Daily Archives: April 4, 2013

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Charles Stanley – Is God in Every Circumstance?

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Genesis 50:15-21

The Christian life is to be characterized by growth, which becomes evident as a believer progresses from spiritual milk to solid food. Once we absorb the elementary truths of our faith, we should then begin to chew on more “meaty” ones. The question of whether God is in every circumstance falls into this latter category, because the answer conflicts with human thinking. You see, God is in the tragedies as well as the triumphs of life: He either sends or permits them to happen.

When we ponder the deeper teachings of Scripture, it’s important to start with the Lord’s character and promises. For example, in meditating on the fact that He does allow some extremely hard times, it is critical that we remember:

• God is good (Ps. 145:9), as are His purposes and everything He does.

• God is sovereign (Ps. 103:19), so there’s nothing that is outside of His control.

• God promises believers that He will work all things together for their good (Rom. 8:28).

• God keeps His promises (2 Cor. 1:20). These facts form a filter through which we can seek to understand the Lord’s presence in every situation.

Consider Joseph, who was betrayed by his brothers, falsely accused by the wife of his employer, and imprisoned unjustly. This young man was powerless and in many ways forgotten. But he refused to be swayed by circumstances—he grasped the deeper truth that God had orchestrated it all for good.

Whether the Lord sends a trial or permits one to occur, He has said He will use it as part of His plan for our good. Do you believe Him?

 

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Our Daily Bread — Supernatural Surveillance

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Matthew 6:1-6,16-18

Your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. —Matthew 6:18

Not far from my house, authorities have rigged a camera to snap pictures of drivers who race through red lights. The offenders later receive in the mail a ticket along with a “red-light photo,” which is visual proof of their traffic violation.

Sometimes I think of God in the same way I think of that camera—He’s up there, just waiting to catch me doing the wrong thing. While God does see our sin (Heb. 4:13), He sees and takes interest in our good deeds as well. Due to His supernatural surveillance, God sees the size of our sacrifice when we give money to the church or to those in need (Mark 12:41-44). He hears our private prayers (Matt. 6:6). And when we fast, we can carry on as usual being assured that our “Father . . . sees in secret” (v.18).

Knowing that God sees everything frees us from thinking about the watchful eyes of others. When we do what is right, we need no applause from onlookers; when we sin, we do not need to worry about our reputation once we settle the issue with God and anyone we’ve harmed. We can rest knowing that “the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him” (2 Chron. 16:9). —Jennifer Benson Schuldt

Lord, thank You for Your all-seeing nature. You know

everything I think and do. Help me to value Your

approval and live according to Your standards,

no matter what anyone else may think.

Others see what we do, but God sees why we do it.

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Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Past, Present, Future

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The Christian gospel is often condensed into a story that affirms the basics of the faith: God loves us and has a wonderful plan for us. But we have sinned and are therefore separated from God. Jesus Christ on the Cross is the answer to our predicament, and if we will accept him as our personal savior, we will have eternal life.

Though accurate in what it highlights, such a simplified presentation can wrongly convey much about the gospel, not the least of which that the idea that the gospel is primarily about individual fulfillment and satisfaction. “God loves YOU and has a wonderful plan for YOU.” “Live up to your potential and embrace your best life!” Such a shortened story seems to place Christians in the center of the message and not Jesus.

On the contrary, the heart of both the Old and New Testaments is the fulfillment of God’s creative plan. The story of human redemption is God’s complete and multifaceted movement among history and people and nations. It cannot be reduced to mere highlights without compromising the story. What about the resurrection of Christ? What about his return and the promise of our own resurrection? What about the ascension? What about the new heaven and new earth? What about the kingdom present and among us? There are many books that make up the story of God among us, all of which tell a part of a great and magnificent story.

The Christian faith is rooted in thousands of years of the history of humanity, and it is this rootedness that makes Christianity so relevant to everyone, both individually and corporately. The person of Christ and the salvation he offers are meaningful to us today because Jesus is historical, because he is the same today, yesterday, and forever.

