Monthly Archives: September 2013

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – The Supernatural Power of God’s Love

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“For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38,39, KJV).

More than anything else, I was drawn to Christ because of His love for me. The Bible says that Christ proved His supernatural love for us by coming “to die for us while we were still sinners.”

Because of that great love, which draws me to Him and causes me to want to please Him and to love Him in return, I learned how to love supernaturally. In more than 30 years of counseling thousands of people about interpersonal conflicts, I do not know of a single problem that could not have been resolved if those involved had been willing to accept and respond to God’s love for them, and to love others as an act of the will by faith, as God commands.

Such a statement may sound simplistic and exaggerated, yet I make it after carefully reviewing in my mind all kinds of conflicts between husbands and wives, parents and children, neighbors, friends and enemies.

Think of it! Christ’s forgiveness is so great and compassionate that He will not allow anything or anyone to condemn us or separate us from His supernatural love. Even though He is “holy, blameless, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens,” He still loves and cleanses us from all unrighteousness. He gives us absolute assurance that nothing can ever “separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Bible Reading: Romans 8:32-37

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I determine to express my gratitude to God for His great love for me by loving Him in return and by loving by faith everyone with whom I have contact today. With the help of the Holy Spirit, I will demonstrate that love by gracious acts of the will.

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; G.C. – Over There

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It is the morning of April 6, 1917. The headlines proclaim the United States has declared war on Germany. Most people are reeling with concern – but one man begins humming a tune.

Balaam said to Balak, “Stand here beside your burnt offering, while I meet the Lord over there.”

Numbers 23:15

George M. Cohan, actor, singer, dancer, songwriter, playwright and Broadway producer responsible for hundreds of songs including “You’re a Grand Old Flag,” “Give My Regards to Broadway,” and “I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy,” began composing a song in his mind. By the afternoon, the anthem for World War I was written, the classic song “Over There.”

In 1936, Cohan was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for writing the words: So prepare, say a prayer / Send the word, send the word to beware / We’ll be over there, we’re coming over / And we won’t come back till it’s over – over there. Cohan wrote about America’s determination to do whatever it would take to win liberty for the oppressed.

As a believer in Christ, you are enlisted in God’s army. Your orders are to stand beside your nation in prayer while God completes His plan to conquer death and darkness. Hold your position today with courage and determination. In His timing, God will win the war and take His people into a glorious eternity…over there.

Recommended Reading: Luke 21:9-19

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Even Atheists Have Moments of Doubt

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Perhaps you have heard of George Bernard Shaw. We was a highly regarded thinker and writer and, among other things, won a Nobel Prize in literature. He also was an avowed and vocal atheist. Shaw firmly believed in science and what mankind could accomplish. But toward the end of his life, he realized this was a misplaced hope. He wrote, “The science to which I pinned my faith is bankrupt. Its counsels, which should have established the millennium, led, instead, directly to the suicide of Europe. I believed them once. In their name I helped to destroy the faith of millions of worshippers in the temples of a thousand creeds. And now they look at me and witness the great tragedy of an atheist who lost his faith.”

As C.S. Lewis wrote, “Even atheists have moments of doubt.” Problem is, George Bernard Shaw put his hope in the wrong thing. Do you have hope today? Victor Hugo said, “Hope is the Word which God has written on the brow of every man.” That all sounds good, but the question is: Hope in what or whom?

When I use the word “hope,” I don’t mean a blind optimism. The modern idea of Hope is “to wish for,” “to expect.” This may be based on fate, serendipity, good luck, or perhaps, wishing on a star. As the great theologian Jiminy Cricket sang to the wooden puppet Pinocchio, “When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are. Anything your heart desires will come to you.” But that really isn’t true is it?

Some will say, “I just know it will get better!” but it won’t always. Some put their trust in their investments; the things of this life than can quickly disappear. The Book of Job reminds us, “The hopes of the godless comes to nothing. Everything they count on will collapse. They are leaning on a spider web. They cling to their home for security, but it won’t last. They try to hold it fast, but it will not endure” (Job 8:13-15).

