+DEV+ Jesus Taught In Parables

Date: November 30, 2015 3:45 AM

Topic: +DEV+  Jesus Taught In Parables

Jesus Taught In Parables

"The disciples came to him and asked, Why do you speak to the people in parables? He replied, The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them." Matthew 13:10-11

Scripture Focus: Matthew 13:10-17

How would you communicate spiritual truth to a diverse group of listeners, some hungry for what you have to say and others seeking any chance to trap you with your own words? Jesus did it by telling parables. 

The Greek word for parable means to "lay by the side of" or "cast alongside." Each parable compared or cast a new or difficult spiritual truth alongside settings and customs familiar to Jesus' listeners. By focusing on just one spiritual principle in each story, Jesus enabled His followers to understand the truth and apply it to their lives. 

Not all of Jesus' listeners were eager to hear what He had to say. Their hard hearts caused them to be blind and deaf to the truth. So Jesus sometimes used parables to hide the truth in plain sight. For those unwilling to take His words to heart, He made sure the meanings would be obscure. 

Jesus' parables are more than simple stories. They communicate profound truths if we will open our eyes, ears, hearts, and minds to the lessons they have for us.

Insight: Although Jesus' parables may be familiar, will you read them with a fresh appreciation of the spiritual truths he wants to communicate today?

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

If you would like to become a prayer partner and or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.

A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

  

+DEV+ Jesus, Suffered For Us

Date: November 25, 2015 3:44 AM

Topic: +DEV+  Jesus, Suffered For Us

Jesus, Suffered For Us

"Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe... And they slapped him in the face." John 19:1-3

Scripture Focus: Isaiah 53:3

When Jesus gave up His throne, came to earth, and lived as a man, He did so to show us His understanding of our imprisonment to sin and suffering. His heart grieved for us in our sin. He wept. 

Jesus Christ demonstrated an understanding of our suffering and need for rescue. He Himself suffered an agonizing death in order to rescue us. Not only was He compassionate in our hurts, but He hurt himself so that we would have the promise of a future without worry, regret or pain. The mocking robe He wore on the way to the cross will become the robe of righteousness that He gives to us! 

The fact that Jesus suffered worse than we ever will - even the Father, forsook Him to His death - doesn't always bring us comfort alone. But it should be a reminder to us of the reality of our status as sinners and what it took to save us. It should stir in us the knowledge that we weren't made to suffer, that God has bigger plans for us in the eternal kingdom, when Jesus comes again to finish what He started on the cross.

Insight: Jesus has known suffering as we do, and He suffered for us, that we might know a future day of no suffering.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

If you would like to become a prayer partner and or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.

A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

  

+DEV+ Our Tears Of Repentance

Date: November 23, 2015 10:05 PM

Topic: +DEV+  Our Tears Of Repentance

Our Tears Of Repentance

"Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin." Psalm 51:1-2

Scripture Focus: Romans 7:14-20

Though Jesus cried for sin and death, we are to cry for our sins that would surely lead to death without Him. Our tears are to be tears of repentance. We are incapable of living the way we should before we were Christ's, and we are incapable of living the life we want to after we are Christ's. So Jesus not only took our punishment onto Himself, but He also fulfilled the law in our place, bringing our debt to zero. 

When a little child comes to a parent truly sorry for an offense and even crying tears of contriteness, how the parent's heart is stirred to forgiveness. We are like that little child to our heavenly Father. Our tears of repentance will turn to tears of joy when we know that we belong to Jesus forever. And how we will praise Him when we are able to do good and to stop doing evil! For that is Christ's work in us, not our own. He will sustain us, though we'll struggle against sin all our earthly lives, so that He can declare us faithful servants at the end, thanks only to 

His power.

Insight: God will turn our tears of repentance into tears of joy. Let us be moved again by what it took for us to live right with God.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

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A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

  

+DEV+ We Actually Deserve Suffering

Date: November 23, 2015 3:38 AM

Topic: +DEV+  We Actually Deserve Suffering

We Actually Deserve Suffering

"There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." Romans 3:10-12

Scripture Focus: Psalm 36:1-4

The ugly truth is that we actually do deserve suffering. We deserve to live forever in punishment for our sin. Sins that often are so hard to shake. We don't worship God as we were created to do. For our rebellion against God, He would be just in leaving us to the horror that Satan has devised for us. 

