Opening the Word

Christ Teaches With Authority
Christ Teaches With Authority

Christ Teaches With Authority

For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. (Matthew 7:29)
What a difference between self-imposed authority and God-appointed authority! With great delightful humor I recall my high school history teacher’s love for teaching with authority. Casual observance would estimate her avoirdupois to be approximately 300 pounds, so you can picture this: Twenty-five ninth graders are in their typical rowdy “don’t like boring history class” mood, when Mrs. B. enters the room, whispering the roll call. In a matter of seconds, these perceptive scholars notice Mrs. B. is experiencing laryngitis. This is the perfect time to ignore her raspy voice, so the volume of raucous behavior heightens, only to antagonize Mrs. B. to the next level in order to gain control. She steps onto the desk chair, but seeks to acquire a more authoritative presence by climbing onto the sturdy (we hope) wooden desk. With every ounce of remaining strength, Mrs. B. engages inflamed vocal cords to restore order…and the students inwardly congratulate themselves, “We did it again!”
Of course the foregoing story is silly at best, but perhaps it will serve to illustrate just how significant it is that our Master Teacher instructs with the authority that is inspired by the God of the universe. It is not usurped. It is not arrogant. It is not contradictory. It is not self-serving. On the contrary, it is full of grace and truth. It inspires. It informs. It convicts. (RB Kuhn)

Lord, preserve me from misusing my authority; help me to lead with confidence that comes from submitting to the authority of my Savior.

This devotional is the Thursday, May 26, 2016 entry of Opening the Word.

Herald & Banner Press2016-05-19T11:00:00+00:00May 19th, 2016|Categories: Opening the Word|Tags: Authority|0 Comments

Model of Prayer
Model of Prayer

Model of Prayer

After this manner, therefore, pray ye: Our Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. (v. 9)
A model is a visual representation of something that is worth copying. Models are used to help learners understand a difficult concept; to explain the steps for completing a project; or to inspire observers to want to follow the model. There are business models, fashion models, and role models – just to name a few.
So why did the disciples ask for a model prayer? Did they need information or inspiration? Jesus did not ask. But He did give them what they requested. So how does this model prayer help us? Is it a magic formula that, if correctly followed, guarantees success? Hardly.
Perhaps Jesus knew that we needed confirmation that it is okay with God to ask Him for our daily needs. Perhaps He knew that we needed to be reminded that praise is a part of prayer; that worship opens the door to the throne room of God. Perhaps He wanted to remind us to think globally rather than just locally.
So here is the model prayer that Jesus gave. How will you use it today? Heartless ritual never brings us into the presence of God. But when we approach this model prayer with a learner’s heart we may find our prayer life revitalized. (Gordon Snider)

"Lord, teach us to pray!"

This devotional is the Monday, May 9, 2016 entry of Opening the Word.

Herald & Banner Press2016-05-12T09:00:00+00:00May 12th, 2016|Categories: Opening the Word|Tags: prayer|0 Comments

Source of Fruitfulness
Source of Fruitfulness

Source of Fruitfulness

“If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;” (v.23)
“Mommy, pick me up.” I hear that a lot from my youngest child. She throws her arms around my neck and clings to me, as if she is certain I will never let her fall.
Sometimes, I whisper this to my heavenly Father. “God, pick me up. Hold me. Don’t let me fall.”
This world is a scary place. Every day, I hear more and more news of Christians falling away from the faith, of wars being fought and battles lost, both spiritually and politically. If I only looked around, I would tremble and fall. But I look up.
Our faith is grounded in Christ. He is our security and our strength when the world rises against us and a war is waged for our soul. Through Him, we have the ability to bear fruit even in the most desolate of seasons and through the darkest of nights. Out of His amazing life comes our abundant life, rich and overflowing with His goodness and bringing forth abundant fruit. (Stephanie Carey)
Because Christ lives, we have abundant life that bears fruit in Him.
This devotional is the Tuesday, May 3, 2016 entry of Opening the Word.

Herald & Banner Press2016-05-04T09:00:00+00:00May 4th, 2016|Categories: Opening the Word|Tags: Fruitfulness|0 Comments