That is especially poignant in this economy; is it not? We need to put our hope in God. We should not have hope for hope’s sake; we must have hope in God. The Psalmist writes, “Why am I discouraged? Why so sad? I will put my hope in God” (Psalm 42:5). This will give us the strength to go on in life, because we know there is a heaven where wrongs will be made right. The hope of a Christian is a quiet confidence. It is a supernatural certainty.

And where do we find this hope? In the pages of Scripture. Paul reminds us that the Scriptures were written to “give us hope” (Romans 15:4). So put your hope in God today. He will never disappoint.

 

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – How to Stay Young Your Entire Life

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Charles Stanley

Psalm 103:1-5

When we read “how to stay young,” most of us think in terms of the physical body. Yet a youthful heart attitude can contribute greatly to keeping us young.

What characterizes such an attitude?

1. A youthful approach to life. This includes curiosity, passion, enthusiastic responses, optimistic viewpoints, and enduring confidence. Jesus promises us a full life (John 10:10). Are you passionately pursuing the Lord and life in Him?

2. Active pursuit of learning. The young at heart are willing to embrace new ideas, make changes in their lives, and adapt to new things. For Christians, God’s Word is to be a primary source of learning (2 Tim. 3:16). What have you learned from the Bible this past week, and how has it impacted your life?

3. A hopeful outlook in the face of trials. A youthful attitude is resilient and able to find meaning and strength in adversity (Rom. 5:3-5). Ask the Lord to increase your trust in Him so that you may overflow with hope (15:13).

4. A “people” orientation. Those who are youthful in spirit willingly reach out in friendship. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, whom will you befriend?

Beware of hindrances to being young at heart. One obstacle is self-absorption, which can close us to new ideas, new people, and even to the Spirit’s call. Heed Jesus’ command to deny self (Matt. 16:34). If self-focus describes you, confess it, and seek to have a youthful heart attitude. You’ll experience the inward vitality that characterizes the young at heart (2 Cor. 4:16).

 

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Longing To Grow

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Our Daily Bread

1 Peter 1:22–2:3

As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby. —1 Peter 2:2

The 2010 documentary film Babies followed four infants who were born into very different circumstances in Namibia, Mongolia, Tokyo, and San Francisco. There is no narration or dialogue from adults in the film, only the sounds babies make as they begin to discover the world into which they have been born. They coo and laugh when they’re happy; they cry when they are hurt or hungry. And all of them like milk! The fascination of the film lies in watching them grow.

As a baby craves milk, followers of Christ are to crave the “pure milk of the Word” that leads to spiritual growth. The apostle Peter says, “Long to grow up into the fullness of your salvation; cry for this as a baby cries for his milk” (1 Peter 2:2 TLB). Peter wrote to encourage a group of Christ-followers who had been scattered by persecution. He urged them to set aside feelings of anger and jealousy toward each other, along with talking one way and living another (v.1), and “as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby” (v.2).

The Lord invites us to drink all that we need from His bountiful supply. He loves to watch His children grow! —David McCasland

Lord, I want to be more like You.

Please give me a fervent desire to drink of

Your Word. Grow me into a person who

resembles You in all I say and do.

The more we dig into God’s Word, the more we grow.

Bible in a year: Psalms 148-150; 1 Corinthians 15:29-58

Our Daily Bread

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – The One Who Suffers

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Our Daily Bread

“The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary…  The Lord has opened my ears, and I have not been rebellious; I have not drawn back” (Isaiah 50:4-5).

The text of Isaiah 50 is full of intense language of compassion and obedience, suffering and humility. Isaiah is describing a deeply mysterious and suffering servant in a confronting passage of Scripture that is hard to take in and harder to ignore. How do we respond to the descriptive words of servant-like humility that note, “I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting” (Isaiah 50:6). What are we to do with this suffering servant?

