Second, we must grasp the truth that the Lord of life rose physically from the dead after He was crucified. Actually, if we believe Jesus was G.o.d in the flesh, then the Resurrection isn't a difficult proposition to accept.

These two truths form the bedrock of our faith, connect us with the grace of G.o.d (versus self-effort), and motivate us to please G.o.d all day every day.

What are the different effects of self-effort to earn G.o.d's acceptance and faith in Christ?

How would you explain to others your belief in these two truths?

"To be like Christ is to be a Christian."-WILLIAM PENN "It's exciting to know that an all-knowing, all-loving G.o.d, the Creator of the universe, who knows even when a sparrow falls, loved me so much before I was born that He came to earth to lay down His own life that I might live."-ZIG ZIGLAR

JULY 31.

HE IS RISEN!.

[The angel said,] "He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you."

MATTHEW 28:6-7.

FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON, when Joseph of Arimathea took Jesus down from the cross and put Him in a tomb, until early Sunday morning, Christ's followers were devastated. Their hopes and dreams had been shattered by the cruel execution of the One they loved. Now, on Sunday morning, the men were still unable to make sense of what had happened, and they didn't move from their homes. A few faithful women, though, wanted to show their love for Jesus one more time by going to the tomb with spices to put on His body (see Luke 24:1).

Their walk to the cemetery must have been long and silent. What was left to be said? Their tears had spoken volumes over the last three days. But as they approached the tomb, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, and an angel, glowing like lightning, sat on the stone! His message thrilled and amazed them. "He's not here," the angel reported as he pointed to the empty tomb. "He's alive!"

The women probably wanted to pinch themselves. During those terrible days, their emotions had been dealt a severe blow and were stretched to the breaking point. Now, an angel was talking to them! It was, in a literal sense, incredible, but they believed him, and they rushed off to tell the rest of Jesus' followers.

The angel promised that they would see Jesus again, and indeed, they did only an hour or so later. The promise to all of us is that we'll see Him too. The message the angel spoke that morning is music to our ears, as well.

What do you think that moment was like when the angel spoke to the women?

What is the significance in your life that Jesus has risen from the dead?

"The entire plan for the future has its key in the resurrection."-BILLY GRAHAM

August.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31.

AUGUST 1.

A FOUNTAIN OF FORGIVENESS.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 JOHN 1:9.

NO ONE IN HIS OR HER RIGHT MIND would live with an open sore if a tube of medicine would heal the hurt. In the same way, G.o.d has given us the incredible promise to heal the wounds of our guilt. His promise to forgive is ready and waiting for us to claim it. Will we?

For some of us, the gift of forgiveness seems too good to be true. We're convinced that our sin is too bad or that we've been doing it too long for it to be within the scope of G.o.d's cleansing. And besides, we're convinced we'll probably do it again, so what's the use?

G.o.d's promise is not to forgive us once and then leave us alone. His forgiveness is comprehensive, covering all our sins. None of them surprise Him. He's omniscient, and He knew each one before He created the world! He forgives with His eyes wide open.

John tells us that G.o.d is "faithful and just" to forgive us. He is faithful to fulfill His promise, and forgiveness is an act of justice because Christ has already paid the price on the cross. Our confession doesn't make us forgiven, but it taps into the limitless well of forgiveness provided to us by Christ's sacrifice.

If we grasp the scope of this promise, we won't hesitate to respond to the Spirit's tap on the shoulder to tell us an att.i.tude or action is sin. We'll say, "Yes, Lord. I agree with You. Thank You for the forgiveness You promised!"

Do you access G.o.d's promise of forgiveness most of the time, some of the time, or very seldom? Explain your answer.

As you read today's paragraphs, did the Spirit tap you on the shoulder to remind you of a sin you need forgiveness for? If He did, thank Him now for His grace and forgiveness.

"In the end, it is important to remember that we cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are."-MAX DE PREE "The phrase, 'G.o.d said it, I believe it, and that settles it' is partially true. My friend, if G.o.d said it, that settles it, whether you believe it or not."-ZIG ZIGLAR

AUGUST 2.

STONE-COLD TRUTHS.

G.o.d spoke all these words, saying: "I am the LORD your G.o.d, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other G.o.ds before Me."

EXODUS 20:1-3.

THROUGHOUT HUMAN HISTORY, G.o.d has used many different ways to communicate with us. On different occasions, He has spoken to people through voices, dreams, calamities, a cataclysmic flood, our consciences, the written Word, a flaming bush that didn't burn, and becoming one of us for a brief time. One of the most dramatic moments of G.o.d's desire to connect with us was when He carved stone tablets and gave them to Moses. On these tablets, also known as the Ten Commandments, G.o.d gave clear, powerful directions to enable us to relate to Him (the first four commands) and to one another (the last six).

