All For His Purpose

Today's Daily Soap {Scripture | Observation | Application | Prayer} FOR TODAY'S FULL READING, CLICK THE TITLE LINK ABOVE.

• S: "And now, friends, I know you had no idea what you were doing when you killed Jesus, and neither did your leaders. But God, who through the preaching of all the prophets had said all along that his Messiah would be killed, knew exactly what you were doing and used it to fulfill his plans. Acts 3:17-18 [MSG]
• O: God uses all things to His glory and purpose.
• A: Just as God used the "trial" and crucifixion of His Son, Jesus Christ, to fulfill His purpose of the gift of salvation, so does He use the events of today for His purpose. We may feel that we're in control, that we choose the leaders whom we feel can best take us into the next decade, but no matter what choices we make -- no matter what the final outcome -- God uses both our successes and our mistakes for His purpose. In the end, for those who have chosen Him, all will be well.
• P: Thank You, Father, for having control.

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One Eye Closed

Today's Daily Soap {Scripture | Observation | Application | Prayer} FOR TODAY'S FULL READING, CLICK THE TITLE LINK ABOVE.

• S: Dear friends, let me be completely frank with you. Our ancestor David is dead and buried—his tomb is in plain sight today. But being also a prophet and knowing that God had solemnly sworn that a descendant of his would rule his kingdom, seeing far ahead, he talked of the resurrection of the Messiah—'no trip to Hades, no stench of death.' This Jesus, God raised up. And every one of us here is a witness to it. Then, raised to the heights at the right hand of God and receiving the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, he poured out the Spirit he had just received. That is what you see and hear. For David himself did not ascend to heaven, but he did say, God said to my Master, "Sit at my right hand Until I make your enemies a stool for resting your feet." "All Israel, then, know this: There's no longer room for doubt—God made him Master and Messiah, this Jesus whom you killed on a cross." Acts 2:29-36 [MSG]
• O: Christ knows Hell from the standpoint of Creator.
• A: There has been debate among Biblical scholars about where Christ went during His three days in the tomb between His crucifixion and resurrection. I'm not one to claim to be a Biblical scholar. I can offer only my viewpoint (or, if you prefer, my opinion). Some have suggested that Christ might have made a trip to Hell during those three days. The book of Acts seems to refute that, saying that Christ "was not abandoned to the grave." [NIV] As He was indeed in a grave -- or tomb -- the term "grave" in this passage is likely in reference to the eternal grave of Hell. It stands to reason, therefore -- to my finite mind, at least -- that Christ did not taste of Hell. But what, then? Heaven? When He would be ascending to Heaven shortly after His resurrection, I think that is unlikely. I ask you this: why did Christ have to go anywhere during His three days in the tomb? Or better yet, why couldn't Christ be everywhere during those three days? As God in the flesh, Christ is one part of a triune God. God is omnipresent -- everywhere all the time. Christ, then, must be omnipresent, too. Close your right eye, and you're still here and can still see through the left eye. God in the flesh while in the tomb -- in my opinion -- was still everywhere in the form of God the Father. Just because a body lied in a tomb doesn't mean something had to happen to Christ during that time. As He is God, I believe there was no change to Him. With one eye closed, our God was still in control.
• P: Father, the very Being that is You is a wonder. How You came to earth and died for my sins, yet never lost control of Your creation. You are truly and Almighty God.

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The History of Economics

Today's Daily Soap {Scripture | Observation | Application | Prayer} FOR TODAY'S FULL READING, CLICK THE TITLE LINK ABOVE.