Isaiah was equipped and willing to do the work of a prophet, to stand between God and humanity with difficult words as his only buffer. His words are political, poetic, and prophetic, enduring well beyond his life, reverberating in creative ways unknown even to the one called. In this chapter, Isaiah gives us the song of a Servant. He speaks of intense faithfulness in the midst of unjust opposition and steadfast obedience to God in the midst of extreme suffering. Isaiah speaks words that Christians believe are abundantly verified in Jesus Christ.

Almost 700 years after Isaiah’s words were uttered, Jesus came with a message to sustain the weary, teaching as one with an instructed tongue, speaking as one with authority, and indeed, living as one who had set his face “like a flint” upon the will of God the Father. He suffered in utter humility; he offered mercy to his tormentors and forgiveness to those who simply looked on (Luke 4:31-36, Isaiah 50:5,7). Isaiah likely spoke well beyond his own understanding, but he nonetheless asks his hearers to decide what we will do with this suffering one.

The Gospel of Luke describes a time when Jesus and the disciples go about the land teaching and preaching and ministering to the crowds, yet avoiding Jerusalem because of those who were plotting to kill him. And then almost as abruptly as their ministry began to spread, Luke recalls a deliberate change in direction. He writes that Jesus “steadfastly and determinedly set his face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51).  Knowing what waited for him there, knowing the cross in the horizon, Jesus set his face as a flint toward his own agony. Exactly as was prophesied 700 years earlier, Jesus voluntarily and determinedly gave his back to those who would beat him, his face to those who would spit and mock, and his very life to present the jarringly redemptive mercy of God.

Can we still think that God does not care for us? Can we still think that the heart of the matter is what you and I will do with God? Perhaps in the light of this mysterious Servant, the question becomes not “What will I do with Jesus Christ?” but “What will he do for us?” Or better still, What has he already done?

Jesus invites the weary and the burdened to come and receive rest from him. “Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” The one who came as a servant, and was destroyed by suffering, died that we might join him in the life-changing, life-giving presence of God. Jesus takes us as we are—broken lives, clouded visions, weary hearts—and invites us to abide in all that he is, in all that is enduring, in all that is God. He remains a mysterious, suffering, captivating servant… in whose presence we are undone.

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

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Living As Lights

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Alistair Begg

. . . In the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.

Philippians 2:15

We use lights for display. A Christian should so shine in his life that a person could not live with him a week without knowing the Gospel. His conversation should be such that all who spend time with him would understand clearly to whom he belongs and who it is he serves and would see the image of Jesus displayed in his daily actions. Lights are intended for guidance. We are to help those around us who are in the dark. We are to declare to them the Word of life. We are to point sinners to the Savior and the weary to a divine resting-place. Sometimes men read their Bibles and fail to understand them; we should be ready, like Philip, to instruct the inquirer in the meaning of God’s Word, the way of salvation, and the life of godliness.

Lights are also used for warning. On our rocks and sandbanks a lighthouse is sure to be erected. Christians should know that there are many false lights everywhere in the world, and therefore the right light is needed. The wreckers of Satan are always abroad, tempting the ungodly to sin under the name of pleasure as they hoist the wrong light. It is our responsibility to set the true light upon every dangerous rock, to point out every sin and tell what it leads to, so that we may be clear of the blood of all men, shining as lights in the world. Lights also have a very cheering influence, and so have Christians. A Christian ought to be a comforter, with kind words on his lips and sympathy in his heart; he should carry sunshine wherever he goes and diffuse happiness around him.

Gracious Spirit dwell with me;

I myself would gracious be,

And with words that help and heal

Would Thy life in mine reveal,

And with actions bold and meek

Would for Christ my Savior speak.