In contrast, many other systems of belief hold history as something that is cyclical. After someone dies, he or she is thought to be reincarnated or rebirthed. As a result, history seems of little significance or meaning. Events are merely occurrences.

For Christians the reverse is true. Our faith is defined by significant events in history. The past and the future are momentous because they greatly inform the present. While the past offers both perspective and purpose for our current situation, the future gives us hope and meaning. No matter what we are going through today, this, too, shall one day pass. Promised is the future that is hinted at in history. There comes a day when all tears will be wiped away, a time of unhindered fellowship with God.

Yet today, regardless of worldview or religion, we seem to be unfortunately suffering from historical amnesia, where we have lost our interest and understanding of history. As evidenced in the popularity of fictitious histories, the fascination with purportedly long-lost gospels, or the contentedness with a lack of historical perspective entirely, history has little existential meaning for us. This ahistorical climate affects the way we perceive truth in relation to reality.

The message of Christianity stands counter to this climate, proclaiming the acts of God in human time and space. For believers in a savior who lived and died and rose, history is imperative; it is a significant part of one’s identity. God has been working out God’s plan for thousands of years, first through the nation of Israel and now through the body of Christ. Where Christ is professed crucified, where his resurrection is proclaimed, we are remembering the historical character of faith, which in turn echoes the all-encompassing love of God. Where the invitation to follow Christ is accepted, we proclaim a narrative that encompasses past, present, and future. We proclaim in finite stories the one who was and is and is to come.

I’Ching Thomas is associate director of training at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Singapore.

 

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Alistair Begg – Why Are You Upset?

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For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.  2 Corinthians 5:21

Mourning Christian, why are you weeping? Are you mourning over your own sins and failings? Look to your perfect Lord, and remember, you are complete in Him. You are in God’s sight as perfect as if you had never sinned; more than that, the Lord our Righteousness has clothed you with a royal robe of righteousness, which is wholly undeserved–you have the righteousness of God.

You who are mourning by reason of inbred sin and depravity, remember, none of your sins can condemn you. You have learned to hate sin; but you have also learned how that sin is not yours–it was laid upon Christ’s head. Your standing is not in yourself–it is in Christ. Your acceptance is not in yourself, but in your Lord; you are just as accepted by God today, with all your sinfulness, as you will be when you stand before His throne, free from all corruption.

So I urge you, take hold of this precious thought–perfection in Christ! For you are “complete in him.” With your Savior’s garment on, you are as holy as the Holy One. “Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died–more than that, who was raised–who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.”

Christian, let your heart rejoice, for you are “accepted in the beloved”3–what do you have to fear? Keep a smile on your face! Live near your Master; live in the suburbs of the Heavenly City; for soon, when your time has come, you will rise up to where Jesus sits and reign at His right hand; and all because the Lord Jesus was made “to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

 

 

 

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Charles Spurgeon – The form and spirit of religion

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“Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.” 1 Samuel 4:3

Suggested Further Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:13-17

How vain are the hopes that men build upon their good works, and ceremonial observances! How frightful is that delusion which teaches for the gospel a thing which is not “the gospel”, nor “another gospel”; but it is a thing that would pervert the gospel of Christ. Let me ask thee solemnly, what is thy ground of hope? Dost thou rely on baptism? O man, how foolish thou art! What can a few drops of water, put upon an infant’s forehead, do? Some lying hypocrites tell us that children are regenerated by drops of water. What kind of regeneration is that? We have seen people hanged that were regenerated in this fashion. There have been men that have lived all their lives as whoremongers, adulterers, thieves, and murderers, who have been regenerated in their baptism by that kind of regeneration. Oh, be not deceived by a regeneration so absurd, so palpable even to flesh and blood, as one of the lying wonders that have come from hell itself. But maybe thou sayest, “Sir, I rely upon my baptism, in after life.” Ah, my friends, what can washing in water do? As the Lord liveth, if thou trustest in baptism thou trustest in a thing that will fail thee at last. For what is washing in water, unless it is preceded by faith and repentance? We baptize you, not in order to wash away your sins, but because we believe they are washed away beforehand; and if we did not think you believed so, we would not admit you to a participation in that ordinance. But if you will pervert this to your own destruction, by trusting in it, take heed; you are warned this morning. For as “circumcision availeth nothing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature,” so baptism availeth nothing.

