My Utmost for His Highest of Crewe, England [Great Britain], United Kingdom "Heedfulness or Hypocrisy in Ourselves?' by Oswald Chambers for Tuesday, 31 March 2015

My Utmost for His Highest of Crewe, England [Great Britain], United Kingdom "Heedfulness or Hypocrisy in Ourselves?' by Oswald Chambers for Tuesday, 31 March 2015
If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death.[1 John 5:16]
If we are not heedful and pay no attention to the way the Spirit of God works in us, we will become spiritual hypocrites. We see where other people are failing, and then we take our discernment and turn it into comments of ridicule and criticism, instead of turning it into intercession on their behalf. God reveals this truth about others to us not through the sharpness of our minds but through the direct penetration of His Spirit. If we are not attentive, we will be completely unaware of the source of the discernment God has given us, becoming critical of others and forgetting that God says, “…he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death.” Be careful that you don’t become a hypocrite by spending all your time trying to get others right with God before you worship Him yourself.
One of the most subtle and illusive burdens God ever places on us as saints is this burden of discernment concerning others. He gives us discernment so that we may accept the responsibility for those souls before Him and form the mind of Christ about them (see Philippians 2:5). We should intercede in accordance with what God says He will give us, namely, “life for those who commit sin not leading to death.” It is not that we are able to bring God into contact with our minds, but that we awaken ourselves to the point where God is able to convey His mind to us regarding the people for whom we intercede.
Can Jesus Christ see the agony of His soul in us? He can’t unless we are so closely identified with Him that we have His view concerning the people for whom we pray. May we learn to intercede so wholeheartedly that Jesus Christ will be completely and overwhelmingly satisfied with us as intercessors.
1 John 5:6 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin that does not lead to death, he will ask; and God will give him life for those whose sinning does not lead to death. There is sin that does lead to death; I am not saying he should pray about that.
Bible in One Year: Judges 11:1 Now Yiftach, a brave soldier from Gil‘ad, was the son of a prostitute. His father, Gil‘ad, 2 had other sons by his wife; and when his wife’s sons grew up, they drove Yiftach away and told him, “You will not inherit from our father, because you are another woman’s son.” 3 Then Yiftach fled from his brothers and lived in the territory of Tov, where he enlisted a gang of rowdies who would go out raiding with him.
4 After a while the people of ‘Amon made war against Isra’el. 5 When the army of ‘Amon attacked Isra’el, the leaders of Gil‘ad went to fetch Yiftach from the territory of Tov 6 and said to him, “Come and be our chief, so that we can fight the army of ‘Amon.” 7 Yiftach answered the leaders of Gil‘ad, “Didn’t you hate me so much that you forced me out of my father’s house? Why are you coming to me now, when you’re in trouble?” 8 The leaders of Gil‘ad replied, “Here is why we’ve come back to you now: if you lead us in war with the people of ‘Amon, you will be head over everyone living in Gil‘ad.” 9 Yiftach answered them, “If you bring me back home to fight the army of ‘Amon, and Adonai defeats them for me, I will be your head.” 10 The leaders of Gil‘ad said to Yiftach, “Adonai is witness that we promise to do what you have said.” 11 Then Yiftach went with the leaders of Gil‘ad, and the people made him head and chief over them. Yiftach repeated all these conditions at Mitzpah in the presence of Adonai.
