Daily Archives: August 25, 2013

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – You Can Trust God’s Promises

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Charles Stanley

Joshua 21:45

God always keeps His promises. This is one thing you can be sure of and the principle bulwark of your faith: If the Lord says He is going to do something, then you can stake your life on the fact that He will do it. It is crucial for you to understand this if you want to grow in an intimate relationship with God and walk in the center of His will.

Think about it: in Matthew 16, when Jesus asked the disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter responded, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (vv. 15–16). To this, Jesus declared, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. I also say to you that … upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it” (vv. 17–18).

Jesus did not mean that the church would be based on Peter; rather, it is founded on the truth that Jesus Christ is God’s Son and the Messiah. Jesus did, however, intend to use Peter and the others to spread the gospel.

Again, relationship was poured into the foundation of God’s work on earth—and it always will be. The Father kept His Word by sending us the Savior who would redeem us, and all the powers of hell could not prevent Him from fulfilling this all-important promise to us. Likewise, nothing can stop Him from keeping every pledge He has made to you.

Joshua 21:45 tells us, “Not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass.” This is the basis of your confidence that He will keep His promises for the future—that He will make a home for you in heaven (John 14:2–3), that you will see your believing loved ones there (1 Thess. 4:15–17), and that you will dwell in His presence forever (Rev. 22:3–5). All history testifies to the fact that God always keeps His Word. That’s why you are wise to trust Him.

 

Excerpt from In Step with God, by Dr. Charles Stanley.

 

Related Resources

Related Video

The Fulfillment of a Promise

God gives us many wonderful promises in His Word, but we often don’t live by them. This leads us to think that God won’t answer our prayers, and we doubt His desire to work in our lives. In this message, Dr. Stanley explains how God taught him to trust in His Word and shares the scriptural principles that will also allow us to do so. (Watch The Fulfillment of a Promise.)

 

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — The Next Chapter

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Our Daily Bread

Hebrews 12:1-11

Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. —Hebrews 12:1-2

Steve was almost 5 when his father, missionary pilot Nate Saint, was killed in 1956, along with four other men, by the Waodani tribe in Ecuador. But as a result of the love and forgiveness demonstrated by the families of the martyred men, there is now a growing community of believers among the Waodani.

As an adult, Steve moved back to Ecuador and became friends with Mincaye, one of the men who killed his father. Steve’s motto is: “Let God Write Your Story.” He says, “You have a lot of people . . . who want to write their own story and have God be their editor when [it] goes wrong. I decided long ago to let God write my story.” When Steve suffered a serious accident in 2012, he reassured his family: “Let’s let God write this chapter too.” His faith continues to carry him toward recovery.

The story continues to unfold for all followers of Jesus Christ. None of us knows how the next chapter of our life will read. But as we look to Jesus and “run with endurance the race that is set before us,” we can trust Him—the author and finisher of our faith (Heb. 12:1-2). Jesus wrote the beginning of our story, and He’ll write the next chapter and the ending as well. —Cindy Hess Kasper

When we stand with Christ in glory,

Looking o’er life’s finished story,

Then, Lord, shall I fully know—

Not till then—how much I owe. —McCheyne

Let your life tell the story of Christ’s love and mercy to the world around you.

Bible in a year: Psalm 119:1-88; 1 Corinthians 7:20-40

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Faith in Every Sense

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Alistair Begg

His fruit was sweet to my taste.

