Archive for November 2009

« Older Entries

Reflecting the Glory |Matthew 1:24 | Devotional

Posted by ronmoore on November 30, 2009

Matthew 1:24
When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.

Today, an engagement can be ended simply by returning the ring. But for Mary and Joseph, the pre-marital pledge was binding and could only be broken by divorce. Having discovered that Mary was pregnant, Joseph “had in mind to divorce her quietly.” That’s when an angel came to convince him otherwise. She had not been unfaithful, the angel explained. Her child was “from the Holy Spirit.” The son would be named Jesus. He would “save his people from their sins.”

Easy to understand the process now, isn’t it? The Virgin Birth is an essential doctrine. Jesus was fully-man, fully-God. In his being man, he lost none of his deity. In being God, he lost none of his humanness. He had to be God to become the sinless sacrifice. He had to be man to die in our place. 2000 years later, I type those truths so matter-of-factly. But Joseph had to take it all by faith.

Certainly God did not choose just any woman to be the mother of his son. Nor did he choose any man to be his earthly father and mentor. Joseph was a “righteous man” and a man of great faith. Without a modicum of tangible evidence, he accepted God’s word spoken through the angel and took Mary home as his wife. Imagine the ridicule. Imagine the sneers. Imagine the judgment. Imagine the faith of Joseph!

Father, may we learn from the obedience of Joseph. No, we don’t have an angel delivering your message, but we have your word. May we obey it with the radical faith of Joseph. In Jesus name. Amen.

0 Comments

 

Reflecting the Glory | Ephesians 1:13-14 | Devotional

Posted by ronmoore on November 27, 2009

Ephesians 1:13-14
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession– to the praise of his glory.

I remember the first house Lori and I bought. We signed, what seemed like a mountain of paperwork, and then wrote a really big check, the down payment. The down payment did not pay off the house. It was simply a promise that every month we would continue to pay what we owed.

In our passage today, Paul explains that the Holy Spirit is God’s down payment to us. “Deposit guaranteeing,” one Greek word, is a legal term meaning “first installment.” The word signifies the first payment which serves as a pledge for the completion of the transaction. The Holy Spirit is the promise that the work God began in us will be carried on to completion (Philippians 1:6).

The gift of the Holy Spirit, given the moment we believe, is God’s commitment to future blessings of eternal life and our great reward in heaven. It is the Spirit who testifies with our spirit that we are indeed children of God (Romans 8:16). It is by the “Spirit of sonship” that we can cry out “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15).

Father, thank you for the Holy Spirit that lives within us. Thank you for the assurance that the work you start you will finish. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

0 Comments

 

Reflecting the Glory | John 3:16 | Devotional

Posted by ronmoore on November 26, 2009

John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Thanksgiving Day! A time to remember, reflect, and give thanks for all that God has done, is doing, and promises to do. Here are a few things (not an exhaustive list) that I am very thankful for.

  • A wife who loves me enough to let me know when I am way off base. Lori keeps my feet planted firmly on the ground. What a privilege to enjoy life and laughter with her.
  • A day with three of our children and a new son-in-law. Lara we miss you!!!!! I love it when the kids are home and we talk and laugh and play Killer Uno (Our table game motto: If you don’t get caught, it ain’t cheat’in—that motto, of course, only applies to our family games.)
  • A church that loves God’s Word. As crazy as it seems, I know of Pastors whose congregations would run them out of town for firmly proclaiming the entire counsel of God’s word. I love it that I would get run out of town if I didn’t.
  • Being in one place for twenty-years. My dad moved around a lot during his school years and dreamed that his children could go to one school from first grade through graduation. Three children only had to make one move. One of my sisters and I got to do the whole run in the Perry School District. Three of our four have done the same thing. And I pray our fourth finishes here as well.
  • Friends that don’t have to go “deep” all the time. I spend a good part of my time studying and writing. So with friends it’s fun to relax and laugh. Thank God for those friends.
  • The United States of America. I have done some traveling this year that has led to a deeper love and appreciation for this country. We are not perfect. But travel the world and you will see that God has his hand of blessing on the USA.
  • John 3:16—this is the crux of my thanksgiving. God loved me so much that he sent his son for me. He loved me so much that he moved in my heart to trust in his son. I do not face condemnation (Romans 8:1) but have in my future the gifts of eternal life. Now that’s something to be thankful for!!!!!!

Ok, time for you to make your own list.

Father, thank you for all your blessings, but most of all the blessing and gift of your Son. I pray in his name. Amen.

