Monthly Archives: September 2013

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Your Resources in Christ

1 Comment

John MacArthur

“Be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (Eph. 6:10-11).

Satan opposes God and wants to prevent believers from glorifying Him. One way he does that is by convincing them that he is either so formidable they could never defeat him, or so weak they can fight him on their own strength.

Second Corinthians 10:4 says, “The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.” Human resources alone can never defeat a spiritual enemy, but divine resources can. That’s why it’s crucial to understand the resources you have in Christ that insure spiritual victory.

In Ephesians 1:3 Paul says you have received all the blessings of heaven through Christ. That includes being forgiven and redeemed (vv. 6-7), and receiving knowledge, understanding, and wisdom (vv. 17-18). Within you resides the Holy Spirit (v. 13), who strengthens you and accomplishes more than you can ask or think (3:16, 20).

Believers represent the awesome power of God in this world–the same power that raised Christ from the dead, seated Him at the right hand of the Father, and subjected all things under His feet (Eph. 1:19-22). He is the Sovereign Lord against whom no one can successfully stand. That’s why Paul exhorted us to “be strong in Him, and in the strength of His might” (Eph. 6:10, emphasis added). We find this strength by putting on the armor He has supplied: truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, the Word, and prayer. Then, no matter what direction the enemy approaches from, or how subtle his attacks may be, we’ll be able to stand firm.

Satan’s attacks are complex and subtle. His ways of working in this world are cunning and deceitful. Since it’s impossible to analyze and anticipate his every offense, focus on strengthening your defenses by understanding your spiritual resources and using them each day.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Ask God to increase your understanding of spiritual warfare.

Seek wisdom in applying your resources in the most effective ways.

When you face spiritual battles, confide in a Christian friend who will pray with you and encourage you.

For Further Study:

According to Matthew 4:1-11, how did Jesus deal with Satan’s attacks?

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – We Can Make a Difference

Leave a comment

Joyce meyer

The Lord turned from the evil which He had thought to do to His people. —Exodus 32:14

Do you know that prayer can change God’s mind? As a result of someone who will simply take time to talk to Him and listen to Him, God can actually reconsider something He had planned to do.

When Moses went up Mount Sinai to get the Ten Commandments, he was gone longer than the people wanted him to be. In the absence of their leader, they forgot the Lord, gave in to their fleshly desires and decided to melt all their jewelry, make a golden calf, and worship it. God spoke to Moses on the mountain and said, essentially, “You better get back down there, because the people have really gotten themselves in a mess. And I’m angry about it.” (Thank God, Psalm 30:5 says that His anger lasts only a moment, but His mercy is forever!)

Moses began to intercede for the people because he cared so much about them. God had already said to him, “Leave Me alone, for these people are stiff-necked and stubborn” (see Exodus 32:9–10). But Moses refused to give up because the issue was not settled in his heart. He loved the people, he knew the nature of God, and he knew the character of God. On top of that, he knew that God really loved the people and did not really want to leave them stranded.

Moses asked God to change His mind (see Exodus 32:12) and according to today’s verse, God did. We can make a difference when we pray!

God’s word for you today: When you pray, God hears and answers!

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Not by the Law

Leave a comment

dr_bright

“Now do you see it? No one can ever be made right in God’s sight by doing what the law commands. For the more we know of God’s laws, the clearer it becomes that we aren’t obeying them: His laws serve only to make us see that we are sinners. But now God has shown us a different way to heaven – not by ‘being good enough’ and trying to keep His laws, but by a new way (though not new, really, for the Scriptures told about it long ago). Now God says He will accept and acquit us – declare us ‘not guilty’ – if we trust Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we can all be saved in this same way, by coming to Christ, no matter who we are or what we have been like. Yes, all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious ideal; yet now God declares us ‘not guilty’ of offending Him if we trust in Jesus Christ, who in His kindness freely takes away our sins” (Romans 3:20-24).

One of my greatest concerns through the years, especially for those who are involved in Christian ministry around the world, has been the problem of legalism. In my opinion, legalism is the greatest heresy of Christianity. The reason legalism is so dangerous is that it is extremely subtle in its appeal. It is attractive even to the most sincere Christians, who are genuinely seeking to please God by determining to be “good enough” and to “earn God’s favor” through the good works of their self-effort.