 

 

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – England’s ills and sorrows

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“Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!” Jeremiah 9:1

Suggested Further Reading: Luke 19:37-44

As ye stand on any of the hills around, and behold this monstrous city lying in the valley, say, “O London, London! how great thy guilt. Oh! that the Master would gather thee under his wing, and make thee his city, the joy of the whole earth! O London, London! Full of privileges, and full of sin; exalted to heaven by the gospel, thou shalt be cast down to hell by thy rejection of it!” And then, when ye have wept over London, go and weep over the street in which you live, as you see the sabbath broken, and God’s laws trampled upon, and men’s bodies profaned—go and weep! Weep, for the court in which you live in your humble property; weep for the square in which you live in your magnificent wealth; weep for your neighbours and your friends, lest any of them, having lived godless, may die godless! Then go to your house, weep for your family, for your servants, for your husband, for your wife, for your children. Weep, weep; cease not weeping, till God has renewed them by his Spirit. And if you have any friends with whom you sinned in your past life, be earnest for their salvation. George Whitefield said there were many young men with whom he played at cards, and spent hours wasting his time when he should have been about other business. When he was converted, his first thought was, “I must by God’s grace have these converted too.” And he never rested, till he could say, that he did not know of one of them, a companion of his guilt, who was not now a companion with him in the tribulation of the gospel. Oh, let it be so with you!

For meditation: “Jesus wept” for others; “How he loved” (John 11:35,36). What message do your tears or lack of tears convey about you?

Sermon no. 150

6 September (1857)

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Standing Firm

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John MacArthur

“Stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (Eph. 6:11).

Every battle has an offensive and defensive strategy. Paul outlines the Christian’s offensive strategy in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5: “Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.”

Our defensive strategy is to rely on Christ’s strength and put on our spiritual armor (Eph. 6:10-11). Paul was probably chained to a Roman soldier when he wrote to the Ephesians, so he had a ready illustration of spiritual armament at hand. But unlike Roman soldiers, who removed their armor when off duty, Christians must remain fully protected at all times. That thought is captured in the Greek word translated “put on” in Ephesians 6:11, which carries the idea of permanence–putting it on once and for all.

“Stand firm” in verse 12 translates a military term that speaks of holding your ground while under attack. When properly employed, your spiritual armor serves as a lifelong companion that enables you to fight against the forces of evil and do so without retreat. Just as Jesus personally instructed the churches in Thyatira and Philadelphia to hold fast until He returns (Rev. 2:25; 3:11), so He also instructs us to stand our ground without wavering.

Similar New Testament exhortations call us to hold fast to biblical truth (1 Cor. 15:2), to that which is good (1 Thess. 5:21), to our confidence in Christ (Heb. 4:6), and to our confession of faith (Heb. 4:14). Those are marks of a strong and stable believer against whom the schemes of Satan have little effect.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Is there an area of your Christian life in which you’re not standing as firm as you should–perhaps prayer, Bible study, or personal ministry? If so, confess it to the Lord and begin to strengthen that area today. Don’t give Satan a weakness to attack.

For Further Study:

Memorize 1 John 4:4 as a reminder of God’s power in your life.

 

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – God Wants You to Laugh

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A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones. —Proverbs 17:22

One of the amazing things I have noticed from teaching and ministering is that God loves to make people laugh. I don’t plan to be funny when I speak, but the Holy Spirit speaks through me—and I’m amazed at how He adds funny little thoughts or illustrations. He clearly knows the value of humor and the healing effect it brings.

God wants us to laugh, and He wants us to make other people laugh. That does not mean we should all become jesters or laugh at inappropriate times, but we can certainly aid one another in taking a more lighthearted approach to life. We would all be much better off if we would learn to laugh at ourselves sometimes instead of taking ourselves so seriously.

The last three times I have worn white pants, I have spilled coffee on myself. I can either think I am a klutz who cannot hold on to anything and begin to devalue myself, or I can make a joke out of it and try harder to stay clean the next time. For years, I have listened to people downgrade themselves verbally for every mistake they make, and I believe that grieves God. If we know our value in Christ we should never say things about ourselves that devalue what God has created.

Why not make a habit of helping people see that we all make silly mistakes and we can choose to laugh rather than get upset? Give people permission to not be perfect! I love to be with people who do not pressure me to be perfect. God loves us unconditionally, and that means He accepts us the way we are and then helps us to be all we can be. Helping people laugh at themselves is a way of saying, “I accept you, faults and all.”

