Monthly Archives: August 2013

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Know Your Enemies

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Alistair Begg

Watchman, what time of the night? Isaiah 21:11

What enemies are around? Errors abound, and new ones appear every hour: Against what heresy am I to be on my guard? Sins creep from their lurking places when the darkness reigns; I need to climb the watchtower and give myself to prayer. Our heavenly Protector anticipated all the attacks that are about to be made upon us, and when the evil designed for us is still in the desire of Satan, He prays for us that our faith will not fail when we are sifted as wheat. Continue then, gracious Watchman, to warn us of our foes, and for Zion’s sake do not remain silent.

“Watchman, what time of the night?” What weather is coming for the Church? Are the clouds rolling in, or is it all clear and fair overhead? We must care for the Church of God with sincere and thoughtful love; and now that empty religion and irreligion both threaten, let us observe the signs of the times and prepare for conflict.

“Watchman, what time of the night?” What stars are visible? What precious promises are relevant to our circumstances? You sound the alarm and also give us the consolation. Christ, like the North Star, is always fixed in His place, and all the stars are secure in the right hand of their Lord.

But, watchman, when comes the morning? The Bridegroom delays. Are there no signs of His appearing as the Sun of Righteousness? Hasn’t the morning star arisen as the pledge of day? When will the day dawn and the shadows flee away? O Jesus, if You don’t come in person to Your waiting Church today, still come in Spirit to my sighing heart, and make it sing for joy.

Now all the earth is bright and glad

With the fresh morn;

But all my heart is cold, and dark and sad:

Sun of the soul, let me behold Thy dawn!

Come, Jesus, Lord,

O quickly come, according to Thy word.

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – Vessels of mercy—a sermon of self-examination

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“And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?” Romans 9:23,24

Suggested Further Reading: Jeremiah 18:1-6

Like every potter he first of all makes the outlines in the clay. You may have seen a man at work executing designs in glass. Perhaps at the very first moment you may form a rough guess of what the whole thing is to be, though the ornament and elaboration which constitute the main part of the beauty you cannot yet discover. Certain it is, that the moment a man begins to be prepared for heaven by the grace of God in his soul, you may see the outlines of what he is to be, although it is but the bare outlines. Shall I tell you what those outlines are? There is first of all in him—faith in Christ; a simple, child-like trust in him that did hang upon the tree. There is next in him another mark of the potter’s hand—that is love to Christ—a love that is strong as death, though sometimes it seems to be feeble as a worm. There is in him also a hope that makes not ashamed, and a joy which makes glad his countenance. It is but the bare outline, as I have said, for the glory which excels is not there. The vase is only in its embryo, but yet sufficiently developed to give prophecy of its finished form; as for the pictures that shall be inlaid, as for all the many colours that shall be used on it, you cannot guess as yet, nor could you, unless you could climb to the potter’s seat and see the plan upon which he looks as the clay revolves upon the wheel. Dear brothers and sisters, have you anything in you as yet of the great outlines? Can you say in truth, “I believe on the Lord Jesus?” Fear not then, my hearer, you are a vessel of mercy.

For meditation: We have no right to talk rebelliously against our Maker (Isaiah 45:9), but the Christian has the right to pray to “Our Father and Potter in Heaven” (Isaiah 64:8).

Sermon no. 327

6 August (Preached 5 August 1860)

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Prophecy Without Love

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John MacArthur

“If I have the gift of prophecy . . . but do not have love, I am nothing” (1 Cor. 13:2).

The word prophecy as used in 1 Corinthians 13:2 is the ability to publicly proclaim God’s truth accurately and authoritatively. It’s a greater gift than tongues because tongues were given as a sign to unbelieving Israel in the first century (1 Cor. 14:21-22), whereas prophecy instructs and edifies believers throughout the centuries. Paul said, “one who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation [and] edifies the church (1 Cor. 14:3-4).

Prophecy has two aspects: revelation and reiteration. When an Old or New Testament prophet received new information directly from God, that was revelation. Whenever that information was repeated through preaching or teaching, it was reiteration. For example, the sermons of Peter and Paul combine new revelation with a reiteration of Old Testament truth. That’s a common element in New Testament preaching.

With the close of the New Testament canon, direct revelation from God ceased. All preaching and teaching today is reiteration. New Testament prophets policed one another to ensure that every prophecy was truly from God (1 Cor. 14:32). Today, Scripture itself is the standard by which we test someone’s message. As the prophet Isaiah said, “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no [light]” (Isa. 8:20).