How often there has been a tendency to forget “the just shall live by faith,” and “without faith it is impossible to please God.” There is a strong tendency to work hard in the flesh in order to please God. But if we trust Jesus Christ to take away such sins in our lives, He is faithful to do so, as He promised.

Bible Reading: Romans 3:25-31

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Today I will remind myself often that the law is merely a way to show me that I am a sinner. By faith, I will trust Christ and accept His grace and forgiveness. By faith, I will draw upon the mighty resources of God to live the supernatural life, which is my heritage in Christ.

 

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; J.K. – Standing Faithful

Leave a comment

ppt_seal01

More than likely, they always accompanied her…perhaps for protection, perhaps to keep her company. Any way you look at it, Pharaoh’s daughter had ladies in waiting – always beside her, attending her every need. What a privilege!

Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river.  Exodus 2:5

Few people have others who answer their beck and call. But you are blessed if you have a friend who stands beside you…to comfort you, help you finish a job, or simply fellowship with you. A faithful friend will remain with you in difficult times, especially those periods when all others flee. Is it not a gift of God that He is one friend that will never, ever fail you?

It is possible that a person may abandon the Lord, but the opposite is never true for the believer. Know that God will “never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5) He desires an ever-developing relationship with you – a relationship won by Christ and accepted by faith.

Take time to know Him. Walk beside Him in His Word. Let your prayer time be a heartfelt conversation. Listen to His guidance. Then intercede for this nation and its leaders that they might return to the Lord.

Recommended Reading: II Thessalonians 2:15-3:5

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Heaven on Earth

Leave a comment

greglaurie

And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ–everything in heaven and on earth. —Ephesians 1:10

We have all heard the expression: It was like heaven on earth. Maybe you have said this after a fine meal or a great vacation. You said, “It was amazing! It was like heaven on earth.” We don’t mean this literally, of course. But we use this expression as a point of reference to describe something that is the best possible situation.

It is difficult for us to wrap our minds around this place we call heaven. We understand earth because it’s a real place. We do real things with real people. We live in a real body. But heaven sounds so surreal, so distant. It is hard to grasp. Yet it is a real place.

God’s plan is to one day bring all things in heaven and earth together under one head: Jesus Christ (see Ephesians 1:10). Peter preached that Christ “must remain in heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as God promised long ago through his holy prophets” (Acts 3:21). God will not abandon His creation; He ultimately will restore it. He will restore lives. He will restore bodies. He will restore our very planet.

Randy Alcorn, in his excellent book called Heaven, wrote, “We won’t go to heaven and leave earth behind. Rather, God will bring heaven and earth together into the same dimension, with no wall of separation, no armed angels to guard heaven’s perfection from sinful mankind.”

One day there will be heaven on earth because a new world is coming. One day heaven will come down to earth. It will be out with the old and in with the new. There will be no more terminal diseases. No more accidents. No more disasters. No more funerals. No more breakdowns or breakups. No more suffering. God will make everything new.

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Deliverance

Leave a comment

Max Lucado

You’ll get through this! You fear you won’t.  We all do. We feel stuck, trapped, locked in.  Will we ever exit this pit?  Yes!  Deliverance is to the Bible what jazz music is to Mardi Gras: bold, brassy, and everywhere. Out of the lion’s den for Daniel, the whale’s belly for Jonah, and the prison for Paul.

Through the Red Sea onto dry ground. Through the wilderness, through the valley of the shadow of death. Through!  It’s a favorite word of God’s. Isaiah 43:2 says, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you… when you walk through the fire, you will not be burned.”

It won’t be painless. Have you wept your final tear, received your last round of chemotherapy?  Not necessarily. Does God guarantee the absence of struggle? Not in this life. We see Satan’s tricks and ploys, but God sees Satan tripped and foiled. You’ll get through this!

From You’ll Get Through This

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Getting the Most Out of Work

1 Comment

Charles Stanley

Colossians 3:22-24

Although today’s passage addresses slaves, any worker can benefit from the lessons Paul offers. In the ancient Roman world, over half the people were slaves. It didn’t matter if they were doctors, teachers, or shepherds—they could still be owned by another person. So the admonitions apply to every vocation.

Perhaps you read Paul’s words and think, That can’t mean me—I have a terrible job/boss/customer to deal with. I assure you, the apostle is talking to every believer. In his day, the lowest household servant was responsible for washing the dirty feet of those entering the house. It was a horrible job that left one open to all kinds of abuse. But to the person in that position, and to each of us, Paul says, “Do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men” (v. 23).