As a preamble to the first command, G.o.d reminds the people of Israel of their recent history. Shortly before this moment, G.o.d had freed them from slavery in Egypt. He miraculously rescued them when the Egyptian army had them pinned against the sea, and He provided food for them every day in the wilderness. Without doubt, G.o.d had proven His greatness and grace to them. Nothing could compare to His majesty and His loving-kindness. With that in mind, the first commandment says clearly, "Keep Me at the top."

It's easy for us to think that we don't have any problem with idolatry and competing G.o.ds in our lives, but let's take a closer look. All around us, people put success, money, pleasure, and power in the center of their lives. And if we're honest, these things threaten to crowd G.o.d out of the center of our own lives too. We may not bow before a golden calf, but our minds can easily be preoccupied with gaining more than we have now. Keeping G.o.d in the center is a decision and a process.

What are some things that threaten to crowd G.o.d out of the center of your life?

What do you gain and lose by having Him in the center?

"Our main business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand."-THOMAS CARLYLE

AUGUST 3.

WATCH OUT FOR WARPED WORSHIP.

[G.o.d said,] "You shall not make for yourself a carved image-any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your G.o.d, am a jealous G.o.d, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments."

EXODUS 20:4-6.

WE LIVE IN A VISUAL AGE. Television, movies, and the Internet bring an incredible barrage of scenes into our living rooms, offices, bedrooms, and everywhere else we roam. We feast on visual images all day every day. In antiquity, images were often used to teach stories to illiterate people. G.o.d gave us eyes to see with, and pictures can be great gifts to enjoy. But in relating to G.o.d, images can distort and diminish His message.

In his cla.s.sic book Knowing G.o.d, author J. I. Packer observes that images "dishonor G.o.d" and "mislead men." He states, "The heart of the objection to pictures and images is that they inevitably conceal most, if not all, of the truth about the personal nature and character of the divine Being whom they represent."[9] Satan is precisely not a little guy in a red suit with a forked tail and a pitchfork, and G.o.d is precisely not an old man with a long white beard and a robe.

We may be tempted to use images, statues, paintings, and other representations of G.o.d to make Him seem more accessible, but these come at a price. When we use them, we lose much of the wonder of the finite for the Infinite, the awe that creatures should have of the Creator.

Where do we draw the line? Can we use movies about Jesus to tell others about Him? What about stained gla.s.s windows depicting moments in Christ's life? We draw the line at the place where the image replaces wonder and limits our concept of G.o.d's infinite greatness.

What are some depictions of G.o.d you've seen in popular culture?

In what ways do they accurately represent G.o.d, and in what ways do they distort our view of Him?

"Nature has perfections in order to show that she is the image of G.o.d; and defects, to show she is only His image."-BLAISE PASCAL

AUGUST 4.

NEVER TAKE G.o.d LIGHTLY.

[G.o.d said,] "You shall not take the name of the LORD your G.o.d in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain."

EXODUS 20:7.

TOO MANY OF US LIVE as if G.o.d doesn't matter, and our language reflects this att.i.tude. Even some of us who claim to be Christians sometimes speak of G.o.d in ways that communicate that we don't respect Him. Certainly, this commandment addresses the issue of using G.o.d's name in profanity, but it's more than that. Much more.

One of the most common exclamations in popular culture is, "Oh, my G.o.d!" Scores of contestants on game shows say these words every day, and millions more say them in conversations with friends. And we say these words without thinking. That's the point. We don't connect G.o.d's name with His character the way the children of Israel were instructed. In the Old Testament, we find rich, strong names for G.o.d, each describing an aspect of His nature. For instance, El Shaddai means "the All-Sufficient One," Elohim means "the Creator," and Jehovah-jireh means "the Lord will provide."

Another vain, empty, and inappropriate use of G.o.d's name is the use of fish symbols as marketing tools. Some may disagree with this, but our integrity and services should speak volumes about our relationship with G.o.d. If people are attracted because of the fruit of our lives, that's great, but we shouldn't use our faith to attract business-especially if our business practices don't match G.o.d's standard of excellence.

How do you think G.o.d feels when we use His name flippantly, as an exclamation, or as a marketing device?

What are some specific ways you can respect G.o.d's name more?

"Sow an act-reap a habit.

Sow a habit-reap a character.

Sow a character-reap a destiny."-CHARLES READE

AUGUST 5.

REAL REST.