GOD’S WORD FOR JULY 4

We are reading from a daily devotional  called “Running To Win” written by Erwin Lutzer  and the late, great D.L. Moody.   Erwin Lutzer is a light in our day as D.L. Moody was in his.  Besides his many ministries, and many books, Pastor Lutzer was Senior Pastor at Moody Church in Chicago for 36 years and now serves as Pastor Emeritus there.  He is  Chancelor and a former professor at Moody Bible Institute, where he taught Theology and Ministry, and now has numerous radio teachings.

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UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT

Psalm 84:11

“The Lord will give grace and glory.”

D.L. Moody

There is not such a great difference between grace and glory after all.  Grace is the bud, and glory the blossom.  Grace is glory begun, and glory is grace perfected.  To people who are serving God down here, Glory will not come hard when they go up to heaven.  They will change places, but they will not stop serving.

ERWIN LUTZER

The word “glory” has a variety of meanings.  When applied to God, it means majesty, worthiness, and eternality.  We, too, will enjoy glory, though not of our own doing but because of what Christ has done for us.  Jesus prayed, “The glory that You have given Me I have given to them:  (John 17:22).

We can’t comprehend what that really means.  After all, our eyes can’t see and our hearts can’t grasp the wonder of our salvation and our eternal happiness.  All we can be certain of is that everything we have is because of the undeserved grace of God.  I told my wife, Rebecca, that if, for the first 1,000 years in heaven, I will be on my face thanking and worshiping Jesus, that would be fine with me.  Being reunited with my relatives and friends can come later.

Meanwhile, we have a battle we must win.  Until we see Jesus, we must realize we are in a war.  Galatians 5:15-17 says, “but I say, walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.  For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.”

The Holy Spirit not only wants to subdue the sinful flesh, He seeks to birth in us the fruit of the Spirit, and, I believe that the greater our victories on Earth, the more glory that awaits us in heaven.

For us who believe, we receive grace today and glory tomorrow!

PRAYER

Father, please help me to keep eternal glory in mind and daily kill the desires of the flesh.

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Romans 8:18-23

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.  For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.  For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope;  because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.  For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.  Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.”

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Philippians 3:20-21

“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

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 Colossians 3:4

“When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”

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 1 John 3:2-3

“When Christ appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is.  Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself.”

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 2 Timothy 2:10

“salvation “with eternal glory.”

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Revelation 21:1-4

“new heaven and new earth, no more death, mourning, crying, or pain.”

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