Does that mean that we deserve the tragedies that befall us because of something we have done? Does a country in crisis deserve those crises because of specific sins? These are hard questions, ones whose answers our finite minds can barely grasp. The world is broken because of sin and we suffer the consequences. Good things come from God. Destruction is not His goal for us. He allows suffering so that we may believe in Him and that His glory in healing and reparations might be displayed. 

Jesus has delayed His return not so that more should suffer, but so that more who are born to suffering may be born again to life with Him. In that delay, trust Him in all circumstances and be ready when He comes again.

Insight: We don't deserve anything good, yet God has chosen good for us in our salvation and in the blessings He bestows in this life.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

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A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

  

+DEV+ We Belong To Jesus

Date: November 19, 2015 10:00 PM

Topic: +DEV+  We Belong To Jesus

We Belong To Jesus

"If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord." Romans 14:8

Scripture Focus: Isaiah 45:22-25

Catechisms distill for us what the Bible teaches so that we can understand what we believe and why we believe it. But catechisms aren't just cold truths for us to memorize. They are beautiful stories of what God has revealed about Himself. The first question in my old Catechism asks, "What is your only comfort in life and death?" The answer: "That I, with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong unto my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ ... He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto him." 

This world has two masters. Before we were Christ's, we were the evil one's. But now that we belong to Jesus, we are in His hands forever. It is to Jesus that ultimately every knee will bow. Belonging to Him isn't a comfort reserved only for life-threatening circumstances; it is the same comfort we have when things go well... comfort for us in life and in death. Though we would have certainly been lost, in Jesus we are found.

Insight: For those in Christ, Romans 14:8 are words of serious comfort. Even in the day of judgment, Christ says that we are His loved ones.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

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A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

  

+DEV+ The Benefits Of Suffering

Date: November 18, 2015 10:04 PM

Topic: +DEV+  The Benefits Of Suffering

The Benefits Of Suffering

"...we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit..." Romans 5:3-5

Scripture Focus: 1 Peter 4:12-19

Are there any benefits to suffering in this life? We know we are to look toward eternity and trust in our future glory, but are we just to sit around then and wait for that eternity? No. Although Paul longed to be with God, he knew that it was good that he stayed to encourage those he was with and wrote to. 

Though we have hardships, God will never waste them. He will use them for our good, producing in us further peace and character that will in turn encourage others and maybe even lead others to Christ. He even gives us the Holy Spirit to live in us, to allow us to love others and love Him. Isn't it mind-blowing that God lives inside of us and is always renewing us through our learning and circumstances? 

How utterly disappointing if our sufferings had no meaning! God promises that He sees our sufferings, records them, weeps for them, uses them for our good and His glory, and has overcome them for our salvation. Every moment - heartbreaking ones included - in our lives has every meaning in the world.

Insight: The Holy Spirit in us gives the ability to do the impossible and glory in our sufferings.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

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A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

  

+DEV+ We Will Suffer

Date: November 17, 2015 10:22 PM

Topic: +DEV+  We Will Suffer

We Will Suffer

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33

Scripture Focus: Philippians 1:27-30

There are many promises Jesus makes that sit well with us: promises of hope, of sanctification, of eternal life. And then there is the one promise that we don't like: the promise that we will suffer. Hardship in this life will come because creation has fallen with us. Our suffering may be because we have told God that we don't need Him, so He has left us to our sins. Many times the harsh circumstances we suffer seem to have no explanation at all. In one way or another, suffering will come upon us. 

Paul tells us to count this suffering as proof that Christ has claimed us. Because we follow Christ who knew true pain and loss, we should expect that we also will experience pain and loss. But unlike those who don't trust in Christ, our afflictions are already overcome and will one day be fully redeemed. Jesus tells us to take heart; the war is decisively over, and Christ has won. The battles that still go on are only because Satan is fighting back in his dying rage. 

Take heart, Jesus says. Trust in me.

Insight: We should be prepared for, but not dread, suffering. We count it as proof that we are Christ's own. 

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

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A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

  

+DEV+ God's Glory Matters

Date: November 16, 2015 8:40 PM

Topic: +DEV+  God's Glory Matters

God's Glory Matters

"Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days." John 11:5-6

Scripture Focus: Isaiah 40:5

I'm often so amazed at Jesus' weeping, at His human love for us, that I skip over the preceding verses in John where we read that Jesus purposefully delayed in going to Lazarus. Jesus, knowing that He would raise Lazarus from the dead, allowed Lazarus to die so that God's saving glory might be displayed. 