Paul is saying 1 Corinthians 13:2, “If I have the ability to speak direct revelation from God, or to reiterate divine truth forcefully and dramatically, but lack love, my ministry is meaningless.” In its broadest sense, that principle applies to every believer because we all are proclaimers of God’s Word. You might not teach a class or preach a sermon, but whenever you tell someone about Christ or share a biblical principle, you’re reiterating divine truth. That’s why you must always speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15). Then the Holy Spirit can empower your words to minister to others.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Ask God to help you guard your words so that everything you say will be clothed in His love.

For Further Study:

Read Deuteronomy 13:1-5 and 18:20-22.

What tests did Moses give for determining false prophets?

What punishment did false prophets receive?

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Live with Purpose

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Therefore, my beloved brethren, be firm (steadfast), immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord [always being superior, excelling, doing more than enough in the service of the Lord], knowing and being continually aware that your labor in the Lord is not futile [it is never wasted or to no purpose]. 1 Corinthians 15:58

Life without purpose is vanity. Webster’s definition of purpose is “something set up as an object or end to be attained.” Christians ought to be people with purpose. We are all purposed to seek the kingdom of God, which is His righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (See Romans 14:17).

Today is an opportunity to willfully and deliberately seek God with the intent to know Him better than we knew Him yesterday. Today we can deliberately move forward with the intent to accomplish good things for the kingdom.

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Praying in His Will

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“This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have requests which we have asked from Him” (1 John 5:14,15 NAS).

A very dedicated church member, who came to me for counsel concerning her prayer life, said, “I pray all the time, but I don’t seem to get any answers. I have become discouraged and I wonder if God really answers prayer.”

I showed her this wonderful promise and asked, “First of all, do you pray according to the will of God?” This was a new thought to her.

“What do you mean?” she inquired. I explained by reminding her what God’s Word says. How do our requests relate to the Word of God and to the desires which He places in our hearts? As we read in Psalm 37:4, if we delight ourselves in the Lord, He gives us the desires of our hearts, and in Phillipians 2:13 Paul states that it is God who works in us both to will and to do His good pleasure. For example, we can always know that we are praying according to the will of God and the Word of God when we pray for the salvation of souls, for God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. We can pray for the maturing of believers because God wants all of us to be conformed to the image of Christ. We can also pray for all the needs of our brothers and sisters materially, emotionally, and most of all, spiritually – because God’s Word promises that He will supply all of our needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

One can know that selfish prayers for “me, myself and only my interests” are not likely to be heard because we are to seek first God’s kingdom.

If we want to receive blessings from God for ourselves, we must forget ourselves and help others find their fulfillment. In the process, God will meet our needs. This does not suggest that we should not give attention to our own needs and to the needs of our loved ones, but rather we are not to seek only that which is for our personal best.

No prayer life can be effective without a thorough knowledge and understanding of God’s Word, the basis from which we can know the will of God and thus pray with assurance that our prayers will be answered.

Bible Reading: I John 3:22-24

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will saturate my mind with the Word of God and seek to know and do His will so that when I pray, my prayers will have ready answers.

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; C.H. – Break Time

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Fitness gurus know you don’t build muscles by lifting weights alone. Heavy workouts actually tear down muscle. The strength comes through rest. A period of inactivity is necessary to allow muscles to rebuild – and become stronger than before.

In plowing time and in harvest you shall rest.  Exodus 34:21

God, the Creator of the all things including the human body, was well aware of the benefits of taking a break. Rest isn’t just beneficial; it’s vital. When God gave the commandment to rest, He knew what was best. A respite is not only good for muscles, it helps you lose weight, stay focused, improve memory, increase creativity and even live longer. Your Heavenly Father knew busyness would abound and, therefore, the tendency to skip a day off would surface. So He specifically pointed out, even during the busiest times (plowing and harvest during biblical times), you need to rest.

At least once each week, make time for break time. Stop and observe God’s beautiful creation. List His attributes. But most of all, be still and know that He is God and will be “exalted among the nations.” (Psalm 46:10) Pray today for Christians across the nation – as well as your nation’s leaders – to regularly rest and reflect on the one true God and exalt Him only.

