Today’s Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5

You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor and put everything under his feet. – Hebrews 2:7

What does the Bible say is the basic nature of man? He was created in the image and likeness of God, God breathed into him the breath of life, and man became a living soul. Put it all together and you find a person with a moral nature, intellect, and the ability to make decisions–a will that enables him to say yes and no.

When God created man, He used both visible and invisible material. He used both dust and the breath of life. The New Testament refers to this in 2 Corinthians 4:16: “Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” Earlier in the same chapter, Paul spoke of the glory of God, “a treasure in jars of clay” (4:7). The material part of man–the jars of clay–house the treasure of the life of God. While the body quickly returns to dust, man’s soul and spirit is immortal. The awesome thing about this is that you and I are called upon by the Lord to help bring the immortal souls of others back to God who made them. We are to help direct our friends and neighbors back to the arms of a loving God who, in turn, yearns for their love.

God has done His part. He sent His Son to die on the cross to redeem the lost. Now He turns to us and charges us with the commission to help people find the way home, that their souls might find eternal rest.

Prayer

Lord, help me live with eternity in view by telling as many people as possible how they can live forever in Your presence. Amen.

To Ponder

Who has God impressed on your heart today?

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Today’s Scripture: Romans 6

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. – 2 Corinthians 3:18

The closer we got to the airport in Monrovia,West Africa, the more agitated the man became. He was sitting in the row in front of my wife and me. When we landed in Sierra Leone–the last stop before Monrovia–he went to the flight attendant and asked if she had any rubber bands.

“No,” she said, “we have no use for them.” So during our short stop in Sierra Leone, he went up and down the aisle asking people if they had a rubber band. I had no idea why he wanted one, but I looked in my briefcase, and found two.

When the man returned to his seat, I handed the rubber bands to him. Boy, did that light up his face! He told us that on his trip to Europe he had bought a shirt but had forgotten to check the sleeve length. He feared what his wife would say if he stepped off the plane with shirt sleeves hanging down over his fingers. We watched him take off his suit coat, adjust the sleeves using the rubber band, and put the coat back on with a look of satisfaction on his face.

“Now I am a well-dressed gentleman,” he said in broken English. Amazing! Moments before, the man had been ashamed of himself, standing there as a poorly-dressed klutz. But with a slight “rubber band” adjustment, he was transformed into a well-dressed gentleman.

That’s a picture of what happens when we become Christians. One moment we are lost sinners on our way to hell. The next moment–when we receive Christ and the Holy Spirit comes to live in us–we become a child of God and joint heir with Christ.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for Your amazing transformation in my life, based on my faith in the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ for my sins. Amen.

To Ponder

How has the Holy Spirit living in you transformed your life?

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Today’s Scripture: Acts 10:1-33

To which of the angels did God ever say, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet?” Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation? – Hebrews 1:13-14

Before I trusted in Christ, all I knew about heavenly angels was that they were the ornament on top of a Christmas tree! As I study the Scriptures now, I see angels much differently. They can do supernatural things–like scare off entire armies or appear miraculously in bright light. But did you know there is one thing angels aren’t allowed to do that only you and I can do? Angels may not communicate the message of the gospel of Christ. That has been reserved for us alone. Paul said that we–you and I–have been entrusted with the gospel.

You may recall the story of Cornelius, a centurion described as a devout man–one who feared God, gave alms, and prayed. One day an angel of God came to him and assured him his prayers had been heard. Now, here was a man who was ready to repent and believe the gospel. Yet the angel didn’t tell him how to trust Christ! The only thing the angel was allowed to do was tell the man how to get in touch with the apostle Peter, who could then tell him what he must do to be saved.

Think of it! The heavenly messengers of God–those beings whose only desire is to do God’s will–are not able to call men and women to follow Christ and turn to Him in repentance and faith. That task has been given to you and me.

Friend, I urge you to share Christ where you live, work, and play, by setting a Christlike example and being willing to talk to others about Jesus Christ.

Prayer

Lord, what a privilege to share in Your plan of redemption for the world! Help me to boldly proclaim the way of salvation. Amen.

To Ponder

Are you carrying out the work God has assigned you?

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Today’s Scripture: Nehemiah 1-2

The Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love. – Psalm 147:11

God has a way of unexpectedly breaking into our lives. Sometimes it comes as a new revelation of Himself. Or it may come as something He wants us to do.

Such was the case with Nehemiah. Everything in his life was just fine until the day he asked one of his fellow Jews how things were going in Jerusalem. That’s when God set him on an entirely new course and led him to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem.