• S: A great protest was mounted by the people, including the wives, against their fellow Jews. Some said, "We have big families, and we need food just to survive." Others said, "We're having to mortgage our fields and vineyards and homes to get enough grain to keep from starving." And others said, "We're having to borrow money to pay the royal tax on our fields and vineyards. Look: We're the same flesh and blood as our brothers here; our children are just as good as theirs. Yet here we are having to sell our children off as slaves—some of our daughters have already been sold—and we can't do anything about it because our fields and vineyards are owned by somebody else." I got really angry when I heard their protest and complaints. After thinking it over, I called the nobles and officials on the carpet. I said, "Each one of you is gouging his brother." Then I called a big meeting to deal with them. I told them, "We did everything we could to buy back our Jewish brothers who had to sell themselves as slaves to foreigners. And now you're selling these same brothers back into debt slavery! Does that mean that we have to buy them back again?" They said nothing. What could they say? "What you're doing is wrong. Is there no fear of God left in you? Don't you care what the nations around here, our enemies, think of you? "I and my brothers and the people working for me have also loaned them money. But this gouging them with interest has to stop. Give them back their foreclosed fields, vineyards, olive groves, and homes right now. And forgive your claims on their money, grain, new wine, and olive oil." They said, "We'll give it all back. We won't make any more demands on them. We'll do everything you say." Then I called the priests together and made them promise to keep their word. Then I emptied my pockets, turning them inside out, and said, "So may God empty the pockets and house of everyone who doesn't keep this promise—turned inside out and emptied." Everyone gave a wholehearted "Yes, we'll do it!" and praised God. And the people did what they promised. Nehemiah 5:1-13 [MSG]
• O: The history of economics repeats itself.
• A: This isn't the first time in history that a people has put themselves so far into debt that they were literally slaves to their debt, facing foreclosure and the loss of all their possessions. Nehemiah faced the same thing, and took matters into his own hands, calling the nobles and officials together and putting them to task about their unfair lending practices. What we are going through in America right now has been described as an economic meltdown. It has been said that we could find ourselves in the worst depression in our nation's history. We could lose our homes, our jobs, our businesses. Nehemiah, in his time, called on the nobles and officials to enact a rescue plan that would forgive the people of their debts, to return foreclosed property, and to make no more demands of the people. Our own elected officials have rolled out their own rescue plan that is designed to accomplish the same goal in a different way. By calling upon taxpayer money to bail out those who have faced (or now face) foreclosure, the government is trying to save our nation from this "economic meltdown." It may work, it may not. One thing is certain -- doing nothing will result in nothing. This problem will not fix itself. People have got to tighten their belts and sacrifice for the greater good. People from all walks of life, at all levels of the financial spectrum, and from all branches of government. Taking action will achieve success or failure, but sitting on our hands and doing nothing will achieve nothing, and result in certain failure.
• P: Father, as our elected officials begin to make plans and take action upon the $700 billion bailout plan recently signed into law, please guide them to act wisely and prudently. And we, Lord, who our footing the bill with our tax dollars, please motivate us to make the necessary sacrifices for the greater good.

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Persecution & Victory

Today's Daily Soap {Scripture | Observation | Application | Prayer} FOR TODAY'S FULL READING, CLICK THE TITLE LINK ABOVE.

• S: He said, "Watch out for the doomsday deceivers. Many leaders are going to show up with forged identities claiming, 'I'm the One,' or, 'The end is near.' Don't fall for any of that. When you hear of wars and uprisings, keep your head and don't panic. This is routine history and no sign of the end." He went on, "Nation will fight nation and ruler fight ruler, over and over. Huge earthquakes will occur in various places. There will be famines. You'll think at times that the very sky is falling. "But before any of this happens, they'll arrest you, hunt you down, and drag you to court and jail. It will go from bad to worse, dog-eat-dog, everyone at your throat because you carry my name. You'll end up on the witness stand, called to testify. Make up your mind right now not to worry about it. I'll give you the words and wisdom that will reduce all your accusers to stammers and stutters. "You'll even be turned in by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends. Some of you will be killed. There's no telling who will hate you because of me. Even so, every detail of your body and soul—even the hairs of your head!—is in my care; nothing of you will be lost. Staying with it—that's what is required. Stay with it to the end. You won't be sorry; you'll be saved. Luke 21:8-19 [MSG]
• O: God will be with us to the end.
• A: Times are tough: hurricanes, tsunamis, flooding, famine, war. God tells us that all of these things will happen, but are not necessarily signs of the end. Before the end is upon us, God's people will see persecution like they've not seen before. Arrested, shackled, and put on trial for carrying the name of Christ. Turned in by friends and relatives for our beliefs, we will be put to the test for our faith. But God will be with us. Taking a stand for our faith, refusing to back down from doing God's will, we will persevere. God will bring us through to see victory in the end.
• P: Thank You, God, for the wonders You have promised and delivered, and for the certainty that You will always provide and protect us.

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Extremes and Degrees

Today's Daily Soap {Scripture | Observation | Application | Prayer} FOR TODAY'S FULL READING, CLICK THE TITLE LINK ABOVE.

