Charles Spurgeon – The heavenly race

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“So run, that ye may obtain.” 1 Corinthians 9:24

Suggested Further Reading: Hebrews 11:39-12:2

When zealous racers on yonder heath are flying across the plain, seeking to obtain the reward, the whole heath is covered with multitudes of persons, who are eagerly gazing upon them, and no doubt the noise of those who cheer them onward and the thousand eyes of those who look upon them, have a tendency to make them stretch every nerve, and press with vigour on. It was so in the games to which the apostle alludes. There the people sat on raised platforms, while the racers ran before them, and they cried to them, and the friends of the racers urged them forward, and the kindly voice would ever be heard bidding them go on. Now, Christian brethren, how many witnesses are looking down upon you. Down! Do I say? It is even so. From the battlements of heaven the angels look down upon you, and they seem to cry today to you with sweet, silvery voice, “Ye shall reap if ye faint not; ye shall be rewarded if ye continue steadfast in the work and faith of Christ.” And the saints look down upon you—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; martyrs and confessors, and your own pious relatives who have ascended to heaven, look down upon you; and if I might so speak, I think sometimes you might hear the clapping of their hands when you have resisted temptation and overcome the enemy; and you might see their suspense when you are lagging in the course, and you might hear their friendly word of caution as they bid you gird up the loins of your mind, and lay aside every weight, and still speed forward; never resting to take your breath, never staying for a moment’s ease till you have attained the flowery beds of heaven, where you may rest for ever.

For meditation: Do Spurgeon’s words, spoken on a Friday afternoon from the “Grand Stand, Epsom Race-course” strike you as over-fanciful? The pages of Scripture are full of lessons from the heroes of faith, still speaking to us down the centuries (Hebrews 11:4). They witness to us from their own experience “It can be done; by God’s grace we ran the race; by God’s grace you can run it too” (2 Timothy 4:7).

Sermon no. 198

11 June (1858)

John MacArthur – Gazing into the Perfect Law

June 11, 2013 broboinhawaii 1 Comment

“One who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does” (James 1:25).

James 1:21-24 contrasts hearers of the Word and doers of the Word. Hearers don’t respond to Scripture or benefit from its truths–though they may study it in depth. Doers receive it in humility and obey its commands. James 1:25 adds that they are blessed in what they do. That means there is blessing in the very act of obedience.

James calls Scripture “the perfect law, the law of liberty” (v. 25). It is “law” because it’s God’s obligatory behavioral code. Grace doesn’t eliminate God’s moral law– it gives us the spiritual resources to obey it, and forgiveness when we fail. That’s how Jesus fulfills the law in us (cf. Matt. 5:17).

Scripture is “the perfect law” because it is complete, sufficient, comprehensive, and without error. Through it God meets every need and fulfills every desire of the human heart. In addition, it is “the law of liberty.” That may sound paradoxical because we tend to think of law and freedom as opposites. But as you look intently into the Word, the Holy Spirit enables you to apply its principles to your life, thereby freeing you from the guilt and bondage of sin, and enabling you to live to God’s glory. That’s true freedom!

“Look intently” translates a Greek word that pictures bending down to examine something with care and precision. Stooping implies humility and a desire to see clearly what Scripture reveals about your own spiritual condition. It’s an attitude as well as an action.

As you study Scripture, let this be your underlying attitude: “Lord, as I gaze intently into your Word, reveal the things in my life that need to be changed. Then grant me the grace to make those changes so I can live more fully to your glory.”

Suggestions for Prayer:

Memorize Psalm 139:23-24 and make it your sincere prayer.

For Further Study:

Read Hebrews 4:12-13.

• To what is God’s Word compared?

• What effect does the Word have on those who are exposed to it?

Joyce Meyer – A New Desire

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For I endorse and delight in the Law of God in my inmost self [with my new nature]. —Romans 7:22

When we are born again, we get a new “want to.” The law says we “have to, should, and ought to,” but we want to do the right thing because God has put a new heart in us to replace the hard stony one that used to be indifferent to Him and His will (See Ezekiel 36:26).