Recommended Reading: Psalm 46

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Power in United Prayer

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“Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” —Matthew 18:19–20

Did you know there is power in united prayer? It is good to pray with other people. Jesus said, “If two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:19). This doesn’t mean that if people get together and pray for something ridiculous, they are going to get it. Rather, it is two people being led by the Spirit, with the same God-given burden, praying for something. There is power as we pray together.

That is why, when a Harvest Crusade is approaching, we encourage people to begin thinking of someone they could be praying for by name. At HarvestAmerica.com we have a Prayer Cloud where people can enter the names of those whom they want to see come to Christ. When they enter the names of people they are praying for, others will pray for those people as well. We do this because we recognize there is power in united prayer. So we pray together for things.

One of the things we should be praying for is that God would send revival to our nation. Will a revival come to the United States? No one can say with certainty. I hope it will. God gives the prescription for the healing of a nation in 2 Chronicles 7:14, where He says, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” That is what we want: for God to heal our land and turn our nation back toward Him.

Prevailing prayer, prayer that matters, and prayer that gets results is prayer that is lifted up together

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Such a Friend

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Max Lucado

In Proverbs 18:24 we read, “There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” David found such a friend in the son of Saul.

Oh to have a friend like Jonathan. A soul mate who protects you, who seeks nothing but your interests, wants nothing but your happiness. An ally who lets you be you. No need to weigh thoughts or measure words. God gave David such a friend.

And God gave you one as well. David found a companion in a prince of Israel; you can find a friend in the King of Israel, Jesus Christ. He has made a covenant with you. Among His final words were these, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Jesus also said, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them away from Me!”

Do you long for one true friend? You have One!

from Facing Your Giants

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Conquering Faith

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Charles Stanley

1 Samuel 17:1-37

David, the shepherd boy, faced Goliath, the Philistine giant. By trusting in God’s power to deliver, David was victorious over his seemingly invincible opponent. We, too, will face trials that are bigger than we are. The Lord wants to build conquering faith in us so that we, like David, can overcome. What are the components of such faith?

• Godly motivation. David’s desire was to defend his people and God’s name. We must examine our rationale to be certain it is Christ-centered, not self-focused.

• Recognition of the battle’s nature. In the lives of born-again believers, every single incident is a spiritual matter. David’s struggle in the physical realm was against Goliath, but the real battle was spiritual (Eph. 6:12).

• Memory of previous victories. David’s confidence was not based on what was happening right then. Instead, he recalled what the Lord had done before: helping him fight off lions and bears. Imagine a film that highlights all the moments when God provided you with strength and stamina. Replay it until you are ready for the fight.

• Rejection of ungodly counsel. David was certain of God’s purpose for him, so he refused to listen to his brother’s accusations of impure motives. He also rejected King Saul’s assessment of his youthfulness. Instead, the young shepherd boy inclined his ear to hear from the Lord and any counselors He might send.

What “Goliath” is standing before you? Remember that in Christ, we can be overcomers (1 John 5:4).

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — The Other Eighty Percent

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Our Daily Bread

Psalm 69:29-36

Let heaven and earth praise Him, the seas and everything that moves in them. —Psalm 69:34

Recently I saw a billboard stating that 80 percent of all life on Earth is found in the seas. That staggering number is difficult to process, largely because most of that life is out of sight.

As I considered this, it reminded me of how much greater God’s creation is than we typically appreciate. While we can easily have our breath taken away by a majestic mountain range or a panoramic sunset, we sometimes fail to see His extraordinary work in the details that require more careful study and examination. Not only is much of God’s creation hidden by the oceans, but other parts are also too small for our eyes to observe. From the microscopically small to the unsearched reaches of the universe, it is all the work of our Creator. In those magnificent structures—seen and unseen—God’s creative glory is revealed (Rom. 1:20).

As we grow to understand the wonder of creation, it must always point us to the Creator Himself—and call us to worship Him. As the psalmist said, “Let heaven and earth praise Him, the seas and everything that moves in them” (Ps. 69:34). If creation itself gives praise to the Creator, we can and should certainly join the chorus. What a mighty God we serve! —Bill Crowder

O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder,

Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made,

I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,

Thy power throughout the universe displayed! —Boberg

The wonder of creation causes us to say, “What a wonderful God!”

