Mars Hill Staff Devotional
Part 1
We studied this Rembrandt painting, “The Adoration of the Shepherds”. Notice the ladder forming a cross above Jesus, the rooster (a sign of betrayal) over him, and the source of light in the painting . . . Jesus Himself. He is the light in our darkness. Check back tomorrow for Part 2. (click on photo to enlarge)
Mars Hill Staff Devotional
The Test of Faithfulness
from Oswald Chambers
As Christians do we really see Christ as our Lord and our life…or do we see him as just another worker? An equal co-laborer?
We know that all things work together for good to those who love God . . . —Romans 8:28
Key Take-away: The goal of faithfulness is not that we will do work for God, but that we will be free to let Him do His work through us.
from Oswald Chambers’ My Utmost for His Highest: http://utmost.org/test-of-faithfulness/
Mars Hill Staff Devotional
Self-Pity or Rejoicing?
by F.B. Meyer
“The joy of the Lord is our strength.” Nehemiah 8:10
We discussed the question, “What is the joy of the Lord?”. Then we looked at the life of Fanny Crosby. Though blind from six weeks of age, she wrote over a thousand hymns. She knew the joy of the Lord, and it was her strength. For more, click on the link below and go to the Nehemiah 8:10 section titled, “Self-Pity or Rejoicing?”.
Mars Hill Staff Devotional
The Sacrifice of Thanksgiving
by Ray Stedman
Our time was filled with great questions and comments about cultivating a thankful heart and maintaining an attitude of gratitude.
Key take-away: “Thanksgiving should be the proper expression of Christianity, because Christianity is really about receiving something from God constantly! (i.e. – life, the fruit of the spirit, the love of God, spiritual blessings in heavenly places, etc.).”
Read the Scripture: Psalm 50
Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High. (Psalm 50:14).
What does God want from us? He does not want mere hymn singing, although that is fine. Nor does He want only prayer, although that too is fine. He does not simply want our attendance, although that is fine. What He wants, first, is a thankful heart. That is what He seeks, a thankful heart. Each one of us is to offer to Him the sacrifice of thanksgiving. A sacrifice is something into which we put effort; it costs us. Have you ever asked yourself why the Scriptures stress thanksgiving so much? Both the Old and New Testaments emphasize that above everything else, God wants thankfulness. Give thanks in all circumstances, says the apostle Paul, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Why is this? It is because thanksgiving only comes as a result of having received something. You do not give thanks until you have received something that comes from someone else. Therefore thanksgiving is the proper expression of Christianity, because Christianity is receiving something constantly from God.
Of course if you have not received anything from God, then you have nothing to thank Him for. Though you come to the service, you really have nothing to say. God is a realist. He does not want fake thanksgiving. I know there are certain people (and they are awfully hard to live with) who think that Christianity consists of pretending to be thankful. They think it means screwing a smile on your face and going around pretending that troubles do not bother you. That is a most painful form of Christianity. God does not want you to go around shouting, Hallelujah! I’ve got cancer! But there is something about having cancer to be thankful for. That is what He wants you to see. There are aspects of it that no one can possibly enjoy, but there are other aspects that reveal purpose, meaning, and reason. God wants you to see this–what He can do with that situation and how you can be thankful. Thanksgiving is the first thing He wants in worship.
The second thing is an obedient will. Fulfill your vows to the Most High. Notice the kind of obedience it is. It is not something forced upon you; it is something you have chosen for yourself. A vow is something you decide to give, a promise you make because of truth you have seen. You say, I never saw it like that before. I really ought to do something about it. God helping me, I’m going to do such and such. That is a vow. God says, I’m not asking you to do things you have not yet learned are important. But when you have vowed something, then do it. Act on it. Obey it.
Lord, I offer to You right now the sacrifice of thanksgiving. Thank You that You are at work for good both in me and through me. Grant that I might obey your truth out of a heart of gratitude.
Life Application: We can expend much energy complaining, blessing no one. How can we re-focus our thoughts so that we have an attitude of gratitude no matter our circumstances?
Copyright © 2007 by Elaine Stedman — This daily devotion is from the book The Power of His Presence: a year of devotions from the writings of Ray Stedman; compiled by Mark Mitchell. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice and a hyperlink to http://www.RayStedman.org if the copy is posted on the Internet. Please direct any questions you may have to webmaster@RayStedman.org.
http://www.raystedman.org/daily-devotions/psalms/the-sacrifice-of-thanksgiving
Mars Hill Staff Devotional
And Jesus said to him, “‘If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.” Mark 9:23 (NASB)
We began by reading Mark 9:14-29. Then, we read a devotional from AW Tozer. Our verbal profession of faith is one thing, but does what we profess by our actions actually reveal unbelief? We discussed the connection between unbelief and acting independently from God (sin). And we considered how unbelief is remedied by knowing Him more intimately through obedience, prayer and the study of His word.
Read Tozer Here: http://www.cmalliance.org/devotions/tozer?id=731
Prayer: Forgive me for doubting You, Lord. It is often covered over with faith-talk. But only You can be fully trusted.