Learn to recognize the difference between the desires of your flesh and the desires placed in you by the Holy Spirit. Psalm 1:1-2 says, “BLESSED (HAPPY, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly…But his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law (the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God) he habitually meditates (ponders and studies) by day and by night.”

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – How to Save Your Life

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“And He said to them all, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for My sake, the same shall save it” (Luke 9:23,24, KJV).

Martin Luther once told the maidens and housewives of Germany that in scrubbing floors and going about their household duties they were accomplishing just as great a work in the sight of heaven as the monks and priests with their penances and holy offices.

In the 15th century, a woman – Margery Baxter – had said the same thing couched in different terms.

“If ye desire to see the true cross of Christ,” she said, “I will show it to you at home in your own house.”

Stretching out her arms, she continued, “This is the true cross of Christ, thou mightest and mayest behold and worship in thine own house. Therefore, it is but vain to run to the church to worship dead crosses.”

Her message was plain: holiness is in our daily service.

Your life and mine are worshiping Christ today to the degree that we practice the presence of God in every minute detail of our lives throughout the day. We are taking up our cross when we shine for Jesus just where we are, obediently serving Him and sharing His good news with others.

If you and I want to save our lives, we do well to lose them in obedient service to the Lord Jesus Christ, allowing His indwelling Holy Spirit to work in us and through us.

Bible Reading: John 12:23-26

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will take up my cross today – shining just where He puts me at this point in my life.

Presidential Prayer Team; C.P. – Just Passing Through

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All through history people have traveled hundreds, if not thousands, of miles in all manner of transportation. From Abraham and his camels, to the pioneers and their covered wagons, to contemporaries and their rental trucks, all look for a better place to live than where they resided at the time.

But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Hebrews 11:16

The writer of Hebrews tells about a people looking for a better a place. They endured all kinds of suffering while faithfully clinging to God’s promises. Today, you have an assurance of eternal life in Christ. “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” (Philippians 3:20-21)

You pray for your country and rightly so (I Timothy 2:1-4). But don’t forget that you’re just passing through. Hebrews 10:25 says to encourage each other all the more when you see The Day approaching. When today’s headlines appear to be taken directly from prophetic scripture, be of good cheer. You are destined for a better place.

Recommended Reading: II Corinthians 5:1-10

Greg Laurie – Antichrist Behavior

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Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. —1 John 2:18

We are seeing an anti-Christian mentality become more popular and more widely accepted in our nation today. It is one thing when it is in an Islamic country where Christians are executed for simply believing in Jesus. But it is another thing when the persecution of Christians is happening in a country that was founded on Judeo-Christian principles. It is another thing when this anti-Christian bias is happening in the United States of America—and indeed it is.

Here is something to consider. Though we do not know whether the Antichrist himself is alive today, there are antichrists, plural. This term “Antichrist” is actually not used in the book of Revelation, though it refers to the person. The very term is found in 1 John 2:18: “Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.”

Even now, many antichrists have come. . . . John goes on to say, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us . . .” (verse 19).

This is interesting. The question to ask yourself is not Who is the Antichrist? Rather, the question to ask yourself is, Am I antichrist? So who is antichrist? According to John, it is someone who once made a profession of faith but has since turned their back on God. That is antichrist behavior.

Are you living that way? Have you put something or someone else in His place? Are you opposing Him in some way? Have you cut yourself off from other believers and effectively turned your back on God? If so, then you could be antichrist.

Max Lucado – The Prison of Want

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Come with me to the most populated prison in the world. It’s name is WANT—the prison of want. You’ve seen her prisoners. They want something bigger. Nicer. Faster. Thinner. They want a new job. A new house. A new spouse. If you feel better when you have more and worse when you have less—you’re in the prison of want. If your happiness comes from something you deposit, drive, drink, or digest, then face it—you’re in the prison of want!