So think about Jesus' weeping again now. He still had the compassion to stop and weep even though He knew that He would save Lazarus and that all would turn out well for him and his sisters. Jesus wept over death and suffering. 

Ultimately, God exists, God created us out of nothing, and to Him should be all glory and honor and praise. God doesn't need us, but He loved us anyway... loved us enough to share in our experiences and our emotions. 

In Jesus' love for Martha, Mary, Lazarus, and us, God has shown the realities of His saving grace. He put His glory on display for them and for us so that we might believe and have a foretaste of future resurrection and eternity with Him.

Insight: God's glory matters more than anything, yet He chose to weep for our sufferings, heal our sins, and raise us into glory with him.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

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A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

  

+DEV+ The Lord Is Gracious

Date: November 12, 2015 11:25 PM

Topic: +DEV+  The Lord Is Gracious

The Lord Is Gracious

"For men are not cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone." Lamentations 3:31-33

Scripture Focus: Hebrews 12:4-12

Adam first sinned, and as our representative, he caused us to sin with him - much like how the president of a country starts a war, and then all of its citizens are at war. Adam started war against God, and the battle rages daily with us all suffering casualties. That first sin infected creation, causing aging, death, barren land, natural disasters, loneliness, and heartbreak. 

But we did no go along with Adam passively. We sinned with him and we continue to choose sin. If we have any doubt that we participated in declaring war against God, we should try to go a day without complaining or being angry. Try going a day loving others with no regard to self. 

Sometimes God may allow us to suffer because of specific sins we commit. Our sins have consequences. Notice that Lamentations says He is compassionate even for those who are guilty of sin. And that is exactly our hope, our only hope! God does not wish us grief, but He wishes for our repentance, endurance of sin's consequences, and life with Him forever.

Insight: Even when we are suffering because of a specific transgression, the Lord is gracious and merciful. 

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

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A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

  

+DEV+ Joy Comes In The Morning

Date: November 11, 2015 11:28 PM

Topic: +DEV+  Joy Comes In The Morning

Joy Comes In The Morning

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Revelation 21:4

Scripture Focus: Isaiah 25:8

Whether joy comes in the morning in this life or not (Psalm 30:5), God does promise that one day there will be the morning of all mornings and our short lives will turn into never-ending joy. What a consolation to those with chronic pain or terminal illnesses and also to those of us that struggle daily with sin and fear. "I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far," Paul says in Philippians 1:23, and "Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?" in Romans 7:24. Don't we all long for an end to our current and future trials? Yet we are called to live faithfully until that day. 

Our God came to earth to live a law-fulfilling perfect 33 years, when we couldn't live a second with breaking a law. He died and then rose from the dead so that we could follow in His place. Because He came to earth as a man, it means much when God tells John in Revelation that there will be no more crying. Our God knows what it is to cry, and He is the only One with the power to end it.

Insight: The more we focus on eternity, the more the things of this life will pale, and yet paradoxically, the more we'll get out of this life!

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

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A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

  

+DEV+ Express Your Grief And Sorrows

Date: November 11, 2015 1:03 AM

Topic: +DEV+  Express Your Grief And Sorrows

Express Your Grief And Sorrows

"Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in the miry depths... I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me. I am worn out calling for help..." Psalm 69:1-3

Scripture Focus: John 11:33-35

If Jesus is often an example to us of how to live, then His instances of grief over death of friends - and over death's effect on this life - should show that it is acceptable to grieve. Not only is it acceptable, it is necessary to acknowledge, as Jesus did, how mournful this life is. If we don't, we aren't admitting what sin has done to this world, and we therefore won't turn to Christ in our need. 

Just as we need to fully dwell on our sinful nature and repent of those sins, we also need to dwell on our sorrow. For it is only those who know that they need forgiveness and hope that can appreciate what Christ has done in triumphing over death and thereby giving His people life forever in eternity. 

If we need any further encouragement that grieving is important, we can turn to the many verses in the Psalms where the psalmists cried out from the depth of their souls the agony they felt in times of sorrow. Acknowledge with them before God's throne the pain you feel in this life and depend on Him for true consolation.