0 Comments

 

The Prodigal Son’s Older Brother

Posted by ronmoore on November 25, 2009

To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.
–C. S. Lewis

You know the story. The youngest son demanded his inheritance, went to distant country, squandered his inheritance on wild living, came to his senses, and returned home to be embraced and forgiven. Great story! But remember the older brother’s reaction?

He was working in the fields when his younger brother came home. When he returned, the fattened calf had been killed and the party was in full swing. He was mad and refused to join the celebration. His dad went to talk to him. The older son’s response is telling.

“Look!” He addressed his father in anger and disrespect.

“All these years I have been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders.” Slaving? Orders? Hardly describes a son’s loving relationship with a father, does it?

“Yet you never game me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.” The older brother felt overworked and under-appreciated.

“But when this son of yours….” The older brother refused to forgive. He would not even acknowledge the prodigal as his brother.

I have heard people say, “Oh, I can understand how the older brother felt.” Be careful with that confession.

Does your service to God feel like “slavery?”
Do you obey simply out of duty?
Do you feel you are the only one really doing the work?
Do you feel under- appreciated by God?
Do you have a hard time forgiving others?
Are you jealous of God’s forgiveness?

You don’t have to be living in a distant country to be far from God.

0 Comments

 

Reflecting the Glory | 1 John 5:11-12 | Devotional

Posted by ronmoore on November 25, 2009

1 John 5:11-12
And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

I am sitting in my office. Bookshelves—from floor to ceiling—line one entire wall. Another large floor-to-ceiling case takes up space on another. Four large boxes of books sit on the floor behind me (some remodeling has been done and I have to figure out where these books will go). Many more books are in my office at home, not to mention all the theological information stored digitally on my BibleWorks software. Tons more information is only one Google search away. In short, I am sitting in a virtual ocean of information about God. But, all the content in the volumes that surround me and that is stored on my computer can be summed up in today’s passage.

Dr. Karl Barth was a brilliant, if not sometimes controversial, theologian. Among his writings is a twelve volume work on life and doctrine. A reporter once asked Dr. Barth if he could summarize what he had said in all those volumes. Dr. Barth thought for a moment and then said: “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”

We are sinners and our sin separates us from God. The penalty of our sin is death. But driven by perfect love the just God became the Justifier. Being fully God, Jesus was the only one who could provide a sinless sacrifice. Being fully man, Jesus was the only one who can die on our behalf. Life—now and forever—is found in Jesus alone. There is really only one question and one answer: Do you have the Son?

Father, thank you for keeping the questions of life and eternity simple. Help us not to make them confusing. Confirm in our hearts that we have Jesus. Give us courage to tell others. And help us keep the message clear with our lips and lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

0 Comments

 

Reflecting the Glory | John 5:24 | Devotional

Posted by ronmoore on November 24, 2009

John 5:24
I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.

There are days when I can’t remember what I had for breakfast and then there are things that happened over thirty years ago that I can’t forget. Today’s verse provides one of those moments etched into my memory.

In 1977 a “perfect storm” roared into my life. The college I attended, for the sole purpose of playing baseball, dropped its program. That spring I was caught in a flood that totaled my car. And at the end of the summer my dad lost his battle with cancer. So, in the midst of trying to determine my future, I commuted during the fall semester to Oklahoma State and during those drives memorized Scripture and did a lot of thinking. John 5:24 was in that blue Navigator Memory System packet and gave me great comfort.

Leaving Perry one morning, I turned onto highway 86 and headed for classes in Stillwater. I remember making the turn onto that highway and reviewing this verse. My family and I had been with my dad when he died. To think that what I watched was a crossing over from physical death to eternal life hit me with a powerful dose of comfort and confidence. I can’t read this verse without thinking about my dad. I can read this verse with a renewed confidence that I will one day make that same crossing.

Father, thank you for the great truth of your word. Most of all thank you for sending your son to provide the crossing from this life to an eternity with you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

0 Comments

 

Reflecting the Glory | John 10:28 | Devotional

Posted by ronmoore on November 23, 2009

John 10:28
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.

It is said that you never really appreciate something until you lose it. That’s true. But it’s also true that when you live for years without something and find it; that new treasure is near and dear to your heart. That’s how I feel about the doctrine of Assurance.

I grew up in a great home where Christ was honored. We were part of a small but lively church that enjoyed hymns and contemporary music, teaching, and great fellowship. But there was one doctrine our church did not hold to—Assurance of Salvation. We believed you could lose your relationship with God. You could be a child of God today but because of sin not be a child of God tomorrow. That’s a tough one. It’s hard to get spiritually settled when you believe that you can be living with Christ in the morning but, due to your sinful words or actions, he boots you out of the house by evening.