Remember to take every opportunity to laugh—especially at yourself—because it will improve your health and you will enjoy your life much more.

Trust in Him: Do you accept yourself, faults and all? God does! If you trust Him to love you just the way you are (He is the One Who created you!), then you can lighten up, accept that you aren’t perfect, and be an example to others who need more laughter in their lives.

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Happy Are the Mourners

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“Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4).

During my days of agnosticism and early inquiry into the Christian faith, I was not aware of my sin. I had come to believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, that He died on the cross for the sins of man but somehow it had not dawned on me that I was that bad. My life-style was not much different from that of the average church member. And, though my life was far from exemplary, in my own estimation I was a pretty decent fellow. As a matter of fact, I had some problems with all the talk about the cross and the shedding of blood. It seemed offensive to my aesthetic nature.

I was willing to believe that Jesus was the greatest influence, the greatest teacher, the greatest leader, the greatest example that man had ever known. And if He had to die on the cross to make a point, I did not think it was important enough to be made an issue. In fact, the thing that was really important to me was the fact that according to the Bible and the historical evidence, Jesus lived a very wonderful life dedicated to helping others. Then one day – I shall never forget the time and place, though I have forgotten the exact passage – as I read the Bible I was suddenly gripped with the necessity of Christ dying on the cross for my sins. I finally realized that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin, that I had fallen short of the glory of God and that I deserved death. I realized that there is nothing in me that merited His love, His grace, His forgiveness, His cleansing. I found myself on my knees in tears, deeply conscious of my unworthiness and, for the first time in my life, understood the true meaning of the cross and the reason He shed His blood for me.

Soon after I was elected to the board of deacons of my church and was called upon to serve communion. I shall never forget that experience. I found myself weeping as I served the wafers representing His broken body and the grape juice representing His blood that was shed for the sins of all men, for my sins, because now his death on the cross meant everything to me. A hymn, which had once been offensive to me, now became one of my favorites: “what can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.” I believe that this is what Jesus had in mind when He said, “Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted.”

Bible Reading: Jeremiah 31:10-14

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will not ignore my sins but will mourn over them by confessing, repenting, and, through the discipline of spiritual breathing, walking constantly in the light as a model of the supernatural life.

 

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; C.H. – No Gumball Answers

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The first ever reference to a vending machine was from the work of Hero of Alexandria (c. AD 10-70). You may be surprised to know it was designed to dispense holy water. Over the years, the popularity of vending machines has grown steadily. Now you can attain anything from gumballs to plastic rings to canned drinks and snacks.

Then a wind from the Lord sprang up, and it brought quail from the sea and let them fall beside the camp.  Numbers 11:31

Why the popularity? People like instant gratification. While wandering in the wilderness, God provided the Israelites manna each day. But the people complained to Moses because they wanted meat. Like so many children aiming for the golden vending machine prize, the Israelites were dissatisfied with God’s provision and asked for more. The Lord sent so much quail, it took two whole days to gather it. He provided, but soon His anger burned against them.

Prayer cannot be treated like coin-operated machines. God doesn’t work that way, but He will come alongside you if you ask. Take your concerns for the nation and its leaders to your Heavenly Father. Be assured He will be with you. Just remain grateful, and don’t expect Him to dispense answers like gumballs.

Recommended Reading: Psalm 4

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – An Eternal Perspective on Pain

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For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. —Romans 8:18

As much as we may try, we can’t control the universe. Like it or not, pain will come knocking at our door in some, way, shape, or form. We can try to turn it away, but pain will come in anyway. We have a choice as to how we will deal with it. We can either waste our pain, or we can use it for God’s glory.

How can pain be used for God’s glory? Two people come to mind. The first is Joni Eareckson Tada. At age 17, a diving accident left her a quadriplegic. Yet she has brought inspiration and hope and encouragement to millions of people around the world. Had she lived her life without this disability, I am sure she would have been used by God. But would she have been used in the same way? It doesn’t seem likely. God took this pain and used it for His glory.

