The Greatest Gift

Bible Reading:  John 3:16-21

Key Verse: Verse 16 – “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Key Words: For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son

Two little girls were acting very badly one day.  They were misbehaving.  It was Thanksgiving Day and their father told them, “Girls, go to your room. You are dismissed from Thanksgiving dinner.”

Sad and dejected, the girls went to their rooms.  A few moments later, they heard their mother calling, “Girls, girls, come down to dinner.”

A little baffled in light of what their father had said, they sheepishly walked down to the dinner table and sat down.  But they noticed something.  Dad was not there.  So, they naturally asked, “Mother, where is Dad?”

“Dad went to his room.”

“But why, mom?”

“Because Dad loves you so much.  He couldn’t change his standard, but he didn’t want to deny you dinner.  So, Dad said he would go and pay the price so that you could come and eat the meal.  While you enjoy the meal, remember that your dad has picked up the tab and is paying the penalty.”

 Brothers and sisters, when you forget to say thanks for everything else, don’t forget to say thanks for Jesus…for He is God’s greatest gift to mankind.

                                                                                                        Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do:

✞ Accept Jesus as your Savior.  He is God’s greatest gift for you to you.

The Gift of Blessings

Bible Reading:  Psalm 104

Key Verse: Verse 35 – “Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more.  Bless thou the LORD, O my soul.  Praise ye the Lord.”

Key Words: Bless thou the LORD, O my soul.

The psalmist starts the psalm and ends the psalm with the same words, “Bless [thou] the LORD, O my soul.”

The psalmist is thanking God for His creation. In verses one through four, we see days one and two of Creation while in verses five through nine, we have day three. In verses ten through eighteen we see days four and five. Then in verses nineteen through thirty we have day six, and in verses thirty-one through thirty-five we have day seven.

The point being that even in the day-to-day events of life, we have so much to be thankful for that we really take for granted.

 There is an imaginative story of that morning when the sun did not rise. Six o’clock came and there was no sign of dawn. At seven o’clock there was still no ray of light. At noon it was as black as midnight and no bird sang. There was only the hoot of the owl and the swoop of the bat. Then came the black hours of the black afternoon. No one slept that night. Some wept, some wrung their hands in anguish. Every church was thronged to its doors with people upon their knees. Thus they remained the whole night through; then millions of eager, tear-wet faces were turned toward the east. When the sky began to grow red, and the sun rose once more there was a shout of great joy. Now millions of lips said, “Bless the Lord, O my soul.” Why were these people so thankful? Just because the sun rose after one day of darkness. The very constancy of God’s blessings sometimes seems to kill our gratitude. Whereas the wonderful thing about the mercies of God is that they are fresh every morning and new every morning.  We all should cry out daily, “Bless the Lord, O my soul.”

                                                                                            Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do:

✞ Make it a daily practice during your prayer time (You do have a prayer time, don’t you?) to thank God for His wonderful blessings.

The Gift of Time

Bible Reading:  Psalm 39 and Job 7

Key Verse: Verse Job 7:6 - “My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope.”

Key Words: My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle

Time is God’s gift to us all, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year…time!!

What we do with God’s gift of time is the ultimate question.  One day our gift of time on this earth will end, and then time will be no more.

What we do today, and all of the tomorrows is important.

Take your hand, doesn’t matter left or right, hold it up and spread your fingers.  Now compare the size of your hand to everything around you.  Your hand is very small in comparison, is it not?  Well, the spread of your hand is a handbreadth; and compared to eternity, our life on this earth is small indeed.

In Kensington Gardens, one of London’s pleasant open spaces, there stands elevated a clock which has four dials, each showing respectively north, south, east and west, and underneath each dial is carved in large letters: TIME FLIES.

A very plain and truthful message this is, and no one living will deny this plain fact.  Many thousands have passed this clock and have no doubt been glad to avail themselves of the knowledge of the hour; but are not the timely words as to the fleeting of time a plain and solemn warning to all?

  Each day brings us most certainly nearer to the close of our career here; and the well-known words are very fitting “brief life is here our portion.”

                                                                                                    Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do:

✞ Spend your time wisely – it’s more valuable than money.

A Gift We Should All Have

Bible Reading: Luke 10:25-37  

Key Verse: Verse 33 - “But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,”

Key Words: he had compassion

The word compassion means to move into action.  Someone has said that compassion is your burden in my heart.  I would add “compassion is your burden in my heart that motivates me to action.”