The good news is, you have a visitor. It is the psalmist, David. “I have a secret to tell you,” he whispers, “the secret of satisfaction.” From Psalm 23:1, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” David has found where discontent goes to die. It’s as if he’s saying, “What I have in God is greater than what I don’t have in this life.” Oh, that you and I could learn to say the same!

Charles Stanley – Unshakeable Faith

June 10, 2013 broboinhawaii 1 Comment

Isaiah 40:9-14

Unshakeable faith develops as we embrace the foundational truths of the Bible. The sovereignty of God is one of those truths. To have faith that bears up under the hardest trials, we need to know that the Lord is always in control.

What do you accept as true about your heavenly Father? God’s sovereignty can be hard to believe when a loved one gets a catastrophic diagnosis or the place where you work is closing down. And when you hear news reports of scandal and destruction, you may find it even harder to reconcile that biblical truth with the evidence around you.

God invites us to discover the reality of His sovereignty through the pages of His Word. He bids us come to Him in faith. He beckons us to draw near to know the Truth—Jesus Christ (John 14:6). He is waiting for us to turn to Him with our fears and doubts so that He may reveal the depths of His love and wisdom.

God has filled His Word with assurance of His sovereignty, care, and concern for us. Do you honestly long to know Him as He really is? If so, be encouraged by the promise He spoke through Jeremiah the prophet: “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jer. 29:13). Set aside any preconceived notions about how God should act, and the Holy Spirit will reveal that He is exactly who He says He is. Then, as we come to know Him more fully, our faith will grow in depth and steadiness.

Jesus invites us to come near and learn from Him (Matt. 11:28). Won’t you accept the Savior’s invitation and discover the truths that lead to unshakeable faith?

Our Daily Bread — A Letter From C. S. Lewis

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1 John 2:9-17

I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake. —1 John 2:12

In September 1961, Harvey Karlsen, a high school student in Brooklyn, New York, wrote to C. S. Lewis in England. Harvey had read Lewis’ book The Screwtape Letters and asked the author, “When you wrote this book, did Satan give you any trouble, and if he did, what did you do about it?”

Three weeks later, Lewis penned a reply in which he affirmed that he still had plenty of temptations. He said that in facing them, “Perhaps . . . the most important thing is to keep on; not to be discouraged however often one yields to the temptation, but always to pick yourself up again and ask forgiveness.”

The New Testament letters of John are filled with encouragement to persevere in the face of temptation. “I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake. I write to you, fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the wicked one” (1 John 2:12-13).

Whatever our age or experience, we are in a spiritual battle together. “The world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever” (v.17).

Let us cling to God and keep on! —David McCasland

Lord, I get discouraged when I’ve given in again to one

of Satan’s schemes. I’m thankful, though, that Christ

paid for that sin on the cross. Help me to confess it and then

to keep on relying on You for my spiritual growth.

To master temptation, let Christ master you.

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Many Splendored Thing

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Flannery O’Connor could not explain her fascination with peacocks. But she loved them. In fact, the southern writer of short stories lived on a farm where she raised some 100 of them. She adopted her first peacock at the age of 25, around the time she was diagnosed with a debilitating disease, and she could not stop looking at him. It was for her a sign of grace, and an image that silenced her. In an essay focusing on her fascination, she describes the bird’s transfiguration from fledgling to finery. “[T]he peacock starts life with an inauspicious appearance….the color of those large objectionable moths that flutter about light bulbs on summer nights.” But after two years, when the bird has fully attained its pattern, “for the rest of his life this chicken will act as if he designed it himself… With his tail spread, he inspires a range of emotions, but I have yet to hear laughter. The usual reaction is silence, at least for a time.”(1)

