Every Day with Jesus (17 page)

The Cross is what Jesus died on. Your cross consists of the circumstances and difficulties of life that give you the opportunity to die to yourself each day. These are not things like sickness and poverty, for which Jesus’ atonement provided redemption, but rather things like persecution and the constant battle between your flesh and your born-again spirit. The cross you bear today is to take God’s Word (which is His will) and exalt it above your own will in each situation you face.

June

June 1: A Willing Sacrifice

Genesis 22:1-18

And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.

Genesis 22:9

In Luke 18:8 Jesus said, “When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” He is looking for faith in believers, and our faith ought to be even greater than that of Old Testament believers who weren’t born again. This amazing account of Abraham offering his son Isaac to God as a sacrifice has inspired faith in many people through the ages. Yet Abraham wasn’t the only one to express amazing faith and faithfulness. Isaac’s actions were pretty awesome too.

Most scholars believe Isaac was about seventeen years old at this time, which means Abraham was 117. Isaac probably could have overpowered Abraham. Certainly he could have outrun dear old dad, but he allowed his father to bind him and place him on the altar, knowing full well that he was his father’s sacrifice. There is no indication that Isaac screamed for help or resisted in any way. Isaac had complete trust in God, his father, or both.

This is a perfect picture of how God sacrificed His Son Jesus for us. It was an astonishing act of love for us on God’s part, but it was equally wonderful what Jesus did. Jesus could have called for legions of angels to deliver Him, but He didn’t. (Matt. 26:53.) He yielded Himself to His Father just as Isaac did, even unto death.

Such love and sacrifice had great purpose—to redeem and reveal God’s great love for you and Jesus’ loving sacrifice for you. Now that is something you can have faith in! Today you can look to Jesus, who willingly and lovingly gave Himself for you, and willingly and lovingly give yourself for Him in everything you do. Then, when He looks down on the earth, He will find your faith.

June 2: What Are You Thinking?

Genesis 22:1-18

I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.

Genesis 22:5

It is hard for most of us to relate to the story of Abraham offering his son, Isaac, to God as a sacrifice. Much of the reason is because we incorrectly imagine how hard this must have been on Abraham.

One movie about this incident depicts Abraham hitting his fist against a stone wall and crying out, “No, God! Anything but Isaac!” It portrays Abraham wrestling with God all night and finally grudgingly complying with His demand. But that’s not what the Bible states. There is no hint of any resistance on Abraham’s part. In fact, verse three shows Abraham rising early the next morning and heading to the place of sacrifice. He told his servants, “We will worship and then we will come back to you” (Gen. 22:5 niv).

In Hebrews 11:19, the Word of God reveals Abraham believed God would raise Isaac from the dead. He never saw Isaac dead and gone because God had promised him that He was going to give him a multitude of children through Isaac, and Isaac hadn’t had any children yet. Therefore, Isaac had to live. Abraham wasn’t thinking on death; he was thinking about resurrection.

What are you thinking about? Are you looking at the sacrifice or the reward? What you think upon will determine your reaction to God’s requests. If you think on the sacrifice, your faith in God will fade; and even if you do obey, you will not expect victory. But if you think on the promise of God, like Abraham you will have faith to sacrifice anything. The choice is yours, and your choice will determine whether you resist or rejoice.

June 3: Jesus, the Chief Cornerstone

Matthew 16:13-19

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Matthew 16:18

Some people have mistakenly interpreted this passage to say that Peter was the foundation on which Christ would build His Church; however, that would violate many scriptures that refer to Jesus as the “chief cornerstone.” Ephesians 2:20 does mention the apostles as being part of the foundation stones of Christ’s church, but it doesn’t single Peter out above any of the other apostles. This same Scripture also mentions Jesus as the “chief cornerstone.”

There are two different Greek words used for Peter and rock respectively in verse eighteen. The word translated Peter signifies a piece of rock like a pebble. In contrast, the word translated rock signifies a massive boulder, which certainly refers to Jesus, the “chief cornerstone.” Some have suggested that the foundation rock referred to was a confession Peter made, saying that Jesus was “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16). Although it is true that to enter God’s kingdom we must confess that Jesus is Lord (Rom. 10:9,10), in light of the Old Testament prophecies and New Testament references to Jesus being the “chief cornerstone,” this passage of Scripture must be referring directly to Jesus as the rock upon which He will build His church.

One of the greatest differences between New Testament believers and Old Testament believers is that New Testament saints are the temple of God. God Himself actually dwells in you and me. God does not dwell in a building made by man’s hands. He now lives in the hearts of those who have made Jesus their Lord. (Rom. 10:9.)

The cornerstone of your life in God must be an ever-increasing revelation of His Son. When you have a real understanding of the reality of Christ in you (Col. 1:27), it drastically changes your attitudes, emotions, and actions.

June 4: Recognize the Real Enemy

Mark 8:30-33

But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.

Mark 8:33

Jesus was not implying that Peter and Satan were the same person. He was declaring that Satan had inspired Peter’s statement. This type of metaphor was used elsewhere in Scripture, such as when God spoke to the serpent in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:15) as though addressing Satan. The serpent was merely the vehicle of communication Satan used to tempt Adam and Eve, while Peter was the vehicle Satan used to tempt Jesus.

Jesus recognized that Peter’s reaction to His prophecy about His death was motivated by His enemy, Satan, so He went right to the source. We must do the same. Ephesians 6:12 reveals that our warfare isn’t with people but against the evil spiritual powers who inspire and use them. Every Christian is at war. There is a perpetual struggle against Satan and his kingdom from which there are no “leaves” or “discharges.” Our enemy goes about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Pet. 5:8), but those who resist the devil will see him flee. (James 4:7.)