Insight: Let Jesus' mourning and the psalmists' examples encourage you to fully express your grief and sorrows, whatever they may be.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

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A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

  

+DEV+ Look At Me

Date: November 10, 2015 1:27 AM

Topic: +DEV+  Look At Me

Look At Me

 "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for." Hebrews 11:1-2

Scripture Focus: Colossians 3:1-4

Before going under the knife for a second back surgery, I began to fear the surgery and so prayed, "Help me, God; Help me, God; Help me God." But seemingly apart from my own will or consciousness, my prayer changed to, "God loves me so much; God loves me; God loves me so much." Immediately I calmed down like I hadn't with the first prayer. 

Prayer is essential to a life in Christ. And some of our prayers cry out in urgency. But prayer is something that can be sanctified - made holy and good - along with our character and faith. Meditating upon a fear is far inferior to meditating on who our God is, what He has done for us, and what He promises to keep doing for us. God Himself has given us faith and a confidence that cannot be disputed through the substance of the historic Christ. Our confidence is that Jesus Christ lived, died and rose again. Our assurance is in writing - the very Word of God - and signed with the blood of Christ. May you rest in Him today.

Insight: It's easy to look at our problems and try to find solutions. But Jesus says, "look at me," and trust in who He is.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

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A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

+DEV+ Grieving Is Normal

Date: November 9, 2015 1:19 AM

Topic: +DEV+  Grieving Is Normal

Grieving Is Normal

"Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn." Romans 12:15

Scripture Focus: 1 Corinthians 13:11-12

To paraphrase Paul, when I was young, I grieved like a child. I used to grieve selfishly, despairingly, for the pain that I felt upon losing each grandparent. As I grew older, and experienced more loss, I began to grieve more and more for death itself and the harrowing effects of sin in this world. 

A mark of sanctification is when your heart begins to hurt with those who have suffered a great loss, even if you weren't necessarily close to them. Anger may soon follow: Satan! Not you again! Leave us alone! Haven't you done enough? Your heartache can be hard to explain to others: No, I wasn't close to him. No, I hadn't seen her in 10 years. It's a cry like those of the psalmists, calling out to God in anguish over a broken world. Mourning with those who mourn is not something that we can will to happen, or even something we may desire. But the Holy Spirit brings it over time, often after we've known many who suffer. The more we mourn with others, the more our hearts align with Jesus' heart of compassion.

Insight: We are to sit, with those who mourn, on what author Nicholas Wolterstorff calls the mourner's bench. There we grow in compassion and understanding.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

If you would like to become a prayer partner and or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.

A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

  

+DEV+ God Is Sovereign

Date: November 6, 2015 12:52 AM

Topic: +DEV+  God Is Sovereign

God Is Sovereign

 "But some of them said, Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?" John 11:37

Scripture Focus: Deuteronomy 29:29

The question following Jesus' weeping at Lazarus's death is an honest one and one we've all asked. Why? Why, Lord, did that son and friend of the church have to drown in a creek? Why did our newly married friend lose his wife and unborn child in a car accident? Why did our church-family couple suffer the suicide of an adopted child, the car-accident death of a biological child, and the unexpected death of a sister - all in a year's time? There are so many unanswered gut-wrenching, heart-breaking questions in this life. 

So we have to rest on what we do know: God intended good for us in His creation; we participated in the sin that brought suffering upon this world; Jesus became man and took God's just judgment of us and our sin upon Himself; and one day, we will pass through death and live eternally in His presence as we were designed to. 

God is sovereign. He is sitting upon His throne, doing all things - even the hard things - for our ultimate good and His glory.

Insight: We are not God and do not have control of events. But God does, and we can trust in His providence, even in deep grief.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

If you would like to become a prayer partner and or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.

A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

  

+DEV+ Jesus Is Deeply Moved

Date: November 5, 2015 12:53 AM

Topic: +DEV+  Jesus Is Deeply Moved

Jesus Is Deeply Moved

 "When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. Where have you laid him? he asked. Come and see, Lord, they replied. Jesus wept." John 11:33-35

Scripture Focus: Genesis 1:1-31

The shortest verse in the Bible is only two words: "Jesus wept." Short, indeed, but poignant. If Jesus was wailing or tearing His clothes, we might see melodrama. If He had shed only one tear, we might see coolness of heart. But neither would exhibit the character of our God. We see Jesus grieving deeply over the sin in this world, grieving for His children who suffer its effects. He is mourning over what was made of God's creation. 