To the thieves this traveler was a victim to exploit.

To the priest and the Levite he was a nuisance to avoid.

To the inn host he was a customer to serve.

But to the Samaritan he was someone to whom to give aid and compassion.

The story is told of General William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, and the day Queen Victoria of England asked to meet with him.  Because she had heard so many favorable things about his work in the slums, she asked him for the secret of his success. “Your Majesty,” he replied, “Some men have a passion for money.  Some people have a passion for things.  I have a passion for people.”

Finding his newly appointed pastor standing at his study window in the church weeping as he looked over the inner city's tragic conditions, a layman sought to console him: "Don't worry.  After you've been here a while, you'll get used to it."  Responded the minister, "Yes, I know.  That's why I am crying."

You may not see compassion as a gift but ask those who have received it in a time of need what they think!

 

                                                                                                        Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do: 

✞ Have compassion.

Good Gifts

Bible Reading:  Matthew 7:1-11

Key Verse: Verse 11 -  “If ye then being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

Key Words: good gifts

The word “gifts” is an interesting word.  It comes from the Greek word demo, the roof of a building.  I believe the idea is to build our children up in Christ and character.

The beautiful gift of Christ and character is called good gifts.

How can parents give good gifts to their children?

Parents must teach God’s truth (Dt 4:9, 32:46).

Parents must lovingly discipline children because they are immature and need guidance (Prov 22:15, 29:15).

Parents should not exasperate their children (Eph 6:4).

Parents’ wise decisions bring blessing to their children (Dt 30:19-20).

Parents who are godly teach their children to obey (Eph 6:1, I Tim 3:4).

Parents who faithfully train their children can be confident that their efforts are not in vain (Prov 22:6).

Always remember that children are like wet cement: whatever falls in them leaves an impression.

 

                                                                                                            Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do:

✞ Make sure you give your children good gifts.

The Purpose of Gifts

Bible Reading: I Corinthians 14:1-12

Key Verse: Verse 12 - “Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.”

Key Words: to the edifying of the church

The purpose behind any of the gifts of the Spirit is to edify the church.  I know you do not need to be reminded that the church is not a building but the people.  We build up the people by using our spiritual gifts.

A Builder Or A Wrecker?

I watched them tearing a building down,
A gang of men in a busy town.
With a ho-heave-ho and lusty yell,
They swung a beam and a sidewall fell.
I asked the foreman, "Are these men skilled,
As the men you'd hire if you had to build?"
He gave me a laugh and said, "No indeed!
Just common labor is all I need.
I can easily wreck in a day or two
What builders have taken a year to do."
And I tho't to myself as I went my way,
Which of these two roles have I tried to play?
Am I a builder who works with care,
Measuring life by the rule and square?
Am I shaping my deeds by a well-made plan,
Patiently doing the best I can?
Or am I a wrecker who walks the town,
Content with the labor of tearing down?
"O, Lord, let my life and my labors be

That which will build for eternity!"

 

                                                                Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do: 

✞ Use your gift(s) to edify the church.

Baptism of the Spirit

Bible Reading:  I Corinthians 12:1-13

Key Verse: Verse 13 - “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”

Key Words: For by one spirit are we all baptized into one body

The baptism of the Spirit is not a separate event apart from salvation.  It is not a second blessing.  The baptism of the Spirit according to I Corinthians 12:13 is a “one-time” happening.

Often the confusion in regard to the baptism of the Spirit comes because of a misunderstanding of the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts.

In Acts, just as tongues was a sign for classes and groups of people such as the Jews, Gentiles, and the followers of John the Baptist receiving the Holy Spirit, so is the baptism of the Spirit.

In Acts 1:4-5, the baptism of the Spirit was on the Jews.

In Acts 8:14-15, the Samaritans.

In Acts 10:44, the Gentiles.

Acts 19:1-6, the Jewish proselytes.

Much of the theology today is based upon someone’s experience.  We call that “experience theology.”  The experience theology in many cases opposes the true teaching of God’s Word.

I heard Evangelist Ron Comfort say, “I heard a false teacher say on the radio to those in need put your hand on the radio and feel the baptism of the Spirit.”  Ron Comfort went on to say, “If you really want a feeling, put your hand in the radio…that will give you a feeling.”

 Let me close by saying, “Make sure you know who you are following before you follow them.”