Then there is Nick Vujicic. Born without arms or legs, he was so despondent as a youth that he was suicidal. And yet he has sought again and again to bring encouragement to people throughout the world.

Joni and Nick are living proof that God can take the pain in our lives and use it for His glory. So we have to look at it with an eternal perspective and realize that it will all work together for good (see Romans 8:28). The hope of a new heaven and a new earth by and by helps us to keep perspective in the here and now, during times of trial.

There is coming a day when wrongs will be righted, when pains will be healed, when sorrow will be eradicated. God will make up what we have lost here on earth. God will make all things new.

 

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – God Won’t Break a Promise

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Max Lucado

All of a sudden you’re cleaning out your desk. Voices of doubt and fear raise their volume. “How will I pay the bills?  Who’s going to hire me?”

Do you think you’ve lost it all?  Determine not to make this mistake. You have not lost it all.  Romans 11:29 promises God’s gifts and God’s call are under full warranty—never canceled, never rescinded. What do you have that you cannot lose?

You can say to yourself, “I am still God’s child.  My life’s more than this life. These days are a vapor, a passing breeze. This will eventually pass.  God will make something good out of this. I will work hard, stay faithful, and trust Him no matter what.”

Choose to heed the call of God on your life. You are God’s child. Your life is more than this life, more than this broken heart, more than this difficult time. God won’t break a promise.  You will get through this!

From You’ll Get Through This

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Programming Our Minds

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Charles Stanley

Colossians 3:15-17

The mind is the control tower of life. Decisions determine actions, which in turn affect the immediate and distant future. The person each of us will be 20 years from now is impacted by how we think today. If we want our future self to be pleasing to the Lord, then we must begin at once to program our mind with godly thoughts.

In Romans 12:2 and Ephesians 4:23, Paul tells believers to reject worldly thinking and renew the mind. We have been given the capacity to think as Jesus does—if we submit to the transforming work of the Holy Spirit. The believer should seek the things of God as an act of submission. This means opening our minds only to biblically sound attitudes and philosophies. It’s important that we protect ourselves from the world’s self-serving mindset, because we are to be God’s servants.

A second way to submit is by sifting our thoughts through the Word and will of God. This is a practical step that allows us to identify wrong thinking. We must consider whether an attitude or line of reasoning is pleasing to the Lord and useful for making us into the person He has called us to be. Then, when a thought is unscriptural, we can choose to reject it (2 Cor. 10:5).

Of course, the only way to know if a thought pleases the Lord is to read and meditate upon His Word. In the Bible, God provides examples of righteous living and thinking, and He offers guidance for choosing such patterns. Scripture is the instruction manual for our control tower.

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Almost Content?

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Our Daily Bread

1 Timothy 6:6-12

Be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” —Hebrews 13:5

As I stepped into the restaurant parking lot after lunch, I saw a pickup truck speeding through the parked vehicles. While observing the driver’s reckless behavior, I noticed the words on the truck’s front license plate. It read, “Almost Content.” After thinking about that message and the sentiment it tried to communicate, I concluded that the concept “almost content” doesn’t exist. Either we are content or we are not.

Admittedly, contentment is a tough needle to thread. We live in a world that feeds our desire for more and more—until we find it almost impossible to be content with anything. But this is nothing new. The book of Hebrews addressed this issue, saying, “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (13:5). The only remedy for hearts that “want it all” is the contentment found in the presence of the living God. He is sufficient for our needs and longings, and He alone can bring us the peace and contentment we’ll never find in the pursuits of this life.

Almost content? There is no such thing. In Christ we can know true contentment. —Bill Crowder

I find contentment in His wondrous grace,

No cloud or shadow can obscure His face;

When great temptations I must bear,

I find the secret place of prayer. —Dunlop

Contentment is not getting what we want but being satisfied with what we have.