Bible in a year: Psalms 68-69; Romans 8:1-21

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Seizing the Present

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Poets and prophets, ancient and modern, declare that we are profoundly unaware of the present. The here and now, the place that we always are, they duly note, is the place that we are least likely to see for what it fully is. Blaise Pascal, a mathematician living four centuries before multi-tasking was praised and apps helped manage time, keenly diagnosed this peculiar human condition. In his master work, the Pensees, he articulates our seeming lack of interest in the present:

“Let each one examine his thoughts, and he will find them all occupied with the past and the future. We scarcely ever think of the present; and if we think of it, it is only to take light from it to arrange the future. The present is never our end. The past and the present are our means; the future alone is our end. So we never live, but we hope to live; and, as we are always preparing to be happy, it is inevitable we should never be so.”

The present is never our end. Living behind cameras and gadgets that record my present, often out of the fear of forgetting it in the future, the thought strikes me as one I ought to consider. Though we hope and toil for life, though I may have captured the moment or smile on camera, I never fully saw it. And moreover, looking back most of us can readily recall a particularly squandered time in our lives, a time we now wish we were more fully attentive, more fully present. Truly, the now of life is far more significant and subtly hidden than we often realize.

In the play Our Town, Thornton Wilder brilliantly depicts the magnitude of the present, the fullness of each moment amidst the fleeting nature of time in our lives. Emily, a young mother who died in childbirth, is given the opportunity to go back and observe a single day in her life. She is advised to choose an “ordinary” day—for even the least important day will be important enough—the dead remind her. True enough, Emily makes her choice and quickly finds herself overwhelmed by it. Her ensuing lines are Wilder’s caution:

“I can’t go on. It goes too fast… I didn’t realize. All that was going on and we never noticed. Take me back—up the hill—to my grave. But first: Wait! One more look.

Goodbye, Goodbye, world… Mama and Papa. Goodbye clocks ticking…and Mama’s sunflowers. And food and coffee. And new-ironed dresses and hot baths…and sleeping and waking up. Oh earth, you are too wonderful for anybody to realize you.”

Upon returning, Emily wonders if anyone ever realizes life while they actually live it—life as it is, “every, every minute.” The response she receives is grim. “No. The saints and poets, maybe they do some.”(1)

Where this may all easily be couched as a saccharine moralism to seize the day and live life to the fullest, carpe diem or yolo, we might inquire why the present brims with significance, lest it lead us merely to the Epicurean’s philosophy, observed by King Solomon, cautioned against by Jesus, noted by cultural prophets, and largely embraced, though we still seem to miss the thing in front of us: “Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die.”(2) While Epicurus did not have in mind the self-indulgence that this idea would come to bear, the materialist’s call for happiness in the present is heightened only by the sobering impermanence of life that is only material. Or perhaps the present holds much more still.

C.S. Lewis once asked, “Where, except in the present, can the Eternal be met?” This, he argues, is why the present is so profoundly important. God is always nearest to us “now.”  Where Jesus says, “Follow me,” where he pleads, “Come to me,” where he insists the kingdom is present among us, and bids us to come, take, and eat, there is an urgency in his voice that ushers us into time with him now. Now is where he asks us to draw near; now is when we decide again to follow or not to follow; now is where we rejoice in this day he made. So indeed, seize the day, you only live once, and the promises of the one who came in the fullness of time are boldly written upon this very moment.

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

(1) As quoted by Barry Morrow in Heaven Observed (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2001), 321.

(2) Cf. Ecclesiastes 8:15, Luke 12:13-21.

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – What Do We Know?

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Alistair Begg

 

We know that for those who love God all things work together for good.  Romans 8:28

Upon some points a believer is absolutely sure. He knows, for instance, that God sits in the center of the vessel when it rocks most. He believes that an invisible hand is always on the world’s tiller, and that wherever providence may drift, God is steering it. That reassuring knowledge prepares him for everything. He looks over the raging waters and sees the spirit of Jesus walking on the water, and he hears a voice saying, “It is I-do not be afraid.” He knows too that God is always wise, and knowing this, he is confident that there can be no accidents, no mistakes and that nothing can occur that ought not to happen. He can say, “If I should lose everything, it is better that I should lose it than keep it if it is God’s will: The worst disaster is the wisest and the kindest thing that I could face if God ordains it.”