It is thus without coincidence that O’Connor used the peacock as a symbol for the transfigured Christ in many of her stories. Often cited is her use of the bird in The Displaced Person. In this story, the peacock is a main character of sorts, functioning for everyone else in the story as something of a spiritual test. Some never notice him; another sees the bird only as “another mouth to feed.” Still another liked to have peacocks around simply to signify his wealth; another is altogether besieged by the peacock’s splendor. With eyes locked on the regal bird poised in color and majesty, he says, overwhelmed, “Christ will come like that.”(2)

I appreciate stories that remind me to keep my eyes opened for all that can be seen but can just as easily be missed. Encounters with the sacred can be like this. As Peter, James, and John climbed a mountain with Jesus, they were startled when Elijah and Moses appeared before them. It must have seemed a moment of both honor and awe. Peter immediately responded to it; “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah” (Matthew 17:4). But before he had finished speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them and a voice from the heavens thundered, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” The disciples were terrified. And then as suddenly as it all began, they looked up and saw no one but Jesus. On this mountain, they were nearly blinded by holiness, standing before prophets and patriarchs they had studied since birth. But had God not spoken, and Elijah and Moses not disappeared, the disciples may not have fully seen the significance of the transfigured one before them. They may have seen without really seeing.

Sometimes holiness comes and unmistakably transforms time and place. Other times we fail to see the sacred in our midst simply because we do not want to see. Like the rich man who failed to notice Lazarus begging and bleeding outside of his house until the tides were turned and he needed Lazarus to do him a favor, we miss the face of God when we turn away from the things of God—our neighbors, justice, love, or mercy. It is always possible to pass over what God has extended, whether a sign of grace, a moment of transcendence, or a lifetime of knowing God’s presence. But often, we fail to see these things because we fail to see each other; we miss the images of God all around us within a world made in God’s image. As Francis Thompson wrote in his poem “In No Strange Land”:

The angels keep their ancient places:-

Turn but a stone, and start a wing!

Tis ye, ’tis your estranged faces,

That miss the many-splendour’d thing

There are times when God seems to woo us slowly with beauty, truth, and mercy. Other times we seem to find ourselves moved nearly to blindness as we are brought before God’s holiness like Moses or Isaiah. Sometimes, like Peter, we interpret the sacred in our midst imperfectly, or our estranged faces miss the signs of a many-splendored God entirely. Still other times, the scales of self-absorption drop from our eyes, God comes down Jacob’s ladder to wrestle with us, we discover something sacred in the Lazarus we refuse to overlook again, or else, we see in a peacock or in a bright cloud the unchanging promise of Christ’s identity and imminent return.

Jill Carattini is managing editor of A Slice of Infinity at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.

(1) Flannery O’Connor, Collected Works (New York, Library of America, 1988), 834-835.

(2) Ibid., 317.

Alistair Begg – Why Are We Here?

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We live to the Lord. Romans 14:8

If God had willed it, each of us might have entered heaven at the moment of conversion. It was not absolutely necessary for our preparation for immortality that we should linger here. It is possible for a man to be taken to heaven and to be found fit to partake in the inheritance of the saints in light, even though he has only just believed in Jesus. It is true that our sanctification is a long and continued process, and we shall not be perfected until we lay aside our bodies and enter within the veil; but nevertheless, if the Lord had wanted to, He could have changed us from imperfection to perfection and have taken us to heaven at once.

Why then are we here? Would God keep His children out of paradise a single moment longer than was necessary? Why is the army of the living God still on the battlefield when one charge might give them the victory? Why are His children still wandering here and there through a maze when a single word from His lips would bring them into the center of their hopes in heaven?

The answer is–they are here that they may “live to the Lord” and may bring others to know His love. We remain on earth as sowers to scatter good seed, as plowmen to break up the fallow ground, as heralds publishing salvation. We are here as “the salt of the earth,”1 to be a blessing to the world. We are here to glorify Christ in our daily life. We are here as workers for Him, and as workers together with Him. Let us see that our life fulfills this purpose. Let us live zealous, useful, holy lives, to “the praise of his glorious grace.”2

Meanwhile we long to be with Him and daily sing– My heart is with Him on His throne,

And ill can brook delay;

Each moment listening for the voice,

“Rise up, and come away.”