12 Yiftach sent messengers to the king of the people of ‘Amon to say, “What’s your problem with us? Why are you invading our territory?” 13 The king of ‘Amon answered the messengers of Yiftach, “Because Isra’el took away my territory when they came up from Egypt. They took everything from the Arnon to the Yabok and the Yarden. Now, restore it peacefully.” 14 Yiftach sent messengers again to the king of the people of ‘Amon 15 with this response, “Here is what Yiftach has to say: ‘Isra’el captured neither the territory of Mo’av nor the territory of the people of ‘Amon. 16 But when Isra’el came up from Egypt, walked through the desert to the Red Sea and arrived at Kadesh, 17 then Isra’el sent messengers to the king of Edom, to say, “Please let us pass through your land.” But the king of Edom wouldn’t let them. He sent a similar message to the king of Mo’av, but neither would he, so Isra’el stayed at Kadesh. 18 Then they walked through the desert, around the territory of Edom and the territory of Mo’av, past the east border of the territory of Mo’av, and pitched camp on the other side of the Arnon; but they did not cross the border into Mo’av, for the Arnon was the border of Mo’av. 19 Isra’el sent messengers to Sichon king of the Emori and king of Heshbon with this message, “Please let us pass through your land to our own place.” 20 But Sichon did not trust that Isra’el would only pass through his land, so he gathered all his people together, pitched camp in Yahatz and fought against Isra’el. 21 Adonai the God of Isra’el handed Sichon and all his people over to Isra’el, and they killed them. Thus Isra’el possessed all the territory of the Emori who lived there. 22 They took possession of all the territory of the Emori from the Arnon to the Yabok and from the desert to the Yarden. 23 So now that Adonai the God of Isra’el has expelled the Emori before his people Isra’el, do you think that you will expel us? 24 You should just keep the territory your god K’mosh has given you; while we, for our part, will hold onto whatever Adonai our God has given us of the lands that belonged to others before us. 25 Really, are you better than Balak the son of Tzippor, king of Mo’av? Did he ever pick a quarrel with Isra’el or fight with us? 26 Isra’el lived in Heshbon and its villages, in ‘Aro‘er and its villages and in all the cities on the banks of the Arnon for three hundred years. Why didn’t you take them back during that time? 27 No, I have done you no wrong. But you are doing me wrong to war against me. May Adonai the Judge be judge today between the people of Isra’el and the people of ‘Amon.’” 28 But the king of the people of ‘Amon paid no attention to the message Yiftach sent him.
29 Then the spirit of Adonai came upon Yiftach; and he passed through Gil‘ad and M’nasheh, on through Mitzpeh of Gil‘ad, and from there over to the people of ‘Amon. 30 Yiftach made a vow to Adonai: “If you will hand the people of ‘Amon over to me, 31 then whatever comes out the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the people of ‘Amon will belong to Adonai; I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.” 32 So Yiftach crossed over to fight the people of ‘Amon, and Adonai handed them over to him. 33 He killed them from ‘Aro‘er until you reach Minnit, twenty cities, all the way to Avel-K’ramim; it was a massacre. So the people of ‘Amon were defeated before the people of Isra’el.
34 As Yiftach was returning to his house in Mitzpah, his daughter came dancing out to meet him with tambourines. She was his only child; he had no other son or daughter. 35 When he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “Oh, no, my daughter! You’re breaking my heart! Why must you be the cause of such pain to me? I made a vow to Adonai, and I can’t go back on my word.” 36 She said to him, “Father, you made a vow to Adonai; so do whatever you said you would do to me; because Adonai did take vengeance on your enemies the people of ‘Amon.” 37 Then she said to her father, “Just do this one thing for me — let me be alone for two months. I’ll go away into the mountains with my friends and mourn, because I will die without getting married.” 38 “You may go,” he answered, and he sent her away for two months. She left, she and her friends, and mourned in the mountains that she would die unmarried. 39 After two months she returned to her father, and he did with her what he had vowed; she had remained a virgin. So it became a law in Isra’el 40 that the women of Isra’el would go every year for four days to lament the daughter of Yiftach from Gil‘ad.
12:1 The men of Efrayim assembled, crossed into Tzafon and said to Yiftach, “Why didn’t you call us to go with you when you went over to fight the people of ‘Amon? We’re ready to burn down your house with you in it!” 2 Yiftach answered, “When my people and I were in a serious dispute with the people of ‘Amon, I called you; and you didn’t rescue me from their power. 3 When I saw that you weren’t rescuing me, I put my life in my own hands and went over to attack the people of ‘Amon; and Adonai gave them over into my power. So why have you come up today to fight me?” 4 Then Yiftach gathered together all the men of Gil‘ad and fought with Efrayim, and the men of Gil‘ad defeated Efrayim; because they were saying, “You Gil‘ad men who live in Efrayim and M’nasheh have deserted Efrayim!” 5 The men of Gil‘ad cut off Efrayim from the crossings over the Yarden, and whenever anyone from Efrayim tried to escape and said, “Let me go across,” the men of Gil‘ad would ask him, “Are you from Efrayim?” and if he said, “No,” 6 they would tell him to say “Shibbolet.” If he said, “Sibbolet,” because he could not make his mouth pronounce it right, they took hold of him and killed him on the spot at the Yarden crossing; at that time 42,000 men of Efrayim died.