“We know that for those who love God all things work together for good.” The Christian does not merely hold this as a theory, but he knows it as a matter of fact. So far everything has worked for good; the poisonous drugs mixed in proper proportions have effected the cure; the sharp cuts of the scalpel have cleaned out the disease and facilitated the healing. Every event as yet has worked out the most divinely blessed results; and so, believing that God rules all, that He governs wisely, that He brings good out of evil, the believer’s heart is assured, and he is learning to meet each trial calmly when it comes. In the spirit of true resignation the believer can pray, “Send me what You will, my God, as long as it comes from You; there never was a poor portion that came from Your table to any of Your children.”

Do not say, my soul, “Where will God find one to relieve my care?”

Remember that Omnipotence has servants everywhere.

His method is sublime and His heart profoundly kind,

God is never too early and never behind!

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – Preach the gospel

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“For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!” 1 Corinthians 9:16

Suggested Further Reading: Philippians 1:12-18

There was a young woman under great distress of soul; she came to a very pious Christian man, who said “My dear girl, you must go home and pray.” Well I thought within myself, that is not the Bible way at all. It never says, “Go home and pray.” The poor girl went home; she did pray, and she still continued in distress. Then he said, “You must wait, you must read the Scriptures and study them.” That is not the Bible way; that is not exalting Christ. I find a great many preachers are preaching that kind of doctrine. They tell a poor convinced sinner, “You must go home and pray, and read the Scriptures; you must attend the ministry;” and so on. Works, works, works—instead of “By grace are ye saved through faith.” If a penitent should come and ask me, “What must I do to be saved?” I would say, “Christ must save you—believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.” I would neither direct to prayer, nor reading of the Scriptures, nor attending God’s house; but simply direct to faith, naked faith in God’s gospel. Not that I despise prayer—that must come after faith. Not that I speak a word against the searching of the Scriptures—that is an infallible mark of God’s children. Not that I find fault with attendance on God’s word—God forbid! I love to see people there. But none of these things are the way of salvation. It is nowhere written—“He that attendeth chapel shall be saved;” or, “He that readeth the Bible shall be saved.” Nor do I read—“He that prayeth and is baptised shall be saved;” but, “He that believeth,”—he that has a naked faith in the “Man Christ Jesus,”—in his Godhead, in his manhood, is delivered from sin. To preach that faith alone saves is to preach God’s truth.

For meditation: The good news of the Gospel is not to be confused with our not-so-good advice. To think we are giving good news is not good enough (2 Samuel 4:10).

Sermon no. 34

5 August (1855)

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Languages Without Love

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John MacArthur

“If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Cor. 13:1).

Paul begins his discourse on love by stating the futility of languages without love. The Corinthians were enamored with the showy spiritual gifts, apparently to the neglect of those they deemed less spectacular (see 1 Cor. 12:12-31). One of the gifts they prized most highly was tongues, which was the Spirit-given ability to declare God’s truth in a language unknown to the speaker but known to others who heard.

Tongues were a sign to provoke unbelieving Jewish people to consider the gospel (1 Cor. 14:21-22). Its first occurrence was on the Day of Pentecost when the Spirit enabled those assembled in the upper room to proclaim the mighty deeds of God in the native languages of the Jews gathered in Jerusalem at the time (Acts 2:4-11).

The “tongues of angels” Paul mentions in 1 Corinthians 13:1 isn’t the gift of tongues, as some suppose. He was simply using an exaggeration to emphasize his point, saying in effect, “If I had the ability to communicate with angels, it wouldn’t do any good without love.”

In Paul’s day, the worship of Cybele and Dionysus, two pagan gods, incorporated speaking in ecstatic languages accompanied by blaring trumpets, smashing gongs, and clanging cymbals. I believe Paul was drawing from that well-known practice to say that whenever Christians attempt to minister apart from the Spirit and His love, it’s no different than a pagan rite. It may look and sound like the real thing, but it’s meaningless and useless for any spiritual benefit.

You should take advantage of every opportunity to minister your spiritual gifts to others. But as you do, be sure it’s with love, in the energy of the Spirit, and in accordance with God’s Word. Then you’ll have a maximum impact as Christ uses your efforts for His glory.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Ask God to convict you whenever you attempt to exercise your spiritual gifts without love.

For Further Study:

Read Romans 12:1-21.

What does Paul say about spiritual gifts?

How are Christians to express brotherly love to one another?

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Bless the Lord at All Times

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I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalm 34:1

At times it seems like the whole world lives in fear and dread, but God’s children should not. We are to behave differently from the people of the world; we should let our light shine.