Song of Songs 2:3

Faith is described in a variety of ways in the Bible. It is sight: “Turn to me and be saved.”1 It is hearing: “Hear, that your soul shall live.”2 Faith is smelling: “Your robes are all fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia”;3 “your name is oil poured out.”4 Faith is spiritual touch. By this faith the woman came behind and touched the hem of Christ’s garment, and by this we handle the things of the good word of life. Faith is equally the spirit’s taste. “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth.”5 “Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life.”6

One of the first performances of faith is hearing. We hear the voice of God not only with the physical ear, but with the spiritual ear; we hear it as God’s Word, and we believe it as such; that is the hearing of faith. Then our mind looks upon the truth as it is presented to us; that is to say, we understand it, we perceive its meaning; that is the seeing of faith. Next we discover its preciousness; we begin to admire it and find how fragrant it is; that is faith in its smell. Then we appropriate the mercies that are prepared for us in Christ; that is faith in its touch. Then follow the enjoyments, peace, delight, communion, which are faith in its taste. Any one of these acts of faith is saving. To hear Christ’s voice as the sure voice of God in the soul will save us; but that which gives true enjoyment is the aspect of faith whereby we taste and see that the Lord is good. In this way we receive Christ, and He becomes, by inward and spiritual apprehension, to be the precious food for our souls. Here we learn to sit under His shadow “with great delight”7 and find His fruit sweet to our taste.

1Isaiah 45:22

2Isaiah 55:3

3Psalm 45:8

4Song of Solomon 1:3

5Psalm 119:103

6John 6:54

7Song of Solomon 2:3

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – Tomorrow

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“Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” Proverbs 27:1

Suggested Further Reading: Proverbs 31:10-25

On one occasion I pleaded for a friendly society, and not knowing a more appropriate text, I selected this, “Take no thought for the morrow, for tomorrow shall take thought for the things of itself.” Some of my hearers, when I announced my text, feared the principle of it was altogether hostile to anything like an insurance, or providing for the future, but I just showed them that it was not, as I looked upon it. It is a positive command that we are to take no anxious thought concerning tomorrow. Now, how can I do that? How can I put myself into such a position that I can carry out this commandment of taking no thought for the morrow? If I were a man struggling in life, and had it in my power to insure for something which would take care of wife and family in after days, if I did not do it, you might preach to me for all eternity about not taking thought for the morrow; but I could not help doing it, when I saw those I loved around me unprovided for. Let it be in God’s word, I could not practise it; I should still be at some time or other taking thought for the morrow. But let me go to one of the many excellent institutions which exist, and let me see that all is provided for, I come home and say, “Now, I know how to practise Christ’s command of taking no thought for the morrow; I pay the policy-money once a year, and I take no further thought about it, for I have no occasion to do so now, and have obeyed the very spirit and letter of Christ’s command.” Our Lord meant that we were to get rid of cares.

For meditation: Are you playing your part to provide practically for the members of your family? (1 Timothy 3:4-5, 12; 5:4,16). If not, perhaps you should start getting anxious (1 Timothy 5:8).

Sermon no. 94

25 August (1856)

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Expecting the Best

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John MacArthur

“[Love] believes all things” (1 Cor. 13:7).

In Luke 15 Jesus tells a parable about a father who had two sons. The younger son asked for his share of the family inheritance, then left home and squandered it on sinful pursuits. When he realized his folly, he decided to return home and ask his father’s forgiveness. So “he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him, and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him, and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and be merry'” (vv. 20-23).

That’s a beautiful illustration of love’s eagerness to forgive, but it also implies another characteristic of love. While the son was still far away, the father saw him coming. How could that be? Because he was watching for his son– anticipating and longing for his return. Love forgives when wrongs are committed against it, but it also expects the best of others. That’s what it means to believe all things (1 Cor. 13:7). That son had hurt his father deeply, but his father never lost hope that his son would return.

I know a Christian woman who has been married to an unbelieving husband for thirty years. Yet she continues to say, “He will come to Christ someday.” She isn’t blind to the situation, but her love for her husband has transformed her earnest desire into an expectation. She believes he will turn to Christ because love always expects the best.

Perhaps you have a spouse or child who is an unbeliever or has drifted away from the Lord. Don’t lose heart! Expect the best and let that expectation motivate you to pray more fervently and set a godly example for your loved ones to follow.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Ask God to guard your heart from cynical and suspicious attitudes toward others.