Believers get the most out of their jobs when they take on the role of servant to the Lord. That’s how God sees us. Though we live in a society that prizes independence, we are to be a different kind of people, who perform the work required without complaint. The only time we are authorized to disobey is when we’re asked to violate the Word of God. Even then, we are to disagree, but with gentleness and self-control.

The Bible tells us that God’s ways are not man’s ways (Isa. 55:8), and we have Jesus as our example: He made Himself a bondservant to the Father and came to earth as a man in order to die for the sins of humanity (Phil. 2:5-7). Willing service marks us as followers of Christ—and people who are to be valued for their impact on others.

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Cupbearer To The King

Leave a comment

Our Daily Bread

Nehemiah 2:1-8

Why is your face sad? . . . What do you request? —Nehemiah 2:2,4

One of my favorite Bible passages that applies to work is Nehemiah 1–2. King Artaxerxes’ employee Nehemiah had been such an exemplary worker that the king wanted to honor him by helping him when he was sad that Jerusalem was still in ruins. He asked Nehemiah, “Why is your face sad? . . . What do you request?” (2:2,4). He wasn’t just any worker for the king, he was the cupbearer, the man who tasted the king’s drink to protect him from being poisoned. In order to have earned such a position, he apparently worked hard and honored God in everything he did. And the king granted his requests.

God cares about the way we work. Colossians 3:23 tells us, “Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.” We can follow Nehemiah’s example in these ways: Be such a competent and trusted worker that God is honored (Neh. 1:11–2:6). Care passionately about others and what’s important to them. Take action, occasionally even risky action, to honor what’s important to God and to fellow believers (2:3-6).

When we honor God in work, our employers may notice. But even if they don’t, our heart’s desire and purpose should be to honor the One we really serve—the Lord our God (Col. 3:17,23). —Randy Kilgore

O Lord, may the way I serve tell Your story!

I want to bring You all the glory in my work,

at home, and everywhere I go. Fill me and use

me to bless others and honor You today.

God honors faith because faith honors God.

Bible in a year: Psalms 137-139; 1 Corinthians 13

 

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Reflecting Pool

Leave a comment

Ravi Z

French playwright Moliere once uttered this curious line:  “Nearly all men die of their medicines, and not of their maladies.”(1) Modern musician Tori Amos asserts something similar in the chorus of one of her songs: “She’s addicted to nicotine patches/she’s afraid of a light in the dark.” Both of these artists are perhaps known for exposing the hypocrisies of society in biting verse. Through satire, Moliere sought to amuse, but also to instruct his audience with the peculiarities of human behavior, while Amos croons of life as she sees it, through blunt, often angry, lyrics.

Certainly, artistic observation of humanity can rouse insight and inspire an inward look at our own lives. But do these artists communicate a common truth about the human condition? I think they might. We have all known people who seem blind to their own malady, and people who would prefer their pain to change. But I also believe there is something that communicates the complexities of human behavior even more accurately.

Abraham Heschel referred to Scripture not as humanity’s theology, as it is often received, but as God’s anthropology. Surely there is much that can be said about the convincing proofs for the reliability of Scripture, but as Malcolm Muggeridge often stated, one of the most convincing proofs is the irrefutability of human depravity. In these ancient Scriptures, human behavior, human emotion, human duplicity is all depicted with curious accuracy. And often, in these pages, that God knows us far better than we know ourselves is displayed in the form of a question. To study the great questions posed in Scripture is a remarkably convicting study in human nature and behavior.

Chronicled in the fifth chapter of the Gospel of John is one such example. The chapter is an account of Jesus’s interaction with a paralytic man sitting beside the pool of Bethesda. It was commonly believed that when the waters of the pool stirred an angel was present, and anyone who entered the water would be healed. Thus, many would gather by pools such as this waiting for their opportunity to be healed. We are told that this man at the pool of Bethesda had been ill for 38 years. The scene is one of desperation; one can only imagine how many years had past as this man watched and waited, leaving each day exactly as he came. Yet Jesus approached this dismal scene and posed the oddest of questions. To the man on the mat, he asked, “Do you want to get well?”