Just being positive in a negative circumstance is a way to do this. The world will notice when we are stable in every kind of situation.

Make up your mind right now that all of life does not need to make you feel good in order for you to face it with peace and joy. Make a decision that you will not dread anything you have to do. Do it all with a thankful attitude.

I never considered driving down the street to get a cup of coffee to be a huge privilege until after I had been hospitalized with breast cancer and had surgery. When I was released, I asked my husband to take me out for a coffee and a drive through a local park. It was amazing how much joy I felt. I was doing a very simple thing that was previously available to me every day, yet I had never seen it as a privilege.

Our son went on an outreach with a team of people who go visit the homeless each Friday evening, and after helping in this ministry, he was appalled at himself for the things he had murmured about in the past once he saw, by comparison, how some people were living.

We would all feel exactly the same way. Those without a place to live would love to have a house to clean, while we dread cleaning ours. They would delight in having a car to drive, even an old one, while we complain about needing to wash ours or take it in for an oil change.

The point is, most of the time we lose sight of how blessed we are, but we should work at keeping it in the front of our thinking. Be thankful you can do anything in Christ, and don’t dread things you have to do.

Trust in Him What are you thankful for? If your trust is in Him, you can face anything with peace and joy and gratitude in your heart.

 

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – To Seek and To Save

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“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10, KJV).

The Word of God clearly teaches that He wants His children to live supernaturally, especially in the area of living holy lives and bearing much fruit since that is the reason our Lord Jesus Christ came to this world.

Through the years I have prayed that my life and the ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ would be characterized by the supernatural. I have prayed that God would work in and through us in such a mighty way that all who see the results of our efforts would know that God alone was responsible, and give Him all the glory.

Now as I look back – marveling at God’s miraculous working in our behalf – I remember earlier days which were also characterized by praise and glory to God, even though I was not privileged then to speak to millions or even thousands. At one point in our ministry, about the only understanding supportive listener I could find was my wife.

Vonette and I used to live mostly for material pleasures. But soon after our marriage we made a full commitment of our lives to the Lord. Now it is our desire (1) to live holy lives, controlled and empowered by the Holy Spirit (2) to be effective witnesses for Christ, and (3) to help fulfill the Great Commission in our generation to the end that we may continue the ministry which our Lord began as He came to “seek and to save the lost.”

Bible Reading: Luke 19:1-9

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I determine to bring my priorities in line with those of my Lord and Savior, who came to seek and to save the lost and to encourage others to do the same.

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; H.L.M. – Courage to Climb

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Craig DeMartino was an avid rock climber. Yet after falling 100 feet during a climb, it was a miracle Craig survived. As he trusted doctors to fix his broken limbs and cure the intolerable pain, Craig soon learned his Creator had a greater purpose. God brought people into his life that helped him make good choices, and he experienced one miracle after another. Now, as a renowned climber and international speaker, Craig uses his story as a powerful platform to declare Jesus Christ.

Who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.  I Corinthians 1:8

“I never intended to suffer nerve damage or have saved an ankle that hurts more than the amputation of the other one,” Craig said. “But I wouldn’t trade any part of the experience for the world. I’ve been able to see that sometimes the greatest thing God gives us isn’t just healing, but the power to endure.”

When you say “yes” to God, He gives you incredible power to influence others beyond anything you can imagine! Allow the Lord to use your challenges to climb spiritual mountains. Then, as you courageously step out and share your testimony with others, pray also for bold believers to be placed in the lives of the nation’s leaders.

Recommended Reading: Philippians 1:3-11

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Passing Inspection

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For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. —2 Corinthians 5:10

If you have been involved in a building project, then you know your project must pass a final inspection. Sometimes you pass. And sometimes you don’t pass and have to fix whatever it was that fell short of the inspector’s requirements.

The apostle Paul describes a future inspection for believers in 2 Corinthians 5:10: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” The word “bad” in the original language means “evil of another kind.” It also could be translated “good for nothingness” or “worthlessness.”

Paul was speaking of Christians who have been saved by the grace of God and have put their faith in Jesus. But they have lived lives that largely have been wasted.

We are all building on a foundation, and that foundation should be Christ. The building materials we use are important. A paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 3:10–15 puts it this way:

Take particular care in picking out your building materials. Eventually there is going to be an inspection. If you use cheap or inferior materials, you’ll be found out. The inspection will be thorough and rigorous. You won’t get by with a thing. If your work passes inspection, fine; if it doesn’t, your part of the building will be torn out and started over. But you won’t be torn out; you’ll survive—but just barely.