For meditation: Baptism is supposed to illustrate the gospel, not to replace it. The command to be baptised follows the new birth, repentance and faith in Christ (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 8:12,36-38; 9:17-18; 10:47-48; 16:14-15,31-34; 18:8).

Sermon no. 186

4 April (1858)

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John MacArthur – Being Poor in Spirit

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“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:3).

The Puritan writer Thomas Watson listed seven ways to determine if you are poor in spirit (The Beatitudes [Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1971], pp. 45-48):

1.You will be weaned from self–Psalm 131:2 says, “Like a weaned child rests against his mother, my soul is like a weaned child within me.” When you are poor in spirit you will focus not on yourself but on glorifying God and ministering to others.

2.You will focus on Christ–Second Corinthians 3:18 says that believers are “beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, [and] are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.” When you are poor in spirit, the wonder of Christ captivates you. To be like Him is your highest goal.

3.You will never complain–If you are poor in spirit you accept God’s sovereign control over your circumstances, knowing you deserve nothing anyway. Yet the greater your needs, the more abundantly He provides.

4.You will see good in others–A person who is poor in spirit recognizes his own weaknesses and appreciates the strengths of others.

5.You will spend time in prayer–It is characteristic of beggars to beg. Therefore you will constantly be in God’s presence seeking His strength and blessing.

6.You will take Christ on His terms–Those who are poor in spirit will give up anything to please Christ, whereas the proud sinner wants simply to add Christ to his sinful lifestyle.

7.You will praise and thank God–When you are poor in spirit, you will be filled with praise and thanks for the wonder of God’s grace, which He lavishes on you through Christ (Eph. 1:6).

Do those principles characterize your life? If so, you are poor in spirit and the kingdom of heaven is yours (Matt. 5:3). If not, you must seek God’s forgiveness and begin to live as His humble child.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart, revealing any attitudes or motives that displease Him. Seek His grace in changing them.

For Further Study:

Read 3 John. Would you characterize Gaius as poor in spirit? Diotrephes? Explain.

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Joyce Meyer – Keep It Simple

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I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. —2 Corinthians 11:3 (NKJV)

God really wants our relationships and communication with Him to be simple, but the devil has twisted our thinking about prayer because he not only knows how powerful it is, he also knows how easy it should be for us.

Just ask yourself, Why would God create us for communication and fellowship with Him and then complicate it? God has not complicated anything; He has made a simple and enjoyable way for us to pray and enjoy spending time with Him. Satan wants us to believe that prayer has to take a long time and that we must follow a specific formula. He surrounds prayer with rules and regulations and steals the creativity and freedom God desires us to enjoy as we pray. He tries to keep us from having faith and to convince us that we really are not worthy enough to be talking to God anyway and that we cannot hear God’s voice.

When we do pray the devil always tries to condemn us by telling us that we do not pray enough or the right way, and that our prayers do not make a difference. He also attempts to distract us when we are praying. For these reasons, people often feel that prayer is so difficult and unfruitful that they rarely do it.

In general, many people seem to be frustrated and dissatisfied with their prayer lives, but that can change. We can pray simple, heartfelt prayers in faith and be assured that God hears and answers.

God’s word for you today: A “kiss” for you: Keep It Simple, Sister (or Brother)!

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Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Your Joy Restored

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“Create in me a clean heart, O God: and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence: and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation: and uphold me with Thy free Spirit. Then will I teach transgressors Thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto Thee” (Psalm 51:10-13, KJV).

“The Christian owes it to the world to be supernaturally joyful,” said A. W. Tozer.

How do we attain that joy?

When we refuse to exhale spiritually by confessing our sins, we are miserable. On the other hand, when we do confess our sins, we experience God’s complete forgiveness. He removes our guilt and fills our lives with joy, the kind of joy we will very much want to share with others.