Mars Hill Staff Devotional
Who is really in charge? On this national election day we read and discussed Ephesians Chapter 1 . . . What an incredible picture of our eternal position and purpose in Christ, who is above all rule and authority and power and dominion!
…according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. Ephesians 1:19-20 ESV
Read Ephesians 1 here: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+1&version=ESV#.UJmjNdSsuOA.facebook
Mars Hill Staff Devotional
Your God is Too Small
by Ray Stedman
In the wake of hurricane Sandy, we discussed “storms” . . . how they affect us, God’s role in them, finding God in them, etc. What do you think? How should we view storms from a Biblical perspective? We concluded by reading Ray Stedman’s devotional on this subject.
Read the Scripture: Job 36-37
God is exalted in his power. Who is a teacher like him? (Job 36:22)
Elihu’s final word to Job is a great and beautiful passage in which he sets forth in marvelous language the glory of God. It runs from chapter 35:22 through chapter 37. First, God is beyond human instruction. Notice how he begins: God is exalted in his power. Who is a teacher like him? Then, he reveals another important fact in chapter 36:26: God is beyond human understanding: How great is God beyond our understanding! Finally, Elihu reveals in 36:30-31 that God acts beyond the rigid categories and reasons of humans: See how he scatters his lightning about him, bathing the depths of the sea. This is the way he governs the nations and provides food in abundance. God uses His natural powers for both blessing and judgment alike.
And then, beginning with chapter 37, we have such a marvelous description of a great electric storm that many of the commentators feel that this was an actual occurrence, that a storm began to break out at this moment, and Elihu used it as a vivid example of what he had been saying about God. If any of you have ever been out on the prairies and seen an electric storm break out, you will know what a terrifying and awe-inspiring experience it is–with the lightning crackling and splitting the sky and the roaring of the thunder. It is a magnificent experience, and this is what Elihu begins to describe in verses 2-4: Listen! Listen to the roar of his voice, to the rumbling that comes from his mouth. He unleashes his lightning beneath the whole heaven and sends it to the ends of the earth. After that comes the sound of his roar; he thunders with his majestic voice. When his voice resounds, he holds nothing back.
Then he speaks of how God sends the snow and the rain; he sends tornadoes, the whirlwinds, and the frost; he controls the cycles of the weather. Next time you are watching a weather report on television, and the broadcast shows a satellite picture, notice how it appears in spirals. This is what Elihu refers to in verse 12: At his direction they swirl around over the face of the whole earth to do whatever he commands them.
Then he tells us why: He brings the clouds to punish men, or to water his earth and show his love(Job 37:13). God has many reasons for doing things; we are not always certain what they are. God’s wisdom is inscrutable. He goes on, Can you join him in spreading out the skies, hard as a mirror of cast bronze? (Job 37:18) Job can do none of these things.
All the way through the Bible, from beginning to end, the only man or woman who ever receives anything from God is the one who comes with a humble and contrite heart. If you think you have something to offer Him or that you have achievements that nobody else can equal, you cut yourself off from the wisdom and knowledge of God. But those who come humbly, contrite, waiting upon God, asking Him to teach them, will find that God will pick them up in grace and power and glory and restore them.
Lord, thank You that in Your majesty and power You are also a God of grace and mercy.
Life Application: Do we try to reduce God to manageable size, and compete with him for control? Or do we humbly receive him as our Father-provider and our Savior and Lord in Jesus?
Copyright © 2007 by Elaine Stedman — This daily devotion is from the book The Power of His Presence: a year of devotions from the writings of Ray Stedman; compiled by Mark Mitchell. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice and a hyperlink to http://www.RayStedman.org if the copy is posted on the Internet. Please direct any questions you may have to webmaster@RayStedman.org.
http://www.raystedman.org/daily-devotions/job/your-god-is-too-small
Mars Hill Staff Devotional
Loving the Second Coming and the Assurance of Salvation
by John Piper
Eagerly awaiting His return is an indication of authentic faith (Hebrews 9:28)
So the issue for us is: Do we eagerly long for the coming of Christ? Do we want to see his kingdom established and do we want to be reunited to him in closer personal fellowship? Or do we want him to wait while our love affair with the world runs its course? That is the question that tests the authenticity of faith.
Today’s staff devotional was from a vintage John Piper message (1997): By John Piper. ©2013 Desiring God Foundation. Website: desiringGod.org
http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/taste-see-articles/loving-the-second-coming-and-the-assurance-of-salvation
Mars Hill Staff Devotional
The Key of The Greater Work
by Oswald Chambers
Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. John 14:12-13 (NASB)
Have you ever had the thought, “I am of no use where I am?” This devotional takes us to task on the truth of where our real responsibility and power comes from.
Prayer does not equip us for greater works – prayer is the greater work.
For more, read this from Oswald Chambers: http://utmost.org/the-key-of-the-greater-work/
Mars Hill Staff Devotional
by Oswald Chambers
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace. Romans 6:12-14 (NASB)
We discussed Romans 6:12-14 and decided that really believing we are “not under law, but under grace” is radical … and so very liberating!
Key take-away from Chambers:
“The greatest need we have is not to do things, but to believe things.”
Read the Oswald Chambers devotional here: http://utmost.org/building-on-the-atonement/
devos from the hill 