One day we will stand before God, and He will look at the materials we used. Some of us will pass. Others will hear Him say, in effect, “You are in. I love you. But you didn’t really pass inspection. You could have done more.”

Will the life you are building pass inspection?

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – God Looks at the Heart

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Max Lucado

First Samuel 16:7 says:  “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Those words were written for misfits and outcasts.  God uses them all.  Moses ran from justice, but God used him.  Jonah ran from God, but God used him.  Rahab ran a brothel. Lot ran with the wrong crowd, but God used them all.

And David?  God saw a teenage boy serving him in the backwoods of Bethlehem.  Human eyes saw a gangly teenager, smelling like sheep. Yet, “the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one.”  God saw what no one else saw:  a God-seeking heart.

Others measure your waist size or wallet.  Not God.  He examines hearts.  When He finds one set on Him, he calls it and claims it.Your Father knows your heart, and because He does, He has a place reserved—just for you!

from Facing Your Giants

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – In Times of Despair

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Charles Stanley

There are devastating times in our lives that stretch everything we know and believe. We are in pain—at times physically, at other times emotionally, and sometimes both. Some of these seasons last much longer than a few days, and the physical strain can take a terrible toll on our emotions. Conversely—when we are continuously despondent and disheartened, our bodies can suffer as well. Frustrations and setbacks bombard us at an alarming rate, undermining our every confidence. Just when we think we will get better, more bad news hits us.

We wonder why God would allow all the agony we are experiencing. We ask, “Why me, Lord? Why now?”At the same time, the enemy is doing his best to make us question whether the Father really loves us—bringing up old sins, faults, and mistakes that have already been forgiven, and insinuating they disqualify us from the Lord’s blessings. What makes it even worse is that joy is just outside our reach—and we have no hope of taking hold of it. The sense of loss, helplessness, futility, and dissatisfaction with ourselves can be absolutely overwhelming.

Have you ever experienced this? Have you faced the dark depths of despair—wondering if you’ll ever climb out? Have you wondered, Why isn’t the Father helping me? I am trying to serve Him. Why has this situation only gotten worse instead of better? Why doesn’t He heal me? You cry out to Him and He comforts you, but the trial does not end and you cannot understand what He is doing. So you question, Has the Lord failed? Am I so far gone and so intensely damaged that He cannot help me?

No, my friend, the Father has not failed you. And the fact that He is still working on you is evidence that not only does He see your great potential, but He also desires to touch the world through you in an astounding way (Heb. 12:4–11).

It is in looking to Him that we ultimately have the greatest hope, joy, peace, and freedom. The prophet Isaiah testifies, “Although the Lord has given you bread of privation and water of oppression, He, your Teacher will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will behold your Teacher. Your ears will hear a word behind you, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right or to the left” (Isa. 30:20–21). When you are able to rely on Him fully, you recognize that regardless of what circumstances you face, your Teacher—your omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, and unconditionally loving God—is there to guide you, protect you, and provide for you perfectly.

The Challenge of Choice

The challenge, of course, is that you must make the choice to trust Him. You must look beyond the painful circumstances—all the evidence you can see, feel, smell, hear, and touch—and realize there is a greater unseen reality, which is the presence of the Living God (2 Cor. 4:16–18). This is not easy, but takes a constant refocus and realignment of your thinking. Everything in your spirit may fight against it, and with good reason. How can you trust One whom you cannot experience with your five senses? Yet to do otherwise is no option at all—the consequences of discouragement are just too great.

Therefore, choose to take heart and hope in the Lord. You have almighty God on your side. Invite Him into your life as your Redeemer, Deliverer, Protector, Provider, and Friend. Think about the astounding privilege it is that you can count on Him, and allow it to comfort your aching soul. You can let go of your despair and look forward to the future. You will most likely be absolutely astounded at the plans your heavenly Father has for you.

If you will view each difficulty and challenge that comes to you as an opportunity to learn more about your heavenly Father, draw closer to Him in loving fellowship, and be cleansed from your bondage to sin, I guarantee your life will be absolutely transformed (1 Pet. 1:6–7). But how do you do so? How do you maintain your trust in God when you face difficulties and distresses?