The psalmist also knew this when he wrote: “Create in me a new, clean heart, O God, filled with clean thoughts and right desires…Restore to me again the joy of Your salvation, and make me willing to obey You. Then I will teach Your ways to other sinners, and they – guilty like me – will repent and return to You” (Psalm 51:10,12,13).

There was a time when I allowed moods and circumstances to prevent the joyful launching of a new day with the Lord. As a result, I did not feel that close relationship with Him, that beautiful awareness of His presence that comes from fellowship with Him in His Word and in prayer, and through faithful witnessing of His reality to others.

Without that time with Him, there is no joy and the day often begins and continues in the energy of the flesh. There is no personal awareness of God’s presence, and things just seem to go wrong. We can begin every day with that joyful communion with Christ that gives us the assurance of His presence throughout the day. We are the ones who make that choice. God is available; we are the variable.

Bible Reading: Psalm 51:1-9

TODAY’S ACTION POINT:  I will begin this day on my knees, praising and rejoicing in the Lord as an expression of my desire to be with Him. I will read His Word and offer prayers of adoration, confession, thanksgiving and supplication. I will ask Him to lead me to others whose hearts He has prepared for this same joyful relationship with God.

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Presidential Prayer Team; C.P. – Niggling

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Today in America, it’s hard to imagine anyone (Christian or not) who is totally unaware that when someone speaks about God, they’re referring to the living, powerful creator. In the book of Acts, when Paul visited Greece, most people there worshipped idols. He explained that the God he served wasn’t made by man – rather, man, the heavens and the earth was created by Him. Paul pointed out an altar they’d made with the inscription “To the unknown god.” “What therefore you worship as unknown,” Paul told them, “this I proclaim to you.” (Acts 17:23)

They should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Acts 17:27

There must have been a niggling in their spirits, a desire to worship the true God instead of inanimate objects. Paul assured them that God is near everyone (Acts 17:27). And you have Christ’s promise, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7)

Take advantage of this precious promise to ask, seek and knock for yourself, the nation, and all those who have that niggling in their spirits – knowing there’s something more to life, and that it may be available from their creator God.

Recommended Reading: Matthew 7:7-12

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Greg Laurie – A Real Place

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“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” —Matthew 10:28

The word “hell” is one of the most commonly used words in the English language, yet it is one of the least-discussed topics.

There is actually a place called Hell in the state of Michigan. The town got its name in 1841, when George Reeves, an early settler in the low, swampy place, was asked what he thought the town should be named. He said, “I don’t care, you can name it Hell for all I care.” So they did, and the name remains to this day.

But hell really is no laughing matter. According to the Bible, it is a real place. And most people don’t think they are going there. For every American who believes he or she is going to hell, there are 120 who believe they are going to heaven. So it appears that we believe in hell for some people, but certainly not for ourselves.

However, that is in direct contradiction to what Jesus said: “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13–14).

Most of the biblical teaching on the topic of hell came from Christ Himself. Of all the parables that Jesus told, more than half of them relate to God’s eternal judgment of sinners. So we cannot go to the Bible and pick and choose things that personally appeal to us and throw the others aside.

As one theologian has pointed out, an endless hell can no more be removed from the New Testament than an endless heaven can.

So if you want an endless heaven, then you have to also accept an endless hell.

 

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Max Lucado – Let God Be God

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I’m more a landlubber than a sailor, but I’ve puttered around in a bass boat enough to know the secret for finding land in a storm. You don’t aim at another boat. You certainly don’t stare at the waves. You set your eyes on an object unaffected by the wind, a light on the shore, and go straight toward it. You see, the light is unaffected by the storm.

In seeking God, you do the same. You focus on “a cut above” any storm life may bring. Like Job, you find peace in the pain. Like Job, you cover your mouth and be still. Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” A command with a promise. Be still.  Cover your mouth. Bend your knees.  And, as a result, you will know that I am God.

Be still.  Be quiet.  Be open and willing.  Let God be God.