GOD’S WORD FOR JULY 10

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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THE GOSPEL THROUGH YOU

John 11:39

“Take away the stone.”

D.L. MOODY

Before the act of raising Lazarus could be performed, the disciples had their part to do.  Christ could have removed the stone with a word.  It would have been very easy for Him to have commanded it to roll away, and it would have obeyed His voice, as the dead Lazarus did when He called him back to life,  but the Lord would have His children learn this lesson:  that they have something to do toward raising the spiritually dead.  The disciples had not only to take away the stone, but after Christ had raised Lazarus, they had to “loose and let him go.”

ERWIN LUTZER

When Jesus was in the world, He was the one who exposed people’s sin and their need for God’s righteousness.  It is impossible for people to come to saving faith in Christ unless  they are drawn by the Holy Spirit.  In fact, Jesus said, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.”  (John 6:44).  That’s why He says, “It is to your advantage that I go away.” (John 16:7).  The Spirit is going to convict the world, we see in John 16:8.

Bu let’s remember that we have a part to play in God’s plan of redemption;  we are commanded to share the gospel.  To use Moody’s analogy; we are to take away the stone.  Jesus said He will send the Holy Spirit to believers, in John 16:13-16.  When the Spirit is sent to us, it is THROUGH US that the world is convicted of its sin  The Holy Spirit does not work in a vacuum.  The Spirit uses our obedience to share the gospel, showing the world its need for God.

What stones do we need to remove for someone to believe the gospel?  The answer might be different for each person, but we can direct all the people we meet to Christ who can raise them to spiritual life.

PRAYER

Father, because I love You, may I play my part in the lives of others so that they might believe and be saved.

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John 3:34

For He whom God sent speaks the words of God; for He does not give the Spirit sparingly.

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Romans 15:18

For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed,

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1 Corinthians 2:13

We also speak these things, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.

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1 Peter 4:11

Whoever speaks is to do so as one who is speaking actual words of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

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2 Corinthians 4:2

but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in trickery nor distorting the word of God, but by the open proclamation of the truth commending ourselves to every person’s conscience in the sight of God.

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