When I became a Christian, I got hooked up with The Navigators to learn the basics of the Christian life. One summer at The Navigators’ conference center in Colorado, I had a job buffing and waxing the floors. One day the conference director asked me to preach the next morning on the subject of the quiet time.

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Today’s Scripture: Job 4-7

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. – 2 Corinthians 4:17

The word correct means “to make something right.” The word discipline conveys the idea of instruction or restraint. When we put those words together, we get a clear picture that God instructs us and disciplines us to help us walk in the right way, within the protective boundaries of His Word.

It’s folly to argue with God, the fountain of all wisdom, and it’s useless to look for a better path than the one He has selected for us. So how should we react when we suffer? We must trust God for the grace to let Him lead us through the dark and difficult times of life.

I have a friend whose young son was diagnosed with leukemia. When he heard the doctor’s report, he went to a park and walked and cried and prayed for hours, seeking to know the mind of God in this devastating situation. He asked God to search his heart and expose any sin or rebellion that might be there. After many days of seeking the Lord, he concluded that he didn’t know why God had allowed this and he might never know. But every day he wanted to trust the Lord and walk with Him and witness of His love.

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Today’s Scripture: Job 1-3

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. – 1 Peter 5:10

Thousands of books have been written about human suffering. Most of them grapple with the problem of why good people suffer. Some try to find some meaning in our experience of pain. In their study of suffering, many authors find their way back to the book of Job.

The Bible describes Job as perfect and upright, a man who feared God and shunned evil. He was also well known and wealthy, a man who gave generously to the needs of the less fortunate. Yet neither his godly life nor his great wealth shielded him from the calamities of life.

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Today’s Scripture: Micah 3-5

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?” – Luke 24:32

The prophet Micah had a love for God, a burden for the souls of men, and a flaming zeal against sin. And he had the boldness to speak out. Now, where did Micah get that boldness? And where can you and I find the boldness we need to witness to the people with whom we rub shoulders every day? Micah 3:8 gives us the answer: “But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression, to Israel his sin.”

Christian, there it is. Micah was full of power by the Spirit of the Lord. And if you and I would experience that same power, we must acknowledge our need and pray for boldness to meet the witnessing opportunities we have each day.

In Acts 4:29-31, we find a situation in which the religious leaders and the people opposed the followers of Christ. So the Christians prayed, and “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.”

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Today’s Scripture: Jeremiah 21-25

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form. – Colossians 2:8-9

When I was growing up on the farm, we ran grain through a threshing machine. I can remember watching the wind carry the chaff away, and no one cared. Why? Because chaff is worthless.

God says that human opinion is like chaff, while His Word is like grain. The Lord said this because there were false prophets who claimed to have a message from God. In reality, what they spoke was nothing more than their own foolish dreams.

Sounds like today, doesn’t it? People speaking visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. In Jeremiah 23:28, we find these words from God: “‘Let the prophet who Continue reading The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – The Imperishable Word →

Today’s Scripture: Isaiah 21-23

“When I say to a wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood.” – Ezekiel 3:18

In Isaiah’s time, watchmen were posted on the city walls or on the hilltops near the city. Their purpose was to stay awake, stay alert, and warn the people of danger. In Isaiah 21:11, we read of a man approaching a watchman and inquiring about the current state of things, “Watchman,” he asks, “what of the night?” And the watchman gives him an answer.

As Christians, this may happen to us. In 1 Peter 3:15, the apostle Peter said, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you” (KJV). If you are walking in fellowship with Christ each day, you’ll find people coming to you wanting to know why you can cope with things that are dragging them down.

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Today’s Scripture: Isaiah 9-12

The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. – John 1:41-42

In Isaiah 9, we find a prophecy portrait of the coming Messiah, painted more than seven hundred years before Jesus was born. Let’s compare Isaiah’s prophecies and their fulfillment.

Isaiah 9:2 says, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.” When Jesus came, He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

Isaiah referred to the coming Messiah as the mighty God (Isaiah 1:24). When Jesus came, He lived a life of power in the things He said, the miracles He performed, and most of all, in His resurrection from the dead. The New Testament says that the Spirit that raised up Christ from the dead shall also give life to your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwells in you (Romans 8:11, KJV).