The question seems redundant at best, maybe even offensive, given his situation. And yet, this man bound by illness for 38 years does not reply with the resounding “yes!” or “of course!” or “why on earth would you ask me this?” we might expect. In fact, he does not even answer the question. Holding fast to his identity as a paralytic, he explains his condition by pointing to those around him—who no doubt have let him down. “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me” (John 5:7).

Yet Jesus’s question points to something in this man’s life that went much deeper than paralysis of the body. Do you want to get well? Has your medicine become your malady? Do you now prefer your pain? Your true illness, Jesus seems to say, reaches far beyond your physical malady. We are in need of a cure that is much more holistic. By this pool, we are shown a truth common to the human condition: seldom do we know the depths of our own illness.

But there is one who does. Christ calls our maladies into question as symptoms of something other than creation as he intended and he points to the way of wellness.

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

(1) Moliere in La Malade Imaginaire.

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – Three homilies from one text

Leave a comment

CharlesSpurgeon

“And Jesus went about all Galilee, … healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, …and he healed them. ” Matthew 4:23-25

Suggested Further Reading: 2 Kings 6:11-23

Take care that you bring your relatives to Christ on the arms of your faith. Faith is that which puts strength into prayer. The reason why we do not receive the answer to our supplications is, because we do not believe we shall be heard. You remember my sermon the other sabbath morning from the text, “Whatsoever things ye shall desire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them and ye shall have them.” (See August 13) If you can exercise faith for a dead soul, that dead soul shall be quickened and receive faith itself. If you can look to Christ with the eye of faith for a blind soul, that blind soul shall have sight given it and it shall see. There is a wonderful power in vicarious faith—faith for another. Not that any one of you can be saved without faith yourself; but that when another believes for you and on your account, and quotes the promise before God for you, you may be unconscious of it, but God hears and answers that faith, and breathes on your soul, and gives you faith to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. I do not think Christians exercise enough of this power. They are so busy with faith about their troubles, faith about their sins, faith about their personal experience, that they have not time to exercise that faith for another. Oh but surely that gift was never bestowed upon us for our own use merely, but for other people. Try it, Christian man; try it, Christian woman; see whether God is not as good as your faith when your faith is exercised concerning the soul of your poor neighbour, of your poor drunken kinsman, or of some poor soul who thus far has defied every effort to reclaim him from the error of his ways.

For meditation: Sometimes Jesus healed the sick as the result of the faith of others (Matthew 8:10,13; 15:28; Mark 2:5; 9:23,24; Luke 8:50; John 4:50). Are you praying like this for the conversion of some who at present can’t and won’t pray for themselves?

Sermon no. 333

2 September (1860)

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Preparing for Battle

1 Comment

John MacArthur

“Be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (Eph. 6:10-11).

The Gulf War introduced some highly sophisticated weapons that had never been proven under live battle conditions. Most of the troops hadn’t experienced war either. Yet troops and machinery combined in a display of military conquest unparalleled in history.

Thorough preparation proved to be an indispensible element in that overwhelming victory. That included developing and testing high-tech weaponry, recruiting and training troops, and engaging in mock battles. Generals know that if they dare enter a battlefield ill-prepared, they’re destined for defeat. Consequently, they do everything possible to prepare their troops for victory.

Similarly, your success in spiritual warfare is directly proportional to your preparedness. You must “be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might” (Eph. 6:10), and also put on your armor (v. 11). God is your strength and source of victory, but you must trust Him and appropriate your spiritual resources. As Oliver Cromwell said, “Trust in God and keep your powder dry.”

If you delay preparation until the battle is upon you, then it’s too late. If your armor isn’t in place, you’re vulnerable to the arrows of the enemy. If you neglect prayer, worship, Bible study, accountability, and the other disciplines of faith, you can’t expect to prevail when spiritual skirmishes arise.

No soldier who values his own life would step onto a battlefield unprepared. How much more should soldiers of Christ prepare themselves to fight against Satan’s forces? Be diligent. Christ guarantees ultimate victory, but you can lose individual battles if you’re unprepared. It’s even possible to lapse into periods of spiritual lethargy, indifference, impotency, and ineffectiveness, but that’s utterly inconsistent with your mandate to fight the good fight (1 Tim. 1:18).

Don’t be caught off guard! Keep your armor on and remain alert to the advances of the enemy.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Ask God to keep you alert to the reality of spiritual warfare and the need to be prepared at all times for battle.