1 – Matthew 5:13

2 – Ephesians 1:6

Charles Spurgeon – Christ manifesting himself to his people

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“Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?” John 14:22

Suggested Further Reading: 2 Corinthians 12:1-10

I was reading a short time ago of a Mr Tennant. He was about to preach one evening, and thought he would take a walk. As he was walking in a wood he felt so overpoweringly the presence of Christ, and such a manifestation of him, that he knelt down, and they could not discover him at the hour when he was to have preached. He continued there for hours, insensible as to whether he was in the body or out of the body; and when they waked him he looked like a man who had been with Jesus, and whose face shone. He never should forget, he said, to his dying day, that season of communion, when positively, though he could not see Christ, Christ was there, holding fellowship with him, heart against heart, in the sweetest manner. A wondrous display it must have been. You must know something of it, if not much; otherwise you have not gone far on your spiritual course. God teach you more, and lead you deeper! “Then shall ye know, when ye follow on to know the Lord.” Then, what will be the natural effects of this spiritual manifestation? The first effect will be humility. If a man says, “I have had such and such spiritual communication, I am a great man;” he has never had any communications at all; for “God has respect unto the humble, but the proud he knoweth afar off.” He does not want to come near them to know them, and will never give them any visits of love. It will give a man happiness; for he must be happy who lives near to God. Again: it will give a man holiness. A man who has not holiness has never had this manifestation. Some men profess a great deal; but do not believe any man unless you see that his deeds answer to what he says.

For meditation: The above account may be a blessing or a temptation to you! If we seek experiences for their own sake, Satan will ensure that we get some; our business is to seek to know Christ more and more (Philippians 3:10; 2 Peter 3:18).

Sermon no. 29

10 June (1855)

John MacArthur – Applying the Word Without Delay

June 10, 2013 broboinhawaii 1 Comment

“If anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was” (James 1:23-24).

Men, have you ever been at work and touched your face, only to realize that you forgot to shave? Perhaps you were distracted by your wife’s call to breakfast or by one of the kids. Ladies, have you ever been out in public and suddenly realized that you forgot to apply some of your makeup? Those are common occurrences that illustrate what it means to hear God’s Word but fail to respond.

James 1:23 says, “If anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror.” “Looks” doesn’t refer to a casual glance but to a careful, cautious, observant stare. This person is taking a good, long look at himself. Hearers of the Word are not necessarily superficial or casual in their approach to Scripture. They can be serious students of the Word. The fact is, some seminary professors or Sunday School teachers are not true believers. Some even write commentaries and other Bible reference works. Your response to the Word–not your depth of study alone–is the issue with God.

Despite the hearer’s lingering look, he failed to respond and the image reflected in the mirror soon faded. That’s reminiscent of Jesus saying, “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart” (Matt. 13:19). The Word was sown but it bore no fruit. The man looked into the mirror but he made no corrections.

Perhaps there’s something God’s Word is instructing you to do that you’ve been putting off. If so, delay no longer. Don’t be a forgetful hearer!

Suggestions for Prayer:

Ask God to teach you to be more disciplined in responding to the dictates of His Word.

For Further Study:

Read Matthew 13:1-23, noting the various soils and what they represent.

Joyce Meyer – Don’t Assume; Ask God

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When I kept silence [before I confessed], my bones wasted away through my groaning all the day long. —Psalm 32:3

We all have days when we feel more emotional than usual, and there may be many reasons why. Perhaps you didn’t sleep well the night before, or you ate something that lowered your blood sugar or that you were allergic to. The occasional emotional day is something we don’t have to be too concerned about. If my husband has a day like that, he never tries to figure it out. He simply says, “This too shall pass.”