Bible in a year: Psalms 146-147; 1 Corinthians 15:1-28

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Keeping an Eye

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Ravi Z

Growing up in my grandmother’s house was anything but dull. She is extremely superstitious, and we had to comply with her many interesting but puzzling ways around the house. For example, no one is allowed to give a compliment directly. Instead, to pay a compliment one must utter the opposite of what one means.

I later found out that a similar means of complimenting someone exists within the Turkish culture. If you come across an adorable baby in Turkey, you are to say that the baby looks like a donkey! This may sound ludicrous, but you are actually paying the baby and its mother a major compliment. This custom is rooted in the belief that there are evil spirits all around, which may grow jealous and cause bad things to happen to the little one. Hence to avoid bad luck, you deceive the evil spirits by uttering the opposite of what you mean.

Another custom in Turkish culture intended for protection is the use of the nazar or “the evil eye.” Any visitor would not miss it. It is a round piece of blue glass with a center that looks like an eye. The nazar is believed to have protective powers that guard the bearer from whatever evil that may be cast upon him. The eye, therefore, serves as a protection from evil as it watches over the bearer.

This, in principle, rings true for the Christian as well. That is, we believe there is one watching over us. Yet God calls us not to fear the unknown or to live by unnecessary worry. In various psalms the writer talks about how the eyes of the heavenly Father are always upon us: The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD is on his heavenly throne. He observes the sons of men; his eyes examine them. But not only does the Lord watch over us, we have the assurance that God protects and saves those who fear him. “But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine” (Psalm 33:18-19).

Of course, most of us who profess such a worldview don’t live as if this is reality. We don’t go through our days conscious that God is really present. It is more likely that we are burdened by unnecessary fear and insecurity about all aspects of life from health to finance. This is the posture, in fact, of much of the culture around us. Whatever our religion or worldview, we live bound to what might happen like those who live according to superstitions. There is no denial that life offers its daily challenges—some more severe than others—but we can perpetually remind ourselves that God is not indifferent to our concerns. The Father is watching over us constantly in love, and God can, and will, provide help.

Aware of our tendency to live with one eye on the possibilities that might befall us, Jesus similarly reminded his followers to not be anxious. Just as God cares for the lilies of the field and the birds of the air, God will give us what we need. Some of us seem to know this truth abstractly, but we struggle to live it out in the daily grind of life. While we want to believe that we are not alone in our struggles, we find it difficult to internalize this promise with certainty. Sometimes it even seems like life continues to get tougher by the day, and you may even find yourself questioning if God really sees or cares.

Of course, this experience of doubt is not alien to anyone who professes a God who never sleeps or slumbers. The writer of Psalm 33 seems to handle this uncertainty by going back to the very beginning. Celebrating the goodness of God, the writer looks to the creation of the heavens. Remembering how God has directed human history from the very beginning to the present serves as a powerful reminder that God is still in sovereign control over all. Even when it appears God has left us alone with our anxiety and God’s hand is far from our trying circumstance, our trust in God can be grounded in God’s goodness and faithfulness, and not on our limited sight of reality. Over time and eternity, who is more worthy of our confidence and hope?

And yet, living in the awareness that God is watching over us calls for a daily response on our part. During times of uncertainty or moments of routine we can choose to remember God as the faithful one who helps and delivers. Then we, too, can echo the faith of the psalmist instead of the qualms of the superstitious: I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.(2)

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

(1) Bruce Demarest, Soul Guide (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2003), 59.

(2) Psalm 34:4-5.

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Being Consistent and Useful To God

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Alistair Begg

Woe to me, that I sojourn in Meshech, that I dwell among the tents of Kedar.