Hope of Glory
Hope of Glory

Hope of Glory

*"To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." (Colossians 1:27). *
One of my favorite vacation activities is reading G.K. Chesterton’s Father Brown mysteries. For a mystery to “work,” the secret must be revealed at the end. No one would want to reach the end of a book only to read, “I can’t tell you who did it. It is a mystery.” The last chapter should reveal the solution to the mystery.
Paul said to the Colossians, “Let me reveal the mystery that was hidden in the past: because of Jesus Christ, Jews and Gentiles alike live in hope” (Personal paraphrase). Christ is in you – that is the hope of glory! Our hope is not grounded on political currents or social trends; our hope is in Christ.
This hope is more than a statement of intellectual consent. It is a personal relationship; “Christ in you.” A political leader who professes to be a Christian was recently asked, “What does being a Christian mean to you?” He responded, “It means that I believe Jesus existed.” “Christ in you, the hope of glory” is much more than believing that Jesus existed. The hope of glory is Jesus Christ living in us leading to a daily transformation into His image. The hope of glory is lives shaped by the reality of His presence. (Randy McElwain)
Rejoice today in this wonderful news: the mystery of the ages has been revealed – Jesus Christ in us brings the hope of glory!
This devotional is the Friday, April 29, 2016 entry of Opening the Word.

Herald & Banner Press2016-04-29T09:00:00+00:00April 29th, 2016|Categories: Opening the Word|Tags: hope, salvation|0 Comments

Humility Admonished
Humility Admonished

Humility Admonished

"Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquility." (Daniel 4:27)
After returning home from dinner, my brother and his wife realized they had locked themselves out of their house. He went around the entire house from window to window hoping to find one that was unlocked and finally located a small one that was high above the ground.
Piling boxes on top of a garbage can, he climbed on the teetering tower to crawl through the tiny window, his large frame making this no small challenge! After essentially falling through the window he located the house keys on the dining room table, then gingerly crawled back out the small window onto his unstable tower of garbage can and boxes to the ground. Returning to his wife who was waiting at the front door he smilingly offered her the keys. Her response – “Why didn’t you just come out the front door?” His Response – “Oh, be quiet!”
Sometimes, as my brother did, we do our decision making by default rather than reasoned consideration which often leads to faulty decisions. Default thinking may be “doing it the way we have always done it” and this is known as “stink’n think’n.” A spirit of humility seeks God’s wisdom as we make decisions. (Clifford Churchill)

Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me-
All is wonderful passion and p
O Thou Spirit divine, All my nature refine.
Till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.
― Albert Orsborn, Tom Jones

As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on thing and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down you cannot see something that is above you.” - C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

This devotional is the Monday, April 18, 2016 entry of Opening the Word.

Herald & Banner Press2016-04-20T09:00:00+00:00April 20th, 2016|Categories: Opening the Word|Tags: humility|0 Comments

The Feeding Shepherd
The Feeding Shepherd

The Feeding Shepherd

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. (Psalm 23:5)
When I was a small child our family was traveling to a distant camp meeting and we were running short on funds. This was before the days of credit cards and we were almost out of cash. We had decided that we had enough money to buy gas for the rest of the trip, but not enough for food. I think one of us boys must have been praying desperately for something to eat. As we were traveling along, a car pulled up beside us and motioned for us to stop. As we pulled to the side of the road, we found out that it was someone we had met in a previous meeting. They asked if we would join them for breakfast – their treat! We followed them to the next exit and enjoyed a wonderful meal together. Believe me, there was some mighty rejoicing as we climbed back in the car that morning. (Daniel Edwards)
The Psalmist said, "I've never seen the righteous forsaken or his seed begging bread." Certainly the Lord has taken good care of me!

God, whose giving knows no ending,
All our life is from thy store:
Nature’s wonder, Jesus’ wisdom,
Costly cross, grave’s shattered door.
Gifted by Thee, turn we to Thee,
Offering up ourselves in praise;
Thankful hearts shall rise forever,
Gracious Donor of our days. - Robert Lansing Edwards

Our daily bread comes from His hand!

This devotional is the Monday, April 11, 2016 entry of Opening the Word.

Herald & Banner Press2016-04-16T08:00:00+00:00April 16th, 2016|Categories: Opening the Word|Tags: Care, Shepherd|0 Comments

Water from the Lord’s House
Water from the Lord’s House

Water from the Lord’s House

“Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar” (Ezekiel 47:1).
As a young Christian, I never wanted to miss a church service. I felt the need to be there for Sunday school, morning worship, the Sunday evening service, and Wednesday night prayer
meeting. In fact, it felt like I needed to be there all the time. Our pastor always encouraged us to be faithful to God’s house. He said that we would miss out on a blessing if we were not consistent in our attendance. How true! I found this out the few times that I was not there! Indeed, I had missed out on a blessing.
Ezekiel was led to follow the water coming out of God’s house. The further he went, the deeper the water became. Even so, the deeper we go with the Lord; the greater are the blessings from above, richer are the insights from His Word, and victorious are the spiritual battles which end with Christ at our side. He alone is the “water of life,” but it is up to us to step into the water. (James Baker)

Step into the water
Wade out a little bit deeper
Wet your feet in the water of His love
Step into the water
Wade out a little bit deeper
Come join angels singing praise to the Lamb of God
--L. Kirk Talley

Go deeper with Christ; He was lifted high for us.

