Author Archives: chadzaucha

Here is today’s Bible reading:  1 Kings 14:1-15:24; Acts 10:1-23a; Psalm 133:1-3; Proverbs 17:7-8.

Psalm 133:1 (NIV)
A song of ascents. Of David.

How good and pleasant it is
when brothers live together in unity!

One of the marks of a Christ follower is that they are peacemakers. Their words heal and unite.  Are you a catalyst for unity or division?  Do you bring people together, or drive them apart?  Do your words inflame difficult situations or diffuse them?  Blessed are the peacemakers.

Here is today’s Bible reading:1 Kings 12:20-13:34; Acts 9:26-43; Psalm 132:1-18; Proverbs 17:6.

Acts 9:40-41 (NIV)  
    Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. [41] He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called the believers and the widows and presented her to them alive.

In the space of just a few paragraphs, Peter has healed a paralytic and raised a dead woman. The power of God was clearly evident in the early church. It was normal Christianity.  My Christian experience while culturally normal, is biblically abnormal. May God restore us to biblical normalcy.

“I am convinced that we have trained Christians to be demanding consumers, not disciples.  If you doubt this, as an experiment, try scaling down the services at your church for three months to just prayer and Scripture reading and watch what happens.  If this is too frightening, just imagine doing it.  What do you think would happen?  Once we have created the monster, it never stops demanding to be fed.  Consumers demand that we deliver the goods or they will take their business elsewhere.  Though this is the creative force behind capitalism, it has little to do with following Christ (85).”

Here is today’s Bible reading: 1 Kings 11:1-12:19; Acts 9:1-25; Psalm 131:1-3; Proverbs 17:4-5.

1 Kings 11:4-6 (NIV)
As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been. [5] He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites. [6] So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done.

Did Solomon still worship Yahweh (the One, True, Living God)?  Yes.  Did Solomon worship Him completely?  No.  Solomon also worshiped other gods.  This may be true of us as well.  Do we worship God?  Yes.  Do we worship other gods of our own making?  Yes, we do.   God will not share our allegiance.  He demands and deserves to be worshiped wholeheartedly.  What are your other gods?

“In the final analysis ministry is not about our outward success. It is not a numbers game. If our organization is growing while the actual percentage of nonchurched  people in our area remains the same, we are not accomplishing our mission.  If our communities are not dramatically influenced by the churches in our area, we are not living out our faith in any radical way. If followers of Christ are barely distinguishable from the nonchurched people around us, the kingdom of God is not advancing (86-87).”

Here is today’s Bible reading:1 Kings 9:1-10:29; Acts 8:14-40; Psalm 130:1-8; Proverbs 17:2-3.

Proverbs 17:3 (NIV)  
    The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,
        but the Lord tests the heart.
 
Our trials are the furnace God uses to remove the impurities of our lives. How is God testing and refining you today?  Will you thank Him for this sanctifying work that is for your good in making you more like Jesus?

Here is today’s Bible reading: 1 Kings 7:1-51; Acts 7:30-50; Psalm 128:1-6; Proverbs 16:31-33.

Proverbs 16:32 (NIV)  
    Better a patient man than a warrior,
        a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city.
 

“The issue is that the church in North America has, for the most part, embraced this insidious monster of consumerism in the most pragmatic manner and has used it as a principle foundation for church growth (66).”

“The difficulty is that we live in a church culture where external success is self-justifying. If more people are coming to our church, this is obviously a sign of success, and God must be pleased. The throng of people coming into the church is decisive evidence that the kingdom of God is advancing, or so we believe. And if this belief is held by the church leadership, then we will be continuously tempted to pursue pragmatic methods to attract and retain people. The insidious thing about this, of course, is that these efforts are inextricably enmeshed with teaching them how to follow Christ. In other words, our attraction all methods are not value neutral. We are training people as we attract them (67).”

Here is today’s Bible reading: 1 Kings 5:1-6:38; Acts 7:1-29; Psalm 127:1-5; Proverbs 16:28-30.

Psalm 127:1 (NIV)  
A song of ascents. Of Solomon.

    Unless the Lord builds the house,
        its builders labor in vain.   

Whenever I try to take matters into my own hands, I become frustrated and ineffective. Whenever I surrender to the will and empowerment of the Holy Spirit, I experience fulfillment and a supernatural anointing. Who is building your house – your life, your family, your career, your future, your ministry?

Here is today’s Bible reading:  1 Kings 3:3-4:34; Acts 6:1-15; Psalm 126:1-6; Proverbs 16:26-27.

Psalm 126:5-6 (NIV)  
    Those who sow in tears
        will reap with songs of joy.
    [6] He who goes out weeping,
        carrying seed to sow,
    will return with songs of joy,
        carrying sheaves with him.

This great Psalm of hope has meant a lot to me.  For those in Christ, the best is always yet to come. He is in the business of taking our season of tears and turning it into joy and fruitfulness. 

Acts 6:15 (NIV)  
    All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

This guy was the real deal.  He is facing death and totally at peace.  It was not Stephen, but the Holy Spirit living through him. 

1 Kings 3:10-13 (NIV)  
    The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. [11] So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, [12] I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. [13] Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for–both riches and honor–so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings.

Good answer Solomon!  We desperately need God’s wisdom.