                                                                                                Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do:  

✞ Live by the Word of God, not by your experiences.

The Gift of Vocation

Bible Reading:  Ephesians 4:1-10

Key Verse: Verse 1 - “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,”

Key Words: walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called 

The vocation here is not our secular job but of the sharing of the Gospel.  See Ephesians 2:10; 3:1, 7, 8, 11, and of course, 4:1.

The command to win souls and witness is given to every believer.

The gift of God in Jesus Christ and our vocation as believers is to tell others what Jesus has done for us and to glorify Him by and through our life.

Did you notice how often Paul starts both chapters 3 and 4 with the word prisoner?  A prisoner is someone with no rights, only responsibilities.  It is our responsibility, yes even our vocation, to tell others about Jesus and to show others Jesus through our life.

A man who could neither read nor write was handed a tract.  He asked, “What is this?”  When he was told it was a tract, he said, “Well, I can’t read it; so I’ll watch your tracks.”  That was the greatest short sermon this Christian could ever have had preached to him.  Someone was watching his tracks…thus the gift of your vocation.

 

                                                                                             Dr, Mike Rouse                           

What to do:

✞ Walk worthy of your vocation.

The Gift of Tongues

Bible Reading:  I Corinthians 12:10 and Acts 2:1-4

Key Verse: Verse 12:10 - “To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:”

Key Words: divers kinds of tongues

We are told in I Corinthians 13:8 that tongues will cease when that which is perfect is come.

There are those who believe that the “that” in the verse is the second coming of Jesus.  I certainly do not want to make this devotional a commentary on the Scriptures, but I would be amiss if I did not say that the context of Scripture is not the second coming, but the context is love and the Scriptures.  Prophecy was the Scripture, knowledge was and is a gift involving the Scripture… “that which is perfect” is the complete Word of God.  When the Word was completed, tongues ceased.

In Acts 2 the Jews spoke in tongues as a sign that the Holy Spirit had come upon the Jews.  It was a one-time event.

In Acts 19 it was a sign that the Holy Spirit had been given to the Gentiles.  Again, a one-time event.

Tongues for today has ceased.  Instead of wasting time trying to invent an unknown language, let’s spend our time and money getting the Bible translated into those known languages that do not have the Scriptures.

In his sermon, “A Dangerous Pentecost,” Halford Luccock tells of Lorenzo de’Medici, the great Florentine patron of the arts who was very proud of the spectacles he staged for the citizenry.  Among his productions were several amazingly realistic religious pageants performed in church.  But one Pentecost, Lorenzo went too far: he used actual fire to depict the descent of the tongues of flames on the apostles.  The fragile stage set caught fire and, before horrified onlookers, the entire church burned to the ground.  The moral is clear: pray for Pentecostal power, but don’t try to manufacture it.

 

                                                                                                    Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do:  

✞ Use your tongue to share the Gospel everywhere you go in the language you know.

The Gift of Discerning Spirits

Bible Reading: I Corinthians 12:10 and I John 4:1-10

Key Verse: Verse 12:10 - “To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:”

Key Words: to another discerning of spirits

You may have noticed that we did not cover the gift of prophecy, foretelling the future events has failed (failed means to lose authority, not be valid). 

The discerning of spirits, I believe, is still viable today.

I personally know a pastor that will fall for every sob story that vagabonds off the street tell him.  Over the years, I’ve cautioned him in regard to those who take advantage of his gracious but naïve spirit.  This gracious pastor will tell you over the years he has trusted those who have let him down even though he was warned in regard to these “fakes.”

My wife, who seldom gets involved in the inner workings of the church, will say to me, “Now, you be careful.  Watch out” … for this and that; and then she will say, “Isn’t ‘so and so’ wonderful?”  She is almost always right.  She has the spirit of discernment.

Duck hunters use decoys.  Today, these decoys have gotten pretty fancy.  The decoys quack like ducks, move like ducks, look like ducks, and act like ducks.  In fact, the ducks think that they are real ducks and the real ducks end up being dead ducks because they can’t tell what’s real.

 

                                                                                                    Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do: 

✞ Praise God and listen and heed those who have proven that they indeed have the gift of discerning spirits.

The Gift of Miracles

Bible Reading:  I Corinthians 12:10 and Hebrews 12:1-4

Key Verse: Verse 12:10 – “To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:”

Key Words: working of miracles

Again, I repeat, I believe in the God of miracles, but I do not believe in man-made miracles.