All is not as it's meant to be. God declared His created world good - called it good six times, in fact. But Adam and Eve sinned, and through them we all sinned. This world's evil wouldn't be overcome until God compassionately lowered Himself into the mire to rescue us. He didn't come 2,000 years ago as a pragmatic figure, eager to finish His business and be on His way. In John, we see Jesus' abiding love for us, a love that we only understand now in shadow form, perhaps in our relationships. Praise God He knows our sorrows, sees every tear, and saves us from eternal suffering. 

Insight: God did not intend for us to suffer. Wrap yourself in the love of Jesus who grieves for all of your grief.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

If you would like to become a prayer partner and or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.

A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

  

+DEV+ The Everlasting Arms

Date: November 4, 2015 1:18 AM

Topic: +DEV+  The Everlasting Arms

The Everlasting Arms

 "...like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them on its pinions." Deuteronomy 32:11

Scripture Focus: Deuteronomy 32:1-12

That first flight for a fledgling eagle has to be quite frightening. The nest is high on the face of a cliff, or atop the branches of a Douglas fir. The young birds first stretch and flap inside the nest; they ultimately climb onto the edge of the nest; then they jump up a bit, flapping their untested wings again. Not uncommonly, the mother eagle has to give them a push to force them to launch into that first flight. 

That flight is usually quite feeble and erratic; but at just the right moment, the mother bird swoops under the struggling young one and allows it to settle onto her back for a return to the nest. That may happen several times before the young successfully launches into it’s soaring flight that we all know as a trademark of the majestic eagle. 

God sometimes takes us to the edge of our comfort zone. Jesus' command to "Go into all the world" can be a daunting task. But if He pushes us out into any service that He may ask of us, we can be sure He will be there to bear us up lest we fail!

Insight:  "The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." (Deuteronomy 33:27)

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

If you would like to become a prayer partner and or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.

A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

  

+DEV+ Live For Him Completely

Date: November 3, 2015 12:40 AM

Topic: +DEV+  Live For Him Completely

Live For Him Completely

 "...Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him..." Deuteronomy 30:19-20

Scripture Focus: Deuteronomy 29:1-9; 30:11-20

I remember a simple little chorus that we sang in our youth group many years ago. "After all He's done for me, after all He's done for me, how can I do less than give Him my best, and live for Him completely, after all He's done for me?"

The words of that song point us to the basis for Moses' challenge to the people as they prepared to enter the Promised Land. God had done so much for them already; even more, He promised His blessing for obedience. "Your eyes have seen all that the Lord did..." It only made sense that the people set aside the foolishness of idolatry, avoid God's judgment for disobedience, and enjoy the blessings inherent in obedience to Him. That should be a no-brainer! 

Dare we think any less? "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things..." (Colossians 3:1-2). Setting our minds on Jesus comes not from harsh obligation, but from a heart full of gratitude!

Insight: Remember that chorus? Perhaps you can sing it now!

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

If you would like to become a prayer partner and or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.

A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

+DEV+ Christ Has Redeemed Us

Date: November 1, 2015 9:58 PM

Topic: +DEV+  Christ Has Redeemed Us

Christ Has Redeemed Us

 "... Be sure to bury him that same day, because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God's curse." Deuteronomy 21:23

Scripture Focus: Deuteronomy 21:22-23

It's an obscure point that you might miss as you struggle through a reading of the Laws enumerated in the book of Deuteronomy. Capital punishment in Israel was commonly done by stoning. But, according to a note in the Ryrie Study Bible, "Hanging was not the usual means of death but a sequel to death, in order to expose the corpse to ultimate disgrace." 

You might miss the point, but the Apostle Paul didn't. He saw the significance of our Savior's suffering. "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree'" (Galatians 3:13). Not only did Jesus die for us, but He suffered all the agonies and humiliation of crucifixion. That was not only physical suffering, but He experienced fully God's curse; "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me" (Matthew 27:46)? 

Don't ever take lightly that aspect of Jesus' suffering on your behalf. He became sin for us, became "a curse," so that we might receive God's great gift of salvation.

Insight: God's curse fell on one who didn't deserve it, in order that His grace might fall on those just as undeserving!

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

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