Psalms 120:5

As a Christian you have to live in the middle of an ungodly world, and it is of little use for you to cry, “Woe to me.” Jesus did not pray that you should be taken out of the world, and what He did not pray for, you need not desire. It is far better to meet the difficulty in the Lord’s strength and by doing so to glorify Him. The enemy is always watching for inconsistency in your conduct; therefore be very holy. Remember that the eyes of all are on you, and that more is expected from you than from other men. Strive to give no occasion for blame. Let your goodness be the only fault they can discover in you. Like Daniel, compel them to say of you, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.”1

Seek to be useful as well as consistent. Perhaps you think, “If I were in a more favorable position I could serve the Lord’s cause, but I cannot do any good where I am.” The worse the people are among whom you live, the more they need your exertions; if they are crooked, all the more need for you to set them straight; and if they are perverse, they need you to turn their proud hearts to the truth. Where should the doctor spend his time if not among the sick? Where is honor to be won by the soldier but in the center of the battle? And when you are weary of the strife and sin that meets you on every hand, consider that all the saints have endured the same trial. They were not carried on couches to heaven, and you should not expect to travel more easily than they. They had to risk their lives on the battlefield, and you will not be crowned until you also have endured hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Therefore, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong!

1 Daniel 6:5

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – The new heart

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CharlesSpurgeon

“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26

Suggested Further Reading: Matthew 9:10-17

The promise is that he will give us new hearts and right spirits. Human nature is too far gone ever to be mended. It is not a house that is a little out of repair, with here and there a slate blown from the roof, and here and there a piece of plaster broken down from the ceiling. No, it is rotten throughout, the very foundations have been eroded; there is not a single timber in it which has not been eaten by the worm, from its uppermost roof to its lowest foundation; there is no soundness in it; it is all rottenness and ready to fall. God does not attempt to mend; he does not shore up the walls, and repaint the door; he does not garnish and beautify, but he determines that the old house shall be entirely swept away, and that he will build a new one. It is too far gone, I say, to be mended. If it were only a little out of repair, it might be mended. If only a wheel or two of that great thing called “manhood” were out of repair, then he who made man might put the whole to rights; he might put a new cog where it had been broken off, and another wheel where it had gone to ruin and the machine might work anew. But no, the whole of it is out of repair; there is not one lever which is not broken; not one axle which is not disturbed; not one of the wheels which act upon the others. The whole head is sick, and the whole heart is faint. From the sole of the foot, to the crown of the head, it is all wounds and bruises and putrefying sores. The Lord, therefore, does not attempt the repairing of this thing.

For meditation: The only cure for man’s sinful condition is a heart transplant carried out by the Great Physician (Romans 2:28,29).

Sermon no. 212

5 September (1858)

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Overcoming Satanic Opposition

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John MacArthur

“Be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might . . . . For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:10, 12).

Through the ages Satan has accused, besieged, and battered believers in an effort to prevent them from living to the glory of God. He attempts to snatch the gospel message from a person’s heart even before salvation occurs (Matt. 13:19). He bombards believers with false doctrine, trying to confuse and distract them from biblical truth (Eph. 4:14).

Martin Luther reported that his conflict with Satan became so intense that at one point it was as if he could see him. In anger over Satan’s incessant attacks, Luther picked up his inkwell and threw it at him. It hit the wall with a resounding crash, splattering ink throughout the room. The stains remained for many years, reminding all who saw them of how vivid spiritual conflict can be.

You may not have experienced anything like the intensity of Martin Luther’s conflict, but spiritual warfare is just as real for you as it was for him. You are in mortal combat with Satan and his evil forces. That’s why Paul said, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against . . . spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12).

“Struggle” in that verse speaks of life-and-death, hand-to-hand combat–the kind Jesus Himself experienced while on earth. He met opposition and persecution at every turn. The same was true of Paul and the other apostles as they dealt with Jewish religionists, heathens, sorcerers, and demon-possessed people who tried in vain to thwart their missionary efforts.

Satan’s onslaughts may seem overwhelming at times, but don’t be discouraged. See them for what they are: a defeated foe’s last-ditch efforts to inflict damage on the conquering army. The Lord will strengthen and protect you, just as He has protected all believers before you.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Praise God for being your protector and the source of spiritual victory.

For Further Study:

Read Acts 4:1-22.

What kind of opposition did Peter and John face?

How did they respond to the Jewish Council’s order not to preach the gospel?