[APRIL 11] A Memorial

Read: 1 Cor. 11:23-30

"As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes" 

--1 Corinthians 11:26

The Taj Mahal in India is a magnificent mausoleum. Built entirely of white marble, it was commissioned by the Emperor Shah Jehan in memory of his wife, who died suddenly. It took 22 years to complete. Millions of tourists visit this memorial annually in order to see this grand structure the emperor ordered to be built in memory of the woman he loved.

Millions of people also throng to Jerusalem to look at another site—a tomb that some say may have been where Jesus was buried. No matter what tomb He lay in, Jesus occupied it for only a few days. It has been empty for 2,000 years.

Jesus doesn’t need us to build a memorial to Him. Instead, He gave us the Lord’s Supper (communion) as a memorial to remember Him. On the night He was betrayed, Jesus took bread and the cup and gave thanks to His Father before offering them to His disciples (Luke 22:14-21). Each time we partake of those elements in church, we are first to examine ourselves and our relationship with God (1 Cor. 11:28). “As often as [we] eat this bread and drink this cup” we are to do so in remembrance of the One we love, till He comes (vv.25-26).

The Lord has given us an enduring memorial to remind us of what He has done for us. --C.P. Hia

I'll take the bread and cup, dear Lord,

That speak of love sublime,

And give myself afresh to Thee.

My life, my all is Thine! --Anon

REFLECT ON THIS:

The Lord's Supper -- Christ's memorial that He left for us.

[MARCH 29] Thanks, God!

Read: Psalm 105:1-5

"Oh, give thanks to the Lord!"

--Psalm 105:1

At RBC Ministries, our human resources team has developed an effective and encouraging program that centers around gratefulness.

When an employee notices something good another employee does here at the office, he or she can take a special "Thank You" card provided by human resources and write a note of appreciation. It's a good feeling to walk into your office and find one of those cards on your desk.

Isn't it great to be thanked for a job well done? Doesn't a good hearty "thank you" brighten your day? And doesn't it make your relationships a little more special--just to know that your work is not being taken for granted?

Everybody loves to be thanked. Even God. Our heavenly Father finds pleasure in our expression of thanks to Him. It's His will that we tell Him "Thank You." Give thanks in all circumstances," Paul said, "for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thess. 5:18 NIV). The writer of Hebrews took it a step further by saying, "Let us be thankful, and so worship God" (12:28 NIV).

Keep looking for ways to improve your relationship with God. Don't forget what may be the most basic way to worship and honor Him: Tell Him "Thanks." --Dave Branon

Then let us adore and give Him His right,

All glory and power, all wisdom and might,

All honor and blessing, with angels above,

And thanks never ceasing for infinite love. --Wesley

REFLECT ON THIS:

The worship most acceptable to God comes from a thankful heart.

[MARCH 7] God's Helpers

Read: Psalm 103:19-22

"Bless the Lord, you His angels" 

--Psalm 103:20

I was having a conversation with some children about God and superheroes when Tobias asked a question. An imaginative, curious 5-year-old, he asked anyone listening: “Does God have a sidekick like Hercules does?” His wiser, older brother, age 7, quickly responded: “Yes, He has thousands of them—they’re His angels.”

Angels are a popular topic of discussion, and people believe a number of myths about them. For instance, some people pray to angels, thinking they are on the same level as God Himself. And some believe that people become angels when they die. But here’s what the Bible, our authority, teaches:

• God created angels (Col. 1:15-17).
• Angels worship God (Neh. 9:6), and are known by these terms: archangels (Jude 1:9), cherubim (2 Kings 19:15), and seraphim (Isa. 6:1-3).
• They minister to God’s people (Heb. 1:13-14) by guarding and protecting them (Ps. 91:9-12).
• They are given special assignments by God (Matt. 1:20; Luke 1:26).
• God’s angels rejoice when we repent of sin and turn to Christ for salvation (Luke 15:7,10).

Only God deserves our worship. So let’s join the angels in singing His praises! --Anne Cetas

All hail the power of Jesus' name!

Let angels prostrate fall;

Bring forth the royal diadem,

And crown Him Lord of all. --Perronet

REFLECT ON THIS: 

Angels are God’s special helpers.

[MARCH 2] God is Here

Read: Luke 4:16-21

"[The Lord] heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds" 

--Psalm 147:3

Leslie and her two daughters were about to be evicted from their home. Although Leslie believed that God could help, so far He hadn’t given a clue as to how. She wondered, Where is God? As she drove to the courthouse, she prayed for God’s intervention. Then she heard a song on the radio proclaiming, “God is here! Let the brokenhearted rejoice.” Could this be the assurance from God that she was longing to hear?

Inside the courtroom, Leslie stood before the judge, heard his decision, and signed the legal documents, but still God had not given her an answer.

As Leslie was walking to her car, a truck pulled up beside her. “Ma’am,” said the driver, “I heard your testimony inside the courtroom, and I believe God wants me to help you.” And he did. Gary helped Leslie get in contact with a woman from a local church who was able to work with the parties involved to reverse the process so that she and her girls could stay in their home.

When people ask, “Where is God?” the answer is, “Right here.” One way God is at work is through Christians like Gary who are continuing the work Jesus started—healing the brokenhearted and binding up their wounds (Ps. 147:3). --Julie Ackerman Link

God is here; He stands beside you.

God is here; He wants to guide you.