In the early church, miracles were a part of the credentials of God’s servants.  The gifts of healing, miracles, and tongues were sign gifts of the early church.  I believe these gifts are “passed away.”

But I do believe in the God of miracles and with God nothing is impossible.

I believe these miracles come from God through our prayer life.

A man was putting a tin roof on his barn when all of a sudden he slipped and began to slide down the roof.  He cried out to God to save him when no sooner he got the words out of his mouth a nail caught his pants and stopped him.  When he stopped he said, “Never mind God, I took care of it”.  The problem isn’t that God doesn’t perform miracles anymore, the problem is we’re not looking for God to perform miracles.

An alcoholic [who] became a believer, was asked how he could possibly believe all the nonsense in the Bible about miracles.  “You don’t believe that Jesus changed the water into wine, do you?”  “I sure do, because in our house Jesus changed the whiskey into furniture.”

 Yes, I believe in miracles.  I see God perform them every day (but not man)!!

                                                                                                            Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do: 

✞ The greatest of all miracles is the salvation of a soul.  Are you saved?  If not, call us.  We want to tell you about the great miracle of salvation.

The Gift of Healing

Bible Reading:  I Corinthians 12:9 and James 5:14-20

Key Verse: Verse 12:9 – “To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;”

Key Words: the gifts of healing

I do not believe in faith healers, but I do believe that faith can heal.

Faith in God can heal the alcoholic from his drunkenness.

Faith in God can heal the addict from his addiction to drugs.

Faith in God can heal the thief from their stealing and the adulterer from their fornication.

I believe that God uses the prayers of those who pray, believing, to work miracles.

The word healer means physical treatment, those who know how to treat illness and disease, and prescribe medicine.  These are used by God to “heal” but it is ultimately God Who does the healing.

 I do not believe in the faith healing of today that so many false teachers are proclaiming to have.  Remember, we are told in Matthew 7:21-23: “Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?  And then I will profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

                                                                                        Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do: 

✞ I praise God for modern medicine, but I praise Him more for He makes them work.

he Gift of Faith

Bible Reading: I Corinthians 12:9 and Matthew 17:14-21

Key Verse: Verse 12:9 – “To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;”

Key Words: To another faith

God gives to every man the measure of faith.  Some build their faith and others don’t.

This gift of faith given to some should never be used as an excuse for our lack of faith.  It is a gift given to some to encourage us through the very tough and trying times of life.  For example, in Acts 27 Paul stands up and begins to proclaim by faith that (verse 22) men should be of good cheer “for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship.”  Now, they are in the middle of a typhoon, the ship is sinking, no doubt men are in total fear (as most of us would be), but Paul’s gift of faith was used to encourage others during the most trying time of life.

J. Vernon McGee writes: Faith, we are told in the Scriptures, is the substance of things hoped for.  That is a gift.  Some people have the gift of faith.

 “I have a combination of Scottish and German blood in me.  When you get that combination, it’s bad.  I have pessimist blood in me, and I look at everything from that point of view.  In every church in which I served; God gave me several people who had the gift of faith.  Many a time an officer has come and put his arm around my shoulder and said, “Look, preacher, this thing is going to come through just right.”  And you know, it did.  He had the faith; I didn’t.  Faith is a gift of the Spirit.”

                                                                                                        Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do:  

✞ Praise God for those who have faith during the most trying times of life.

he Gift of Knowledge

Bible Reading: I Corinthians 12:8 and 1:1-9

Key Verse: 12:8 – “For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;”

Key Words: the word of knowledge

Knowledge is constantly changing.  What some of us learned in high school is already outdated.  Remember the old 8-track tapes?   Outdated!  How about the old copy machines we used to use?  Outdated!  We used to have a percolator coffee pot.  Now we have a Keurig.  Things change.  Knowledge changes.  But the knowledge here is the knowledge of God’s Word.  The natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God; but not every saved person has the knowledge of God’s Word.

Let me explain it by using music.  We have all heard people play around with the piano and we’ve heard others who could play the piano, but every now and then someone comes along and when they play the piano, our ears perk up and our eyes turn to see who this person is for they make the piano come to life.  So it is with the person who has the gift of knowledge.  They make the Bible come to life!! 

 May God bless those who have the gift and may they use it wisely.