• S: "You're familiar with the command to the ancients, 'Do not murder.' I'm telling you that anyone who is so much as angry with a brother or sister is guilty of murder. Carelessly call a brother 'idiot!' and you just might find yourself hauled into court. Thoughtlessly yell 'stupid!' at a sister and you are on the brink of hellfire. The simple moral fact is that words kill. [vv 21-22a] "You know the next commandment pretty well, too: 'Don't go to bed with another's spouse.' But don't think you've preserved your virtue simply by staying out of bed. Your heart can be corrupted by lust even quicker than your body. Those leering looks you think nobody notices—they also corrupt. [vv 27-28] If you want to live a morally pure life, here's what you have to do: You have to blind your right eye the moment you catch it in a lustful leer. [vs 29b] And you have to chop off your right hand the moment you notice it raised threateningly. [vs 30a]
• O: Sin begins with the mere thought of committing the act. How we react to the temptation to sin is of paramount importance.
• A: The city is full of temptation. You literally cannot go anywhere without encountering a pawn of the devil meant to tempt you into sin. I have frequently heard people say, "It's okay to look as long as you don't touch." Really? Or is looking just the preamble to touching? By looking, don't we just build in ourselves a stronger desire to touch? Even fantasize about the touch? Christ has clearly told us that there are no degrees of sin. Looking at a person with lust is the equivalent of committing the adulterous act in our fantasies. Hating a person, in the eyes of God, is as great a sin as actually committing the murder of that person. The distance between the extremes is zero. Though the devil's pawns will try to tell us "it's just a little white lie," the lie is as bad as stealing. There are no degrees of sin. To lie or steal, to hate or murder, to lust or commit adultery -- they all are sins for which we need God's forgiveness. Does Christ really mean we should blind our right eye or cut off our hand? Likely not. It is our reaction to the temptations of the world that allows us to resist them and avoid sin. When that woman (or man) in the revealing clothes flaunts her way past you, you "blind your right eye" by averting your attention. Look away at the first discovery of the approaching temptress. Don't give her -- or the devil -- the satisfaction of even a momentary glance. Because at the first lustful look, you have made yourself guilty of the act. Looking is not okay. Looking is as bad as actually touching. By standing firm on our principles, we resist temptation, we avoid sin, we please the Lord, we thwart the devil, we can hold our heads high, and we display to the world our commitment and devotion to our spouse.
• P: Father, make me strong in resisting temptation, and use the strength as a testimony to You for all who see.

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The Bible Speaks

While doing a little walking through the Bible today, I came across some passages that I felt the need to share.

• On Marriage: So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it. Colossians 3:12-14 [MSG]
• On Worries: Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Philippians 4:6-7 [MSG]
• On Delegation (and Trying To Do Too Much): Moses' father-in-law said, "This is no way to go about it. You'll burn out, and the people right along with you. This is way too much for you—you can't do this alone. Now listen to me. Let me tell you how to do this so that God will be in this with you. Be there for the people before God, but let the matters of concern be presented to God. Your job is to teach them the rules and instructions, to show them how to live, what to do. And then you need to keep a sharp eye out for competent men—men who fear God, men of integrity, men who are incorruptible—and appoint them as leaders over groups organized by the thousand, by the hundred, by fifty, and by ten. They'll be responsible for the everyday work of judging among the people. They'll bring the hard cases to you, but in the routine cases they'll be the judges. They will share your load and that will make it easier for you. If you handle the work this way, you'll have the strength to carry out whatever God commands you, and the people in their settings will flourish also." Exodus 18:17-23 [MSG]
• On Over-indulgence and Self Control: When you're given a box of candy, don't gulp it all down; eat too much chocolate and you'll make yourself sick; And when you find a friend, don't outwear your welcome; show up at all hours and he'll soon get fed up. Proverbs 25:16 [MSG]
• On Temper and Forgiveness: Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:31 [MSG]
• On Greed: But if it's only money these leaders are after, they'll self-destruct in no time. Lust for money brings trouble and nothing but trouble. Going down that path, some lose their footing in the faith completely and live to regret it bitterly ever after. 1 Timothy 6:9-10 [MSG]

Some passage from the Bible just require no elaboration at all. Your comments? Joe

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Tolerance and Acceptance

Today's Daily Soap {Scripture | Observation | Application | Prayer} FOR TODAY'S FULL READING, CLICK THE TITLE LINK ABOVE.

