] and leave no sign of illness. Show Your healing power today.

Prayers for Hope

I rise before dawn and cry out for help; I put my hope in Your word.
Psalm 119:147

You are my shelter and my shield; I put my hope in Your word.
Psalm 119:114

We wait for the Lord; He is our help and shield.
Psalm 33:20

He will not fear bad news; his heart is confident, trusting in the Lord.
Psalm 112:7

Rest in God alone, my soul; for my hope comes from Him.
Psalm 62:5

We who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us. We have this hope as an anchor for our lives, safe and secure.
Hebrews 6:18-19

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.
Hebrews 10:23

God, I confess that Yours is hope that I can stand on. Your hope anchors me when I feel overwhelmed because Your hope is secure. Wash me in the truth of who You are as I wait during [Dave’s] surgery today. Fill [Dave & Jane], the doctors, our family, and our community with Your hope that does not disappoint. When fear, anger, and discouragement show up, help us to acknowledge the emotions and rely on You to provide love, peace, and joy in their place. Fill us with Your peace that surpasses understanding. Fill us with Your light. I love You, O Lord, my strength.

2/12-2/16 Devo One

This is the first devotional for the week of February 12 to February 16. This video is a devotional from Reggie Coates. He takes a look at Ambition and how it relates to us and to our students. The main verse is 2 Corinthians 5:9, "It is our ambition, whether at home or in the body, to be pleasing to the Lord." What do you think?

Click on the picture above or this link:  https://youtu.be/SktcZaZnRFg

2/5-2/9 Devo One

This is the first devotional for the week of February 5 to February 9. This video is a devotional by Jim Burns with HomeWord Ministries. He shares about how our fast pace can make us less effective and how a re-dedication to Christ can improve our home life. What do you think?

Click on the picture above or this link:  Jim Burns message

HomeWord helps families succeed by creating Biblical resources that build strong marriages, confident parents, empowered kids and healthy leaders. Founded by Jim Burns and supported by Doug Fields, HomeWord and Azusa Pacific University have partnered to form The HomeWord Center for Youth and Family.