7 Yiftach judged Isra’el for six years. Then Yiftach from Gil‘ad died, and he was buried in one of the cities of Gil‘ad.
8 After him Ibtzan of Beit-Lechem judged Isra’el. 9 He had thirty sons, and he had thirty daughters whom he sent abroad; he brought thirty women from abroad in to marry his sons. He judged Isra’el for seven years. 10 Then Ibtzan died and was buried at Beit-Lechem.
11 After him Elon from Z’vulun judged Isra’el; he judged Isra’el for ten years. 12 Then Elon from Z’vulun died and was buried at Ayalon, in the territory of Z’vulun.
13 After him Avdon the son of Hillel from Pir‘aton judged Isra’el. 14 He had forty sons and thirty grandsons who rode on seventy young donkeys. He judged Isra’el for eight years. 15 Then Avdon the son of Hillel from Pir‘aton died and was buried at Pir‘aton in the territory of Efrayim, in the ‘Amalek hills.
Luke 6:1 One Shabbat, while Yeshua was passing through some wheat fields, his talmidim began plucking the heads of grain, rubbing them between their hands and eating the seeds. 2 Some of the P’rushim said, “Why are you violating Shabbat?” 3 Yeshua answered them, “Haven’t you ever read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He entered the House of God and took and ate the Bread of the Presence” — which no one is permitted to eat but the cohanim. 5 “The Son of Man,” he concluded, “is Lord of Shabbat.”
6 On another Shabbat, when Yeshua had gone into the synagogue and was teaching, a man was there who had a shriveled hand. 7 The Torah-teachers and P’rushim watched Yeshua carefully to see if he would heal on Shabbat, so that they could accuse him of something. 8 But he knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Come up and stand where we can see you!” He got up and stood there. 9 Then Yeshua said to them, “I ask you now: what is permitted on Shabbat? Doing good or doing evil? Saving life or destroying it?” 10 Then, after looking around at all of them, he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” As he held it out, his hand was restored. 11 But the others were filled with fury and began discussing with each other what they could do to Yeshua.
12 It was around that time that Yeshua went out to the hill country to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. 13 When day came, he called his talmidim and chose from among them twelve to be known as emissaries:
14 Shim‘on, whom he named Kefa; Andrew, his brother; Ya‘akov; Yochanan; Philip; Bar-Talmai;
15 Mattityahu; T’oma; Ya‘akov Ben-Halfai;
16 Shim‘on, the one called the Zealot; Y’hudah Ben-Ya‘akov; and Y’hudah from K’riot, who turned traitor.
17 Then he came down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his talmidim was there with great numbers of people from all Y’hudah, Yerushalayim and the coast around Tzor and Tzidon; they had come to hear him and be healed of their diseases. 18 Those who were troubled with unclean spirits were being healed; 19 and the whole crowd was trying to touch him, because power kept going out from him, healing everyone. 20 He looked at his talmidim and said:
“How blessed are you poor!
    for the Kingdom of God is yours.
21 “How blessed are you who are hungry!
    for you will be filled.
“How blessed are you who are crying now!
    for you will laugh.
22 “How blessed you are whenever people hate you and ostracize you and insult you and denounce you as a criminal on account of the Son of Man. 23 Be glad when that happens; yes, dance for joy! because in heaven your reward is great. For that is just how their fathers treated the prophets.
24 “But woe to you who are rich,
    for you have already had all the comfort you will get!
25 “Woe to you who are full now,
    for you will go hungry!
“Woe to you who are laughing now,
    for you will mourn and cry!
26 “Woe to you when people speak well of you, for that is just how their fathers treated the false prophets!
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