Some of us believe that anger will put others in their place. But “the wrath of man does not work the righteousness of God” (James 1:20). Anger against people makes us play right into the hand of the devil. The way to overcome the spiritual powers that come against us through people is to forgive and turn the other cheek. (Matt. 5:39.) This makes the demons flee in terror! Some believe the higher echelons of the devil’s kingdom take more power to rebuke or remove. That’s not true. There is no demonic power, including the devil himself, that will not flee when the name of Jesus is spoken in faith.

You cannot win a spiritual battle with carnal weapons. You must realize who your real enemy is and fight with the spiritual weapons the Lord has given you. Today when you encounter someone who is being used by the enemy, pray for them and rebuke the enemy in Jesus’ name. What a wonderful name.

June 5: The Hope of His Calling

Ephesians 1:15-23

The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.

Ephesians 1:18

Paul prayed that we would know the “hope of His calling.” We are carrying out the call of Jesus, not our own. Great peace, hope, and faith are the results of knowing that we are fulfilling His call and not just doing our own thing. I found that out in 1969 when an Army recruiter came to my home to show me all the advantages of volunteering for the Army, rather than being drafted.

I told the recruiter I could save him a lot of time if he would listen to me. I explained that the reason I was 1-A was because I had quit school. He agreed. Then I shared how the Lord specifically directed me to leave the university, and that I was in His hands. If God wanted me drafted, I would be; and if He didn’t, I wouldn’t be.

The recruiter started laughing and said, “Boy, I can guarantee that you’ll be drafted!” That really made me mad. I told him that if it was God’s will for me to stay at home, then neither he, the United States government, nor all the demons in hell could draft me. He thought I was crazy. Sure enough, I received a draft notice in the next day’s mail.

When I went to Vietnam, however, I knew in my heart that I was there because of my obedience to the Lord. It was His calling, not mine. This gave me a confidence and a hope others didn’t have. I knew the Lord was responsible for my safety and my life.

Today, live your life in the hope of His calling, and you will have perfect peace that wherever His calling takes you, you will be safely and securely in His all-powerful, loving hands.

June 6: Wrapped in God’s Love

Matthew 24:1-13

And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

Matthew 24:12

I went through some trying times in Vietnam. Aside from the pressures every soldier experiences in war, I was fighting a war of another kind. I had lived a very sheltered life and suddenly was thrust into the midst of a world full of temptation and sin I never knew existed. Iniquity truly abounded.

Although my situation was an all-time low, my love for Jesus was at an all-time high. The abundance of iniquity doesn’t have to make our love for the Lord cool off. I was being driven closer to Him because of choices I made. In every situation, I chose to follow Him instead of my flesh.

One night, while on bunker guard, I was shivering because of the cold. I was wet and chilled to the bone. As soon as my watch was over, I went inside the bunker, wrapped up in a blanket, and began to feel the warmth come back into my body. It was a wonderful feeling that I still remember.

I also remember praying a prayer. I compared the chill to the sin that was all around me. Without protection, anyone would get cold, but if the Lord would wrap me in His love like I was wrapped in that blanket, I knew I could make it.

Iniquity is sending a chill through our society today as never before. Unprotected, your love for the Lord will grow cold, but that doesn’t have to happen. You can dress for the weather. A little extra time in the arms of the Lord will warm your heart so that instead of your love growing cold, His love in you will melt the hardened hearts of those around you.

June 7: No One Has an Excuse

Romans 1:18-20

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.

Romans 1:20

When I was in Vietnam, I often drove past an ancient temple that always caught my attention. The jungle was beginning to overtake it as trees grew out of the bricks in the top and sides of the structure. The thing that intrigued me was that this temple was three separate buildings, yet one. Each building was about three-stories high and separated by only a few inches.

I asked around and found out that that temple was for a deity that was one god manifested in three personalities. Amazing! And this temple predated the introduction of Christianity to Vietnam by nearly five hundred years. This temple was a vivid illustration of the above Scripture.

The Lord put an intuitive knowledge of Himself inside every person who has ever walked on the earth. Even His Godhead is known by His creation. That’s what this temple reflected. In the following verses of Romans 1, Paul speaks of how mankind perverted this knowledge and went into idolatry and other perversions. I’m not saying that these people were worshipping the one true God that we know, but it does verify that they had a kernel of truth that could only have come from Him.

The Bible says that those who have never heard a clear presentation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ aren’t off the hook. Although they won’t be held accountable for what they don’t know, they have a built-in homing device for God and will have to give an account of what they did with that knowledge. As you minister to others today, remember that God has already shown them the truth in their hearts.

June 8: Faith Is a Heart Issue

Romans 10:8-17

For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness.

Romans 10:10

I encountered a few people in Vietnam who claimed to be atheists. They argued with me that they had no doubt in their hearts about their beliefs. They felt no conviction from God. They were sure there was no God. Yet when the bullets started flying, these same men cried out to God at the top of their lungs. Truly, there are no atheists in foxholes.

It’s only a mind game that some people get into that embraces the concept of atheism or agnosticism. No one truly believes in their heart that there is no God. The Scripture proves this in Romans 1:18-20. Therefore, when witnessing to a professed atheist, there’s no need to discuss the existence of God. They know better. Just speak the Word as the Holy Spirit leads, and He will bear witness to the truth and put them under conviction.

You may think, But they don’t believe in God or the Bible. That doesn’t matter. You don’t have to believe in a sword to get killed by one. The Word is a sword (Eph. 6:17), and it will work regardless of what they say they believe if your will speak it in faith. Have faith in the Lord to deal with their hearts.