"A Great Debt! Who Can Pay?"

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

The late H. A. Ironside, former pastor of Moody Church in Chicago, told the story of a young Russian soldier. His father was a close friend of Czar Nicholas I, and he was quickly given a huge responsibility—the role as paymaster in one of the barracks. Although he meant well, he began to gamble and lost a large sum of the government’s money along with his own.

Some time later a notice was sent out that the Czar’s representative was coming for an accounting of the books. He did an assessment of his debt and realized he was terribly short of personal funds to cover it. He was overwhelmed. He would be disgraced. His ruin was certain; undoubtedly, prison or death awaited him.

In his guilt, he decided the only solution was suicide. He took out his revolver and placed it on the table. Taking a piece of stationary, he wrote out his illegal behavior. After totaling up the amount of the stolen funds, he wrote, “A great debt! Who can pay?”

He planned to end his life at midnight but fell asleep. On that night, Czar Nicholas took a walk and saw a light on in the barracks. He went in and recognized his friend’s son. Just before leaving, he noticed the ledger on the table. He looked over the books and immediate knew all that had taken place. He was about to awaken and arrest the boy when his eye fell to the last line on the stationary, “A great debt! Who can pay?” He took up the pen and wrote one word.

When the soldier awoke, he reached for his revolver, but then his eye caught something that was not on the stationary from the evening before. Under his statement, “A great debt! Who can pay?” he read the single word: NICHOLAS.

He was dumbfounded! It was the czar's signature. How could this be? Had the Czar been there while he was asleep? Would he really forgive the debt? The only thing he could do was rest in the faithfulness of the Czar. That morning a messenger went to the barracks with the exact amount needed to pay the debt. It was true; only the Czar could pay—and he did.

The same is true of you and me. We owe a debt because of our sin. The songwriter had it right when he said, “Oh, to grace how great a debtor!” And like the young soldier we also cry out, "A great debt! Who can pay?" Underneath there is a single word: Jesus. And likewise, we can only trust in His faithfulness. Only Christ could pay for our sins—and He did!

Be Good for Goodness Sake

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

Some people are of the opinion that only good people experience the goodness of God, but that is hardly the case. ALL of His creation, and in numerous ways, experiences God’s goodness. The Psalmist declared, “The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the Lord" (Psalm 33:5). Jesus said, “He [God—the Father] gives both the righteous and the unrighteous food to eat, a fire to keep warm, water to quench thirst. He gives us all blue sky, a warm sun, green grass, and beautiful mountains" (Matthew 5:45).

I have the feeling that if you or I were God, things would be very different. When someone ridiculed you or gossiped about you or spoke evil of you, wouldn’t you make rain fall on every lawn in the city but theirs? Or maybe send a small lightening bolt to ruin their perfectly manicured flowerbed? Or everyone in their company would get a promotion before them. Or you’d make their appliances only last a very short time. Come on; be honest!

Believers and unbelievers alike have relationships that bring love and happiness. Each can accomplish lifelong projects—paint, sing, write, innovate, build, invent, design—you get the idea. But sadly, some don’t thank the Lord for that, do they? Even the Psalmist knew that truth, “Oh, that men would praise the LORD for His lovingkindness" (Psalm 107:8).

Even though they take God for granted, He continues to pour out his lovingkindness—even on those who do not acknowledge Him, nor give Him thanks. And we should do the same. Loving our enemies is not an easy task, but that is what He did for us. Let’s be faithful representatives of Christ in the world. Let’s show a common grace as God does—to all men!

Gospel of Grace

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

Any gospel message must include grace. It's what makes salvation so amazing. Amazing in many ways, not the least of which is that it is extended to everyone. There are many Scriptures that bear this out. Here are just a couple of them:

1st John 2:2, When he [Jesus] served as a sacrifice for our sins, he solved the sin problem for good—not only ours, but the whole world’s. (The MESSAGE)

1st Timothy 2:6, [Jesus] offered himself in exchange for everyone held captive by sin, to set them all free. Eventually the news is going to get out. (The MESSAGE)

The following is a long quote of Mark Mosley's description of grace. It notes how far God's grace is extended on our behalf:

"Jesus bore the sins of the Assyrians, who gloated over the captives they had skinned alive; the sins of SS troops, machine-gunning women and children running from burning synagogues with clothing ablaze.

Jesus bore the sins of child molesters, making sure their victims never have to testify; the sins of the Pharaohs, sacrificing thousands of laborers' lives, to build themselves deifying tombs.

Jesus was tossed about in these endless storms: enraged fathers beating toddlers to death; pimps seducing runaways into lives of drugs and prostitution; church ladies cannibalizing other church ladies over coffee; Canaanites throwing their children to Moloch, their sun god; impoverished parents in China selling their children into slavery.