1. Allow Signs of Despair to Lead You to Prayer

The emotions you’re experiencing are a warning sign to your spirit revealing that you need to turn to God. He is calling you—drawing you into a relationship with Him. Go to Him with an open heart and invite Him to teach you. Ask the Father, “What is it You desire to accomplish in and through me?” Then open your Bible before Him and allow Him to guide you to the truth He desires to teach you.

2. Take Stock of Your Life

Are you struggling with weariness, frustration, isolation, or are you eating an unhealthy diet? This may be adding to your despair. Don’t allow the enemy to get a foothold. Rather, recall the acrostic H.A.L.T.—whenever you’re Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired, remember to stop, refuel, and seek the Lord’s guidance. God will encourage your heart and give you the ability to endure whatever trouble you may face. And if you face trials, difficulties, or emotions that are too overwhelming to handle on your own, seek godly believers who will support and help you.

3. Commit Yourself to Your Father’s Plans

Did you know that one of the biggest gold deposits that was ever excavated in the United States was discovered two inches beneath where a previous miner had given up? We make a terrible mistake when we decide to quit because we fear our circumstances will never change. But friend, God has wonderful plans for your future!

I cannot stress enough how important it is to cling to the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength regardless of what happens, with the knowledge that He ultimately provides what is absolutely best for you. The truth of the matter is, sometimes you will not understand why the Father allows certain challenges to touch your life, but with God there is always hope. And there are abundant blessings that you will forfeit if you give in to your discouragement.

Don’t miss out on the good things the Father has for you by submitting to despair. Rather, claim Psalm 30:5, “Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning.” Devote yourself to the Lord. Keep focused on staying in the center of His will and fulfilling His plans for your life, because He will certainly strengthen you to go on.

4. Embrace Who God Says You Are

Often, when we struggle with despair, experience loss, or fail at something important, we attribute our painful feelings to our own sense of worth. We believe that we don’t deserve acceptance or anything good, and it is very difficult to break out of those beliefs because they are so intrinsic to our identity.
However, you must accept the reality that how you view yourself is not who you really are. Your perception is incorrect. Rather, the only One who truly understands your potential and worth is the Father, who accepts you, promises to love you unconditionally, and enables you to do all He calls you to do.
Zephaniah 3:17 affirms, “The Lord your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” Your heavenly Father is committed to winning the battles for you (Ex. 14:14). Therefore, train your eyes on Him, obey His commands, and accept who He created you to be—a vessel who shines with His glory.

5. Praise the Lord

You have two choices when you face discouraging circumstances. You can focus on the problems, which will cause you greater despair. Or you can look to God and praise Him for what He is—your absolutely sure Foundation, Everlasting Hope, Mighty Warrior, Perfect Provider, Beloved Counselor, Sovereign King of kings, Incomparable Protector, Great Physician, and Unfailing Friend.
You see, dejection and praise cannot coexist in your heart for very long. Because when you gaze on the abundant goodness and mercy of the Father and you voice your sincere thankfulness and adoration to Him, there is no way to maintain a hopeless state. It is an absolute fact: praising God is a bulwark against despair.

6. Do the Lord’s Work

Finally, realize that your suffering is never in vain.  Adversity not only helps you to know God better but it also trains us for His service to others.

This is a principle we can find in 2 Corinthians 1:3–4, which proclaims, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

When you and I find victory over fear, rejection, bitterness, guilt and despair, we become ambassadors the Lord can work through to lead others to freedom. This is because we know how they feel, we can assure them they are not alone, and we will have compassion to walk with them as they pursue healing. An additional benefit of this, of course, is that while we are ministering to others, our focus if off our own troubles. Therefore, overcome your discouragement by offering yourself to God and allowing Him to do His awesome work through you.

Friend, no matter what happens in your life, don’t let go of the Savior. Despair doesn’t have to keep you in its grip. You can defeat it by choosing to think about all the Father has given you and the great plans He has for your future.

So respond to your feelings of discouragement with prayer and your thoughts of defeat with truth from His Word. Commit yourself to trusting His plan regardless of the circumstances, claim His unfailing promises, cling to His loving presence, and lift your voice in praise to Him. Learn to see the adversity you face as a tool that the Lord is using to do something extraordinary in your life.

Then, even in the midst of disheartening challenges, you can be a victor who experiences His supernatural hope, strength, joy, and peace.

Excerpt from Emotions: Confront the Lies. Conquer with Truth.

 

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