There are also times we have emotional issues that need to be resolved and dealt with. We are often guilty of stuffing things down inside us rather than dealing with them. If you are a person who avoids confrontation, you can have a soul full of unresolved issues that need closure before emotional wholeness will come. I remember a night when I was unable to sleep, which is unusual for me. Finally, around five in the morning, I asked God what was wrong with me. Immediately I recalled a situation from the day before. I had been rude to someone and instead of apologizing to them and asking God to forgive me, I rushed through the situation and went on to the next thing I needed to do. Obviously, my wrong conduct was irritating my spirit, even though my conscious mind had buried it. As soon as I asked God to forgive me and made a decision to apologize to the person, I was able to go to sleep.

If you feel unusually sad or as if you are carrying a heavy burden you don’t understand, ask God what is wrong before you start assuming things. It is amazing what we can learn by simply asking God for an answer and being willing to face any truth He might reveal about us or our behavior. Sometimes we feel emotional because of something someone has done to us or an unpleasant circumstance in our lives. But at other times we feel that way because of something we did wrong and ignored.

Trust in Him: Ask God what is causing you to be emotional and be willing to face any truth He reveals.

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – You’ve Already Won

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“Dear young friends, you belong to God and have already won your fight with those who are against Christ, because there is someone in your hearts who is stronger than any evil teacher in this wicked world” (1 John 4:4).

“I am afraid of Satan,” a young minister once told me.

“You should be afraid of Satan,” I responded, “if you insist on controlling your own life. But not if you are willing to let Christ control your life. The Bible says, ‘Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.'”

My friend lived in a city where one of the largest zoos in the world was located.

“What do you do with lions in your city?” I asked.

“We keep them in cages,” he replied.

“You can visit the lion in its cage at the zoo,” I explained, “and it cannot hurt you, even if you are close to the cage. But stay out of that cage, or the lion will make mincemeat out of you.”

Satan is in a “cage.” He was defeated 2,000 years ago when Christ died on the cross for our sins. Victory is now ours. We do not look forward to victory, but we move from victory, the victory of the cross.

Satan has no power except that which God allows him to have. Do not be afraid of him, but do stay away from him. Avoid his every effort to tempt and mislead you. Remember, that choice is up to you.

Bible Reading: I John 2:1-6

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will with God’s help, stay out of Satan’s “cage,” choosing rather to enlist God’s indwelling Holy Spirit to fight for me in the supernatural battle against the satanic forces which surround me.

Presidential Prayer Team; J.R. – Highway of Death

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Highway 80 is a six-lane road that runs through the desert between Iraq and Kuwait. When notorious dictator Saddam Hussein decided to invade Kuwait in August 1990, it was a perfect thoroughfare for his rampaging armies. They met little resistance and the trip must have seemed like little more than a vacation. But a few months later when coalition forces arrived to liberate Kuwait, Highway 80 became the focal point of a desperate retreat and utter carnage, as thousands of Iraqis fled the overwhelming forces pursuing them. Highway 80 became forever known as the “Highway of Death.”

In the path of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death. Proverbs 12:28

Do your plans for today have you on a path of righteousness…or some other road? The easiest and broadest path may seem right for the moment, but it could be the Highway of Death. How can you know the way to go? First, set aside your own ideas about what is right and be open to whatever path God chooses for you. Then spend time studying His Word, the Bible, allowing it to penetrate your thoughts. Finally, pray and ask God for wisdom.

Those who do these things – individuals, nations and leaders – will receive His divine directions…and life.

Recommended Reading: Psalm 103:6-18

Greg Laurie – We Win in the End

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And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who did mighty miracles on behalf of the beast–miracles that deceived all who had accepted the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue. Both the beast and his false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. —Revelation 19:20

Years ago historian Arnold Toynbee said, “By forcing on mankind more and more lethal weapons and at the same time making the whole world more and more interdependent economically, technology has brought mankind to such a degree of distress that we are ripe for deifying any new Caesar who might succeed in giving the world unity and peace.”