Jesus bore the sins of embezzlers; gangsters; bullies; rapists; liars; the indifferent; the sadistic; the self-righteous Bible-believing leaders praying long and loud, while their wives sat in back pews praying that heavy make-up covered their bruises.

It is a scene of unbearable horror and unspeakable madness. He is the accused for us all, bearing the weight of abused children; families destroyed by adultery or apathy; civilizations decaying; wars ravaging victims. Yet, through it all, deep in the terror of hell, He keeps His eyes wide open.

He is not just a bystander caught in the accident; He has come deliberately. He will accept it all, absorbing the full force of this storm of wrath in His body, His mind, His heart, and His soul, until there is nothing left to feel.

Finally, the tumbling will slow a bit; the storm will slacken, and Jesus will lift Himself on His nailed feet to snatch a gasp of air and force His swollen tongue to shout, "It is finished—I've come; I've seen; I've paid for it all."

Then I will add, Jesus extended His grace to me! I am eternally grateful.

Sinners become sons of God, because the Son of God became sin—for us!

Rick, You Need A Bath!

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

I can’t tell you how many times I heard the words of the title of this eDevotion from my Mother, "Rick, you need a bath!"

A former pastor of mine told a story about Billy Sunday, an early 1900s revivalist. It seems that a man commented to Mr. Sunday that since personal revival didn’t permanently end temptation and sin and personal failure, that revival just wasn’t that important. He ended by saying, “Revival just doesn’t last.” Billy Sunday responded, "Well, a bath doesn't last either, but it's good to take one occasionally!"

When Jesus was in the Upper Room with His disciples just before His betrayal in the garden, He did something that caused the disciples to marvel. He girded Himself with a towel and washed His disciples’ feet.

Peter would have none of that. “You’ll never wash my feet,” he said. “Then you’ll have no part with Me,” Jesus responded. “OK, then wash all of me,” Peter said. (That is my loose translation of John 13:5-9).

What Jesus said next (from the King James Version) is interesting. “Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit” (John 13:10).

The words “washed” and “wash” are two different words in the Greek text. Washed comes from the word louw (la-oo’-oh) and wash from the word niptw (nip’-toe). Washed has the meaning of a total bath and wash has the meaning of a temporary washing of the hands or feet.

What the Lord seems to be saying here is that, even though you’ve had a bath, you still need to wash your hands and feet. That makes sense in light of the fact that they walked dusty, non-paved roads. Their feet would get dirty, and need cleaning before entering someone’s house.

Life is like that. We have been washed by the blood of Christ and we are clean “ever whit”. But as we walk through life, we get dirty and need to clean up a bit. That is why we are encouraged to confess our sins. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1st John 1:9).

No wonder we need daily revival. We so easily cover up or rationalize our sins. We manage them, but fail to confess them. “The believer who wants true revival throws away his list of favorite excuses for sin. Confession replaces excuses. Commitment replaces compromise.” –-Stephen Dalle

This Little Light of Mine

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

On a clear night the lights of a distant city are visible for miles, especially if that city is on a hill. In Bible times that’s where a majority of cities were built—on hills. Even without electricity, the nighttime fires gave light that could be seen for a considerable distance.

When Jesus moved His ministry headquarters to Capernaum, on the Sea of Galilee, many of the surrounding hills were topped by cities whose lights were visible on the night horizon. Safad (modern-day Zefat) is one of those cities located on a high hill just north of the lake, and people in Jesus’ day would have been familiar with its lights. It may just have been the very “city on a hill” Jesus had in mind when He talked about this subject in Matthew 5:14.

People in the first century used lamps to light their houses. Lamps were small, clay vessels that contained olive oil and a floating wick. When lit, the lamp was set on a well-positioned lampstand where it would provide “light to everyone in the house” (Matthew 5:15). No, the light was not as bright or convenient as our modern lighting, but it did provide adequate lighting as long as the wick was trimmed properly and the lampstand strategically located.

Because these lamps required fire for light, they were not extinguished when the household went to bed at night. Instead they placed a measuring bowl over the lamp to dim the light. Perhaps that is what our Lord had in mind when He said, “…neither do they hide it under a bushel…” (Matthew 5:15).

Night lights in Jesus’ day served a couple of functions. They dispelled darkness (the purpose of a lamp), and they gave direction (the purpose of a beacon/lighthouse). I think that is what the Lord had in mind for His light-bearers. As lights in the world, Christ followers are to dispel spiritual darkness, and warn of spiritual danger to all who will take notice.

Surely the apostle Paul had that in mind when he wrote to the Philippians, "That you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world" (Philippians 2:15).

So let your light shine! Don’t “hide it under a bushel.” If you know it, you’re probably humming or singing the old spiritual right now…

This little light of mine

I’m a gonna let it shine

Let it shine

Let it shine

Let it shine