I will never forget the day when my understanding changed. After considering this subject in a seminary class, a classmate and I continued the discussion as we walked to our cars. It was there in 100 degree heat standing on an asphalt parking lot that God lifted a burden I had carried for years. I was his child and would forever be. He gave me eternal life. I would never perish. No one or nothing could ever snatch me out of his hand. My spiritual journey changed from that day on.

Father, I pray for those struggling with assurance. I ask that you lift their burden as you did mine. Today, and through this week of considering your unconditional love and acceptance, may they come to grips with the powerful truth that nothing can snatch them out of your hand. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

0 Comments

 

Leaders establish the atmosphere and set the pace

Posted by ronmoore on November 20, 2009

All week long, the Pittsburgh sports world has been analyzing the Steelers lack-luster loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. The Steelers were flat because of the previous week’s Monday night game, flying through two time zones, and on and on. All kinds of excuses. Check this out from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (11.10.09)

After a dreadful passing performance against Cincinnati Sunday, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was at a loss to explain what happened. “There was something missing all day; I don’t know what it was,” Roethlisberger said. “I don’t know if it was the weather in November or what it was. Seemed like even the crowd at the beginning, everyone was just kind of different.”

Roethlisberger’s view was mentioned to Santonio Holmes the Steelers wide-receiver. Listen to Holmes’ take on the quarterback’s comments:

I mean, he’s the quarterback. He has control over everything, you know—who touches the ball, he dictates where the ball goes. And, if he felt that way, that’s probably why we didn’t win the ballgame.

Holmes is right. The leader establishes the atmosphere. A whining leader leads a group full of whiners. A dominating leader leads a group scared to make a decision. An indecisive leader leads a group exhausted from treading water. A moody leader leads a moody team. The leader touches the ball, determines the direction, and sets the pace. How he feels and presents his feelings will impact how the group feels and responds. A seminary professor of mine used to counter the old phrase, “Well, I’m doing pretty well under the circumstances” with “What in the world are you doing under the circumstances!” Leaders rise about the circumstances. Speed of the leader; speed of the team.

Certainly, every leader has a bad “game” now and then. But when the Steelers are flat, they only lose a football game. When churches are flat, we lose the spiritual battles that impact eternity. This isn’t a pastime we’re involved in.

0 Comments

 

Reflecting the Glory | Ephesians 4:32 | Devotional

Posted by ronmoore on November 20, 2009

Ephesians 4:32
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Okay, let’s do a quick breakdown:

Kind. Comes from the Greek word chrestos. It means being “good,” “serviceable,” and “benevolent” to others. When someone is in need, serve them. When someone is in want, provide for them. Don’t just talk about it, do it.

Compassionate. Comes from the Greek word eusplagchnos. It means to be tender-hearted. The religious, but hard-hearted, priest walked around the man lying on the road. The tender-hearted Good Samaritan stopped, stooped, and tended to the needs of the wounded man. There are plenty of wounded people around us. Show compassion.

Forgiving. Comes from the Greek word charizomai which comes from charis (grace). We are grace givers. We should always be willing to pardon the wrongs done to us just as in Christ God has pardoned our sin toward him.

Oh, did I mention that these words are in the imperative. That means they are commands. This verse doesn’t fall under the category of “suggestions.” So, go be kind, compassionate, and forgiving today. When you lay your head on the pillow tonight, you’ll be able to smile with God.

Lord, give us a willing heart to do what you command us to do. Give us the strength to get it done. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

0 Comments

 

Reflecting the Glory | Matthew 18:32-34 | Devotional

Posted by ronmoore on November 19, 2009


Matthew 18:32-34
“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

God doesn’t ask us to forgive others because it’s the natural thing to do. He doesn’t ask us to forgive because it’s the easy route to take. He doesn’t call us to offer forgiveness because it is immediately satisfying. He calls us to forgive others because our relationship with him is based on the fact that he has forgiven us.

The servant in today’s passage owed much and received pardon from a gracious master. He then found a person who owed him little and demanded the payment. He received much, but was unwilling to give even a little. The grace recipient was unwilling to be a grace giver.

We like to talk about forgiveness as lifting the burden, freely the soul, being sprung from the prison of bitterness. All of those may be apt descriptions of act of forgiveness. But that’s not where we should start. We should start with the straightforward command of Scripture to forgive others just as God in Christ has forgiven you (Ephesians 4:32). We should forgive others because God tells us to forgive others. We should forgive others because it reflects the glory of God!

Father, may we who have been forgiven much forgive much. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

0 Comments

 

« Older Entries