Toynbee’s statement fits the biblical scenario. The deifying of a “new Caesar” will take place in the future. And things are ripe for such a man to emerge on the world stage. This coming world leader will do what no other man has ever been able to do before: bring global peace. He will be so successful that he will be hailed as the greatest peacemaker who has ever lived. But behind that will be the most evil man who has ever walked this earth.

Why give even a passing thought to the Antichrist? One reason would be that more than 100 passages in Scripture detail the origin, nationality, career, character, kingdom, and final doom of the Antichrist. He is discussed in-depth in the books of Revelation and Daniel. He is also referenced in 2 Thessalonians and in 1 John. The sheer volume of information in Scripture about the Antichrist is enough for us to want to understand who he is and what he will do.

But I think there is another reason we should know about the Antichrist. As we read Scripture and see him reigning, as we see evil predominant in the culture, it could almost look as though things will end for the worst. But as we continue to read the narrative as given to us in Revelation, we see the Antichrist defeated. We see that evil is overcome. And we are reminded that we win in the end.

Max Lucado – All Like Sheep

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Isaiah 53:6 says, “We all have wandered away like sheep; each of us has gone his own way.” You wouldn’t think sheep would be obstinate. Of all God’s animals, the sheep is the least able to take care of himself. Sheep are dumb. Have you ever met a sheep trainer? Ever seen sheep tricks? Know anyone who’s taught his sheep to roll over? No. Sheep are just too dumb.

When David said in Psalm 23, “The Lord is my Shepherd,” couldn’t he have come up with a better metaphor than a Shepherd for sheep? When David, who was a warrior and ambassador for God, searched for an illustration of God, he remembered his days as a shepherd. He remembered how he lavished attention on the sheep. How he watched over them. David rejoiced to say, “The Lord is my Shepherd” and in doing so, he proudly proclaimed, “I am His sheep!”

Charles Stanley – Following God’s Will

June 9, 2013 broboinhawaii 1 Comment

Abraham knew how to listen to God and follow Him—even when His commands were difficult or painful to obey. Although the patriarch made some mistakes, his life demonstrated remarkable faith and obedience.

The Lord revealed His plans for Abraham. He will be faithful to show us what He wants us to do as well. Listening to God is essential to walking with God (Life Principle #13).

Abraham’s Example

1. The Lord revealed Abraham’s future and guided his steps.

Note: Abraham (“father of a multitude”) and Sarah (“princess”) were originally named Abram and Sarai. For the sake of simplicity, we’ll use the names God gave them, which indicate their destiny as patriarch and matriarch of the Jewish people.

•What did the Lord reveal to Abraham about his future (Gen. 12:1-3)?

•How did he respond to the command to “go forth from your country” (Gen. 12:4)?

What fact makes this particularly impressive (v. 4)?

•What details does Genesis 13:14-18 add to the original promise?

Why do you think God reiterated His pledge at this particular time?

•God promised Abraham—a man with a barren wife—that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars. How did He view Abraham’s belief (Gen. 15:1-6)?

•In Genesis 17:8, what new dimension does God add to His promise?

2. The Lord redirected Abraham when he made mistakes.

•Why does Abraham father a child through Hagar, Sarah’s servant (Gen. 16:1-3)?

•Name some consequences of Abraham’s attempt to fulfill God’s promise on his own (Gen. 16:4-6, 11-12).

The passage doesn’t record whether or not God directly rebuked Abraham for his disobedience with Hagar. Perhaps the natural consequences of his sin were enough to cause the patriarch to repent.

•Between Ishmael’s birth and the next time the Scripture records the Lord speaking to Abraham, how many years pass (Gen. 16:16; 17:1)?

•What new detail does the promise include this time (Gen. 17:16)?

•What was Abraham’s reaction to the news that Sarah would bear a son at age 90 (Gen. 17:17)?