• S: "Be alert. If you see your friend going wrong, correct him. If he responds, forgive him. Even if it's personal against you and repeated seven times through the day, and seven times he says, 'I'm sorry, I won't do it again,' forgive him." Luke 17:3-4 [MSG]
• O: God has commanded us to look out for each other and to offer correction to those who stray.
• A: In a world where the buzz words are tolerance and acceptance, it can be easy to get caught up in the buzz and be confused by those who say that it isn't Christ-like to be intolerant. But Christ never taught tolerance. Christ taught us to keep watch over each other, to offer correction to those who stray, and to forgive them if they repent. Granted, He told us that we should forgive them as often as they repent -- just as He does for us -- but He never told us to become tolerant of their sinful ways or to accept those sinful ways as okay. Tolerance and acceptance are the devil's way of convincing us that sin is okay. Tolerance and acceptance have no place in the Kingdom of God. With love and forgiveness there is no need for tolerance and acceptance.
• P: Father, the confusion that the devil has created with tolerance and acceptance has infected society so deeply that many have promoted it in Your name. Help Your people, Lord, to see through the confusion and to resist the devil's attempts to infect us with his talk of tolerance and acceptance. Help us to show love and forgiveness to all in Your name and to help others to find their way out of sin and into Your arms.

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Prodigal Son

Today's Daily Soap {Scripture | Observation | Application | Prayer} FOR TODAY'S FULL READING, CLICK THE TITLE LINK ABOVE.

• S: Then he said, "There was once a man who had two sons. The younger said to his father, 'Father, I want right now what's coming to me.' "So the father divided the property between them. It wasn't long before the younger son packed his bags and left for a distant country. There, undisciplined and dissipated, he wasted everything he had. After he had gone through all his money, there was a bad famine all through that country and he began to hurt. He signed on with a citizen there who assigned him to his fields to slop the pigs. He was so hungry he would have eaten the corncobs in the pig slop, but no one would give him any. "That brought him to his senses. He said, 'All those farmhands working for my father sit down to three meals a day, and here I am starving to death. I'm going back to my father. I'll say to him, Father, I've sinned against God, I've sinned before you; I don't deserve to be called your son. Take me on as a hired hand.' He got right up and went home to his father. "When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him. The son started his speech: 'Father, I've sinned against God, I've sinned before you; I don't deserve to be called your son ever again.' But the father wasn't listening. He was calling to the servants, 'Quick. Bring a clean set of clothes and dress him. Put the family ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Then get a grain-fed heifer and roast it. We're going to feast! We're going to have a wonderful time! My son is here—given up for dead and now alive! Given up for lost and now found!' And they began to have a wonderful time. "All this time his older son was out in the field. When the day's work was done he came in. As he approached the house, he heard the music and dancing. Calling over one of the houseboys, he asked what was going on. He told him, 'Your brother came home. Your father has ordered a feast—barbecued beef!—because he has him home safe and sound.' "The older brother stalked off in an angry sulk and refused to join in. His father came out and tried to talk to him, but he wouldn't listen. The son said, 'Look how many years I've stayed here serving you, never giving you one moment of grief, but have you ever thrown a party for me and my friends? Then this son of yours who has thrown away your money on whores shows up and you go all out with a feast!' "His father said, 'Son, you don't understand. You're with me all the time, and everything that is mine is yours—but this is a wonderful time, and we had to celebrate. This brother of yours was dead, and he's alive! He was lost, and he's found!'" Luke 15:11-32 [MSG]
• O: No matter how we wander or where we roam, the Father always welcomes us home with open arms.
• A: I was saved at the age of twelve. Just a young boy who felt the Spirit move in me during a youth retreat with the Baptist Church my family attended at the time. I had grown up going to church, and it was just a matter of time before I would accept Christ as my Savior, be Baptized, and start my walk with Christ. But as so often happens, I soon found myself headed down a path that surely Christ wasn't leading me down. I experimented in some things that no one should be messing with at that age, especially not someone so new in his faith. Minor things by today's standards, but things I would be embarrassed to have my children learn about. Things I surely don't want them experimenting in. I became very selfish, thinking always of me and my own desires, and rarely of what God wanted from me. As always, my selfish pursuits paid the rewards I was due -- embarrassment, inconvenience, struggle. Well into adulthood, I lived selfishly, pursuing my own desires, wondering why life was so unfair. Until one day, when airplanes struck down America's symbols of success, and I felt the call to return to my roots and visit a church. That was the start of my return to the fold. The Father greeted me warmly, held me, comforted me. He welcomed me home. I'm far from perfect, but have learned to put my God and my family before myself, and life has never been better.
• P: Thank You, Father, for welcoming me home and showing me what really matters most. Thank You for family.

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