God is here and He will help you,

So do not fear--Your God is near. --D.De Haan

REFLECT ON THIS: 

When we love God, we will serve people.

[JANUARY 26] Delayed Consequences

Read: Ezekiel 12:21-28

"Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm"

--Joel 2:13

As a child, I learned to behave properly when adults rewarded my good behavior and punished my bad behavior. This worked pretty well because the reward or punishment generally came quickly after the behavior, making the relationship between the cause and effect unmistakable. When I became an adult, however, life got more complex, and the consequences of my actions were not always immediate. When I behaved badly without getting in trouble for it, I began to think that it didn’t matter to God what I did.

Something similar happened to the children of Israel. When they disobeyed God and didn’t suffer any bad consequences right away, they said, “The Lord has forsaken the land, and the Lord does not see!” (Ezek. 9:9), indicating their belief that God had lost interest in them and didn’t care about their bad behavior. But they were wrong. Weary of their waywardness, God finally said, “None of My words will be delayed any longer; whatever I say will be fulfilled” (12:28 niv).

When God delays discipline, it’s not due to indifference; it’s due to His very nature—He is gracious and slow to anger. Some see that as permission to sin, but God intends it to be an invitation to repent (Rom. 2:4). --Julie Ackerman Link

A Prayer: Lord, thank you for being slow to anger and filled with compassion.

May I not presume upon Your mercy by assuming that there will be no consequences to my sin.

Help me instead to confess it. Amen.

REFLECT ON THIS:

The only way to make things right is to admit you’ve been wrong.

[JANUARY 20] Redirected

Read: Genesis 39:1-10

"The Lord was with Joseph" 

--Genesis 39:2

At the age of 16, pianist Leon Fleisher made his formal debut at Carnegie Hall with the New York Philharmonic. He went on to win prestigious international competitions and played in the world’s finest concert halls. But at the age of 37, Fleisher was struck with dystonia, a neurological condition that crippled his right hand. After a period of despondency and withdrawal, he turned to teaching and conducting, because, as he said, he loved music more than he loved the piano.

When our dreams are shattered, how do we react? After Joseph, the favored son of Jacob, was sold as a slave by his brothers (Gen. 37:12-36), he could have given in to self-pity and self-indulgence. Instead, Joseph remained true to the Lord. Four times in Genesis 39, we read that “the Lord was with” Joseph (vv.2-3,21,23), and his actions revealed his own faithfulness to God. By his exemplary life, those he served in Egypt recognized God’s presence with him.

Do we love God more than our own dreams? Although Joseph must have grieved the loss of his past and what his life could have been, the Lord led him to a calling he had never imagined. Today, the Lord longs to lead us. Are we willing to be redirected by Him? --David McCasland

My cherished plans may go astray,

My hopes may fade away;

But still I'll trust my Lord to lead,

For He doth know the way. --Overton

REFLECT ON THIS:

A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. —Proverbs 16:9

[JANUARY 18] Glory Deflectors

Read: Acts 14:8-18

"I will not give My glory to another" 

--Isaiah 48:11

Barbara Mertz has a complaint about Egypt’s Pharaoh Ramses?II. In her book Temples, Tombs, and Hieroglyphs, archaeologist Mertz writes, “One gets so tired of Ramses; his face, his figure, and/or his name are plastered over half the wall surfaces still standing in Egypt—at least it seems that way.” Insatiably thirsty for glory, Ramses reveled in Egyptian religion, which taught that the pharaoh was divine.

Contrast Ramses’ desire for glory with the attitude of Paul and Barnabas. On one of their missionary journeys, they faced a situation during which they refused to accept vainglory. When a crowd in the idolatrous city of Lystra saw them heal a crippled man, the people exclaimed, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” (Acts 14:11). They immediately prepared animals to sacrifice in honor of Paul and Barnabas. But the two quickly objected, saying, “We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God” (v.15).

We do not rival the apostles in our accomplishments for God, but we all have things we do for Him. It’s then that we must be “glory deflectors,” making sure God gets all the glory for everything we have done. --Dennis Fisher

May everything we do--

By word or deed or story--

Be done to please the Lord;

To Him be all the glory

REFLECT ON THIS:

Man’s greatest goal: Bringing glory to God.

[JANUARY 4] The Review

Read: 2 Corinthians 5:1-11

"We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done"

--2 Corinthians 5:10

Imagine going to work one day and being greeted by your boss, who says, “Come by my office at 9:30. I’d like to talk to you about how you’re doing on the job.”

This could be a nervous time for you as you think about what your supervisor might say. You wonder, How does my boss think I’ve been doing? Could there be a promotion with a pay increase? Or could I lose my job? Am I going to hear, “Well done” or “You’re done”?

As important as this kind of meeting is, the Bible speaks of another, far more significant review. After this life is past, we will stand before our Lord. Paul wrote, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10). We will not enter that future evaluation fearful of losing our salvation, nor will we desire personal benefit or human approval. Instead, we will be eager to hear the Master say, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matt. 25:21).

The challenge before us as followers of Christ is to serve Him with excellence now so that we can hear His words, “Well done” then. Based on the way I am living today, what kind of review will I get when I see the Savior? --Bill Crowder

The day will come when we will stand 

Before our Judge, God’s Son; 

Have we so lived that He will say, 

“Well done, My child, well done”? —Sper

REFLECT ON THIS:

Service done well here on earth will receive a “Well done” in heaven.