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Today’s Scripture: Exodus 28-31

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. – 2 Corinthians 9:8

Today’s passage shows Moses demonstrating humility in what could have been a very sticky situation. His brother, Aaron, is appointed high priest, and his descendants after him will fill that role. At the same time, the descendants of Moses are assigned the menial work of the Levite. They carried the Tabernacle about from place to place. They became janitors. They put up the tent. They assisted the priests in their various responsibilities, yet Moses didn’t balk at this arrangement. It is clear evidence of his humble spirit and sincere commitment to the glory of God.

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Today’s Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1-5

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up. – Ephesians 4:11-12

I know some people who feel that Christian ministry is the job of the pastor and the paid church staff. The rest of us are like spectators in the bleachers. We cheer on the team, but we don’t play the game.

How do you think the apostle Paul viewed the Christian ministry? Here are his words from 2 Corinthians 4:1: “Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.” Then in verse 7, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”

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Today’s Scripture: Jeremiah 11-15

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” – Acts 1:8

Thousands of prayer breakfast gatherings are held in towns and cities across the United States. Perhaps you’ve even attended one. But do you know where the whole thing began? Back in the late 1940s, a man named Abraham Veradi organized a prayer breakfast for the leaders of Seattle. As he saw the positive, continuing results from that outreach, he became concerned about the spiritual welfare of our national leaders in Washington, D.C. In the early 1950s, Veradi moved to D.C. and began to reach out to various members of Congress and others in government. It didn’t look like much at first, but out of it grew what we know today as the National Prayer Breakfast. And from that small beginning, the concept has spread across America and literally around the world. It all began with the vision of one man who saw a need and took it to heart.

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Today’s Scripture: Jeremiah 7-10

“I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.” – Hebrews 6:14

A lot of people look around today and feel like Jeremiah did nearly three thousand years ago. As he watched the moral and spiritual decline of his country, Jeremiah wondered if anything could be done to heal the sin of his people and prevent the judgment of God. Had the darkness become so great that it could not be overcome? Could the condition of the people be set right? The answer to the latter question was yes, and that’s the answer for us today. Something can be done about the darkness if we’re willing to let the work begin in and through us.

Every year a few weeks before Christmas, we have a candlelighting service in our church. The entire sanctuary is dark except for one candle at the front. As a few people light their candles from that one, and then pass the flame to the candles around them, the entire sanctuary is lighted. To me, it’s a beautiful picture of God’s plan for conquering the spiritual darkness of the world.

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Today’s Scripture: Jeremiah 4-6

But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. – 2 Corinthians 11:3

If you want to be an effective communicator of the gospel, take a close look at the prophet Jeremiah. Three factors about his life made him a dynamic spokesman for the Lord.

First, Jeremiah heard the voice of God with his soul. In Jeremiah 4:19, he says, “Oh, my anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain. Oh, the agony of my heart! My heart pounds within me, I cannot keep silent. For I have heard the sound of the trumpet; I have heard the battle cry.”

Christian, when we read the Bible, we need to ask God to speak to our hearts and our souls. It is not our ears that need changing, but our hearts.

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Today’s Scripture: Isaiah 58-66

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” – John 15:5

I heard a speaker at a national convention say that the church is losing ground today because we’re adding people to the kingdom of God while the population of the world is multiplying.

For example, if you were to lead one person to Christ every day for the next thirty-two years, by the end of that period there would be 11,680 people in the kingdom of God as a result of your witness. But, let’s say you led one person to Christ and then spent an entire year helping that person grow to maturity. You showed the person how to walk with Christ each day and to lead others to Him. By the end of year one, there would be two of you.

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Today’s Scripture: Isaiah 49-51

May the Lord, the God of your fathers, increase you a thousand times and bless you as he has promised! – -Deuteronomy 1:11

Did you know that the Great Commission appears in the Old Testament? Notice the words of Isaiah 49:6: “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.”

This passage speaks of Jesus Christ. His objective is to bring God’s salvation to the ends of the earth. And Christ made that possible by His death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. It was the risen, triumphant Christ who commanded His disciples to “Go and make disciples of all nations.”

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Today’s Scripture: Isaiah 5-8

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. – Romans 5:1-2

“Here am I, send me.” The prophet Isaiah first spoke those words in the year King Uzziah died. King Uzziah was a man greatly used of God, until pride captured his heart and the Lord set him aside. It was after his death that Isaiah saw the Lord, high and lifted up, surrounded by angels who were saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory” (Isaiah 6:3, KJV).

When Isaiah found himself in the presence of the holy God, his heart melted within him, and he cried, “Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty” (6:4). Isaiah was overwhelmed by God’s sovereignty, power, and holiness.

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