                                                                                        Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do:  

✞ Thank God for those you know who have the gift of knowledge.

The Gift of Wisdom

Bible Reading:  I Corinthians 12:8 and 2:1-7

Key Verse: Verse 2:7 – “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: “

Key Words: hidden wisdom

While God has promised to give wisdom to those who ask (James 1:5), there is a gift of wisdom, that being the ability to pull out the golden nuggets of the Scriptures.

Have you ever sat under a pastor, evangelist, missionary or teacher and said, “Wow, I never saw that before!”  I personally believe that what this gift of wisdom is, is the ability to teach others and find those golden nuggets of truth from God’s Word that others may overlook.

I want to share with you something really encouraging.  Most of us don’t aspire very high in our reading because we don’t feel like there is any hope.  But listen to this.  Suppose you read about 250 words a minute and that you resolve to devote just 15 minutes a day to serious reading to deepen your grasp of Biblical truth.  In one year (365 days) you would read for 5,475 minutes.  Multiply that time by 250 words per minute and you get 1,368,750 words per year.  Now most books have between 300 and 400 words per page.  So if we take 350 words per page and divide that into 1,368,750 words per year, we get 3,910 pages per year.  This means that at 250 words a minute, fifteen minutes a day, you could read about 20 average sized books a year!  I believe you will be absolutely elated: reading more than you ever thought you could in a 15 minute time slot that would have been wasted anyway.   Start with the Bible and then choose some great commentaries.

 Now, automatically there are those who will say “I can’t do that!”  Maybe that’s the reason you don’t have the gift of wisdom.

                                                                    Dr. Miek Rouse

What to do: 

✞ If you have the gift of wisdom, use it wisely or you won’t have it long.

Diversities of Gifts

Bible Reading:  I Corinthians 12:1-16

Key Verse: Verse 4 - “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.”

Key Words: there are diversities of gifts

We are a diverse people.  We are not all the same color, not all the same gender, we don’t all look alike, nor do we all speak the same language or like the same things.  We are a diverse people.  God made us that way.  The same is true when it comes to our spiritual gifts.

The grace gifts found in Romans 12 were primarily given to be a blessing to other believers.  The gifts found in I Corinthians 12, while being a blessing to other believers, were primarily used to reach unbelievers.

You find nine of these spiritual gifts in I Corinthians 12.  Just as we do not all have the same grace gifts, we also do not all have the same outreach gift.  The Spirit gives us the gift He so chooses (verse 7).

Not only do we have different gifts, but we also each use our gift in different ways (verse 6).  For example, I’ve seen different styles of preaching.  We all know of preachers who pace back and forth, and others who never move.  Some preachers pound the pulpit, while others do not.  Some raise their voice while others are just steady in their tone of voice.  Some are Bible-thumpers and others aren’t, but they all have the same gift: preaching; and their goal is the same: to preach the Word, reach the lost, motivate the saint, and to glorify God.  I try not to get all caught up in style as much as I do content and character.

There are diversities of gifts.  What’s yours?  And are you using it to reach others and glorify the Lord?

 

                                                                                                        Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do: 

✞ Find your spiritual gift and use it!  Not abuse it!

Jesus and Mercy

Bible Reading:  Luke 18:35-43

Key Verse: Verse 38 – “And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.”

Key Words: have mercy on me

It is said that grace is God giving us what we do not deserve, and mercy is God not giving us what we do deserve.  If that is the case, the blind man was asking Jesus to remove from him the blindness that he rightfully deserved.

Today each of us should be thankful for mercy.  Think about this: what if we were all made mutes because we gossiped and said things we should not say?  What if we were all blind because we looked at things we should not have?  What if we were all made deaf because we listened to things we ought not?  What if we were all made lame because we went where we should not go?  Thank God for His mercy that we do not get what we deserve.  If so, we would all be bound for hell.

A mother once approached Napoleon seeking a pardon for her son.  The emperor replied that the young man had committed a certain offense twice and justice demanded death.

“But I don’t ask for justice,” the mother explained.  “I plead for mercy.”

“But your son does not deserve mercy,” Napoleon replied.

“Sir,” the woman cried, “it would not be mercy if he deserved it, and mercy is all I ask for.”

“Well then,” the emperor said, “I will have mercy.”  And he spared the woman’s son.

Mercy: not getting what we do deserve.

 

                                                                             Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do: 

✞ Be thankful for Jesus and His gift of mercy.