Remember God's Power... The X Factor Devotional - Day Thirty Eight - March 3, 2010

"These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever."
Joshua 4:7b

Joshua had instructed the people to carry large stones from the bed of the Jordan River and place them on the Canaan side of the river.  These stones provided a memorial of God’s power, provision and purpose for the children of Israel.  The Israelites would periodically return to this place, Gilgal, to express their gratitude for victories won in this new land.  They were commanded to bring their children with them on these occasions.

Carefully read Joshua 4:19-24.  When the people of Israel were obedient to God’s instruction regarding these twelve stones, it provided a great opportunity to teach and instruct the next generation.  "He said to the Israelites, ‘In the future when your descendents ask their fathers, ‘What do these stones mean?’" (Joshua 4:21).  A child’s natural curiosity opens the door for a parent to testify of God’s remarkable power.  Parents should lead their children back to the place where God has demonstrated His timely provision.  It may be a story, a place, or even a picture, but whatever it is, let them see it over and over again until it becomes a defining moment in their lives and a monument to God’s grace.

The X Factor is an excellent opportunity for the entire church body, member by member, to build a "memorial of gratitude."  Communicate to your family members and friends that this memorial is not merely a building or a piece of property; it is, more importantly, the experience of trusting God and seeing Him come through.  Gilgal was not just a pile of rocks.  It was a powerful reminder of our indebtedness to God.  The greatest heritage we can leave to the next generation is such a memorial of God’s goodness.

Prayer Focus: Take some time to reflect on some memories of God’s power and goodness in your life.  Was it an event? A Baptism?  A worship song?  Message?  Was it a special prayer time?  Some special blessing? Remember Him.

The Absurdity of Going Back... The X Factor Devotional - Day Fourteen - January 28, 2010

“Are you so foolish?  After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?”
Galatians 3:3

On Thursday, August 1, 1985, a room full of America’s top intelligence officials were gathered outside the office of the director of the CIA for a farewell reception of a retiring colleague.  However, the topic was not about the retiree.  Whispers were flying around the room that the highest ranking KGB agent, Vitally Sergeyevich Yurchenko, had defected.  He was most important because he was in charge of all KGB operations in the United States and Canada.  Now, he would be able to provide extremely important information about Soviet spies in America.

After presenting himself to the American Embassy in Rome, he was quickly flown to the United States in a military plane.  Once in the U.S., he was taken to a “safe house” in northern Virginia where he was interrogated for hours and provided very sensitive information.

The most startling and amazing part of this story took place three months later on November 2nd.  Yurchenko had been spurned by a girlfriend in Canada and was growing increasingly impatient with his situation.  During the evening he persuaded the CIA agent assigned to him to take him to Georgetown for dinner and a movie.  During dinner Yurchenko asked the agent, “What would you do if I got up and walked off?  Would you shoot me?”  The CIA agent replied, “We don’t shoot defectors.”  Yurchenko countered, “I will be back in 15 to 20 minutes, if I am not, it is not your fault.”  With that he walked out of the restaurant and presented himself to the Russian Embassy where he un-defected.

The world watched in amazement a few days later as this man boarded a Russian Aeroflot jet, stopping briefly on the boarding steps to wave good-bye to freedom.  He then returned to the confines of communism.  Why would anybody who had enjoyed freedom return to communism?  Yet that which amazes us in the political arena is met with the same acceptance in the spiritual arena.  Why would anyone who has tasted the freedom stemming from the grace of God return to the confines of legalism regulating that relationship?  What kind of relationship do you have with the God of grace?  Have you came close to defecting?

Prayer Focus: Pray we will continue to live our Christian lives in the Spirit and not by our own human effort.  Ask the God of grace to help you deepen your relationship with Him by you submitting daily to His Holy Spirit.  Open your eyes to what you have in Christ… don’t even consider going back to your pre-Christ days!

Most Wanted

This picture has it all wrong my friends... take a look.

 It would seem to me that these are Jesus' most wanted... ya know?