•Why do you think Isaac needed to be the son of promise, rather than Ishmael (Gen. 18-21)?

•When the time came, Sarah bore Abraham a son, just as the Lord had promised. Why did they name the baby “Isaac” (Gen. 21:6-7)?

3. God tested Abraham’s devotion.

In Abraham’s day, the Lord had yet to specifically forbid child sacrifice. (See Leviticus 20:1-5.) However, the godly did not practice it.

•How quickly does Abraham respond when God asks him to kill Isaac (Gen. 22:3)?

•Abraham was confident that both he and the child would return from the sacrifice (v. 5). Why (Heb. 11:17-19)?

•Given that “fear” can mean “to reverence,” what was the Lord’s intention in asking him to give up Isaac (Gen. 22:12)?

•Once again, God repeats His promise (vv. 15-18). Explain verse 18: “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed.” (See Matthew 1:1 and Galatians 3:8 if necessary).

Application: God gave Abraham an amazing promise that became more specific over time. We should expect the Father’s guidance to come in stages, rather than all at once (Isa. 30:21).

•Has God ever given you a promise that was hard to believe? Or has He asked you to take a step of obedience that required a lot of faith? Explain what happened.

•What is your next step of obedience?

Although the Father promises to provide for us, we can get impatient. Then, like Abraham, we manipulate circumstances and experience the painful consequences of disobedience.

•Think about the last time you took action instead of waiting on God’s provision. What were the results?

Abraham’s disobedience affected not just him and his family, but also generations to follow. Our rebellion might not have the same far-reaching consequences, yet other people sometimes pay a high price for our wrongdoing. Even so-called “private” sins cause us to be less attentive to the needs of others.

•Think about a way you commonly disobey God. How does that sin affect those around you?

•The Lord dealt with Abraham’s faulty thinking by redirecting the patriarch’s attention to the divine promise and its fulfillment. When we wander from Him, He will remind us of Scripture verses, spiritual principles, or the peace and joy we once knew as faithful followers. What generally motivates you to repent?

Once the Lord fulfills a promise, He may test us—as He did Abraham—to see if we love Him more than we love His gifts.

•Has the Lord ever given you something and then asked you to surrender it to Him? Explain.

•Read Revelation 2:1-5. What is the solution for regaining your “first love” for God (v. 5)?

Closing: Although disagreements are a part of life, believers can learn how to rely on God in the midst of conflict. By depending on His guidance and strength, we can respond to conflict with integrity and avoid the poison of unforgiveness.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I don’t want anything to hurt my relationship with You. Help me to address disagreements directly—making peace with others so I will have peace with You. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Our Daily Bread — Obedience Is Worship

June 9, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

1 Samuel 15:13-23

To obey is better than sacrifice. —1 Samuel 15:22

While I was traveling with a chorale from a Christian high school, it was great to see the students praise God as they led in worship in the churches we visited. What happened away from church was even better to see. One day the group discovered that a woman had no money for gas—and they spontaneously felt led by God to take up a collection. They were able to give her enough money for several tankfuls of gas.

It’s one thing to worship and praise God at church; it’s quite another to move out into the real world and worship Him through daily obedience.

The students’ example causes us to think about our own lives. Do we confine our worship to church? Or do we continue to worship Him by obeying Him in our daily life, looking for opportunities to serve?

In 1 Samuel 15 we see that Saul was asked by the Lord to do a task; but when we review what he did (vv.20-21), we discover that he used worship (sacrifice) as an excuse for his failure to obey God. God’s response was, “To obey is better than sacrifice” (v.22).

It’s good to be involved in worship at church. But let’s also ask God to show us ways to continue to give Him the praise He deserves through our obedience. —Dave Branon

Lord, I want my worship of You to extend beyond

the walls of my church. Help me to listen to

Your prompting and to serve others wherever

I can—no matter what day it is.

Our worship should not be confined to times and places; it should be the spirit of our lives.

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