For Further Study:

Read Matthew 9:1-13, noting the attitudes of the Jewish scribes and Pharisees toward Jesus.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Meditating on the Right Things

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Joyce meyer

I will meditate also upon all Your works and consider all Your [mighty] deeds.—Psalm 77:12

The psalmist David spoke frequently about meditating on God, His goodness, works, and ways. It is tremendously uplifting to think on the goodness of God and all the marvelous works of His hands. I enjoy watching television shows about nature, animals, ocean life, etc., because they depict the greatness, the awesomeness of God, His infinite creativity and how He is upholding all things by the might of His power (See Hebrews 1:3). Meditating on God and His ways and works will need to become a regular part of your thought life if you want to experience victory.

One of my favorite verses of Scripture is Psalm 17:15 in which the psalmist says of the Lord, I shall be fully satisfied, when I awake [to find myself] beholding Your form [and having sweet communion with You]. I spent a lot of unhappy days because I started thinking about all the wrong things the minute I awoke each morning. In contrast, I’ve found that choosing to think about the Lord and fellowshipping with Him early in the morning is one sure way to start my day right and enjoy my life. I can truly say that I have been fully satisfied since the Holy Spirit has helped me operate out of the mind of Christ (the mind of the Spirit) that is within me.

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Free Gift

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dr_bright

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

One night I was speaking to several hundred men gathered in a skid row mission for an evangelistic meeting. I had been invited to bring the address and as always my heart was deeply stirred when I realized that these men needed the Lord so very much. In the spiritual sense, though, their lot was no worse than the leaders of the city, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, and the wages of sin is death whether one is rich or poor, old or young, sick or well. It makes no difference. The wages of sin is death.

In an effort to communicate to these men the love of God and His free gift of eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ our Lord, I pulled a ten-dollar bill from my pocket and said, “The first person who comes to take this from my hand, can have it as a free gift.” This was my way of illustrating God’s gift of grace. Out of the hundreds of people seated before me, not a single person moved as I extended the bill, repeating several times, “The first one who will come and take this bill from my hand can have it.”

Finally, a middle-aged man, shabbily dressed like the rest, stood timidly to his feet and with an inquiring expression said, “Do you really mean it?” I said, “Sure, come and get it; it is yours.” He almost ran to grasp it and he thanked me. The rest of the crowd began mumbling, as if to say, “Why didn’t I have the faith to go and accept the gift?”

This gave me a marvelous opportunity to emphasize that we do not earn God’s love. He loves us unconditionally – not because of who we are, but because of who He is. God proved His love for us in that while we were all wretched sinners, He sent His only begotten Son to die on the cross for us and give to all men who will receive Him the gift of eternal life. Oh, what an attractive gift. Who could refuse to accept such a wonderful gift?

Bible Reading: Romans 6:17-22

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will trust the Lord to help me make His offer of this marvelous free gift, the gift of His only begotten Son who is eternal life, so attractive that no one can refuse to accept it.

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; C.P. – As the Day Nears…Love

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ppt_seal01

In his ministry, Paul was stoned, whipped and shipwrecked, among other unpleasant experiences. But there was one thing he couldn’t bear – not seeing the people he ministered to and fearing they may have been discouraged in their faith (I Thessalonians 3:1).

For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord.   I Thessalonians 3:8

After suffering persecution, he thought the Thessalonians may have become so discouraged that they’d depart from the truth. So he sent Timothy to check up on them. How he rejoiced when he heard that their faith was as strong as ever.

The second greatest commandment is to love people; their salvation, their faith, and their relationships are what matter most. In today’s driven society, you may be tempted to care more about what you have or what you’ve accomplished each day, than about where other people are in their faith. Examine your heart. Have you become distracted by the cares of the world? If so, renew your commitment to pray for the faith of your friends, family and fellow citizens of America. Plus, don’t neglect to meet together, but encourage one another…“and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:25)

Recommended Reading: Ephesians 1:15-23