This devotional is the Tuesday, April 5, 2016 entry of Opening the Word.

Herald & Banner Press2016-04-05T09:00:00+00:00April 5th, 2016|Categories: Opening the Word|Tags: Church, Thirst, worship|0 Comments

The Savior Dies
The Savior Dies

The Savior Dies

But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water (John 19:34).
Jesus, the blood and water flowing from your side speak to us the surety of your death and
the blessings that flow to penitent believers.
The blood and water speaks of the two great benefits which all believers partake through Christ Jesus. They are justified by his blood and purified by the cleansing stream of Calvary. They both flow from the pierced side of our Redeemer. To Christ crucified we owe merit for our justification, and grace for our sanctification.
And, your legs were not broken. These soldier thought they were in control but were in fact fulfilling prophecy, "that the Scripture should be fulfilled, a bone of him shall not be broken"; referring to Psalm 34:20, "he keepeth all his bones, not one of them is broken; and again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced."
Isaac Watts give us these words from his song When I Survey:
See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
Jesus, I want to be at my best for you this day. (William Cook)
This devotional is the Friday, April 1, 2016 entry of Opening the Word.
Bremner Cross by NPS / Jacob W. Frank is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Herald & Banner Press2016-03-30T08:00:00+00:00March 30th, 2016|Categories: Opening the Word|Tags: cross, Cruficifixion, Jesus|0 Comments

Devotional: His Appearance – Our Blessed Hope
Devotional: His Appearance – Our Blessed Hope

Devotional: His Appearance – Our Blessed Hope

Read I Peter 1:1-5
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (v. 3).
Resurrection power is not wishy-washy. Today’s scripture reminds us that Christ’s mercy is
abundant and our hope is lively, both related to His resurrection.
In 2000 our daughter, Becky, had a serious spinal injury. fter surgery the anesthesia affected her thought processes. She went through what she now calls her “loopy period.” She thought she was going to die, but didn’t say so. That night she told her husband, “Go home.” I was at their home caring for their three children. When Paul arrived he sunk into a chair and said something like, “I can deal with the effects of the injury, but this crazy stuff I don’t know how to handle.” He went to bed upstairs and I settled into a fitful sleep on the couch.
Early the next morning the phone rang. On the way down the stairs Paul said, “Becky called. She‘s going to be alright.” Our hope had taken on a lively twist. God’s mercy was evident. Becky’s mental anxiety was gone, but the physical healing has taken time. While today she walks without assistance, it’s mind over matter. (Ann Coker)

Because He lives I can face tomorrow, because He lives, all fear is gone; because I know He holds the future and life is worth the living – just because He lives. – William and Gloria Gaither

We all have reason to rejoice over God’s mercies and the hope that His resurrection brings.

This devotional is the Sunday, March 27, 2016 entry of Opening the Word.

Herald & Banner Press2016-03-23T08:00:00+00:00March 23rd, 2016|Categories: Opening the Word|Tags: Easter, hope|0 Comments

Devotional: The Messiah's Reproach
Devotional: The Messiah's Reproach

Devotional: The Messiah's Reproach

“Reproach hath broken my heart: and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.” (Psalm 69:20)
The appropriate title for the picture painted in this verse is “Alone”. We can only identify with being alone in a human sense. We do not have the capacity to feel as our blessed Savior felt. He obviously enjoyed the friendship and fellowship of his disciples, and especially “the twelve”. He had even a closer relationship with the inner circle of Peter, James and John. Yet when he was facing the reality of his crucifixion in the Garden of Gethsemane, and needed their support, they fell asleep.
When he was being led away after his arrest, “... All the disciples forsook Him and fled”. (Matthew 26:56)
We sometime refer to the Passion of Jesus. The Latin word “passio” originally meant to endure suffering. This is an appropriate term when we try to imagine the agony and pain that Jesus suffered during those sham trials and the brutal beatings. As we well know a cruel crown of thorns was forced upon His head, and His hands and feet were nailed to the cross of crucifixion.
We should keep in mind that He suffered all of this for the sins of the world. Because He bore our sins, just before His death He cried, “...My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46)

“Alone, Alone, He bore it all alone;
He gave Himself to save His own,
He suffered, bled and died alone.” ---Ben H. Price

Jesus died the death of a sinner.

This devotional is the Monday, March 14, 2016 entry of Opening the Word.

Herald & Banner Press2016-03-15T07:00:00+00:00March 15th, 2016|Categories: Opening the Word|Tags: cross, Passion|0 Comments