Thank Him for the times He protected you when your armor wasn’t as secure as it needed to be.

For Further Study:

Memorize 2 Timothy 2:4 as a reminder to be spiritually prepared at all times.

 

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Listen to the Promptings of the Spirit

Leave a comment

Joyce meyer

But now we are discharged from the Law and have terminated all intercourse with it, having died to what once restrained and held us captive. So now we serve not under [obedience to] the old code of written regulations, but [under obedience to the promptings] of the Spirit in newness [of life]. —Romans 7:6

According to this passage, we are no longer under the restraints of the law but now serve the Lord under obedience to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. A prompting is a “knowing” down on the inside of you telling you what to do. First Kings 19:11,12 describes the “still, small voice” the Lord used with Elijah. And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire [a sound of gentle stillness and] a still, small voice.

A prompting from the Lord is not like hitting someone over the head with a hammer to prompt them to do something! The Lord did not use the great and strong wind, the earthquake, or the fire as a prompting but instead came as “a sound of gentle stillness” and “a still, small voice.”

The prompting of “a still, small voice” is not necessarily a voice; it can be God’s wisdom giving you direction in that moment. First Corinthians 1:30 tells us, But it is from Him that you have your life in Christ Jesus, Whom God made our Wisdom from God. If we are born again, Jesus is living inside us. If He is inside us, we have God’s wisdom in us to draw on at any moment! But unless we listen to wisdom, it won’t do us any good.

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – None of These Diseases

Leave a comment

dr_bright

“And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in His sight, and wilt give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee” (Exodus 15:26, KJV).

Prior to a recent minor operation the surgeon came to my hospital room for prayer and to explain the nature of the hernia correction. He explained, “It is God alone who heals. It is my responsibility, along with my staff, to treat and care for you.”

In his excellent book, None of These Diseases, Dr. S.I. McMillen abundantly amplifies and proves the point of this promise: that if we always do that which is right in God’s sight, at the very least our health will be greatly improved.

This highly qualified physician contends that most of our physical problems are caused by stress, but the person who is doing that which is right in God’s sight is not likely to be continually under stress – at least not the kind of stress that impairs one physically.

“I am the Lord that healeth thee.” And He is the same yesterday, today and forever. That would indicate that His healing is available for all today – which of course brings up that sticky question of method and means.

Whatever our persuasion about this, the fact remains that if we really do believe that it is God who heals, then it should follow that He would be our first resource in time of physical need. And it may well be that His direction would take us to the physician. But He alone would be the healer.

Bible Reading: Exodus 15:22-26

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: As I approach each task today, I will make a conscious effort to be concerned about doing that which is right in God’s sight.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Everything We Need

Leave a comment

greglaurie

“Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give you into our hands.” —1 Samuel 17:47

When David faced Goliath, he knew the battle belonged to the Lord. He told the giant Philistine, “The battle is the LORD’s, and He will give you into our hands” (1 Samuel 17:47).

Giants defeat us again and again because we face them in our own strength. We can’t overcome our giants in our own ability. We need help. The battle belongs to the Lord.

This is why, before the apostle Paul mentioned a single piece of spiritual armor, he said, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” (Ephesians 6:10). We recognize we are weak, but at the same time, we acknowledge that God is great, that God is powerful. Jesus said, “Without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

We need to know about our incredible resources that God has made available to us as Christians. Paul prayed that the believers in Ephesus would discover what God had done for them, asking that “the eyes of [their] understanding [be] enlightened; that [they] may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints” (Ephesians 1:18).

In the same epistle Paul goes on to say, “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:4–6).

As believers, we positionally share in the power that Jesus has given to us. Therefore, we don’t fight for victory; we fight from it. We have everything we need to prevail against the giants in our lives.

Presidential Prayer Team; J.R. – Not Helpless

The scene Jacob came upon, described in Genesis 29, was common in ancient times. The sheep were thirsty, and they knew where to find the water…but they were completely incapable of getting it on their own. Only the shepherd could move the stone and draw water from the well. Until then, the sheep could only lie beside it and wait, utterly helpless.

As he looked, he saw a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep lying beside it. Genesis 29:2

In America, water is so plentiful it’s almost impossible not to take it for granted. This is not the case in the Middle East – not now, and not when Genesis was written. But imagine your world today without access to clean water. All of a sudden, every other pursuit or pleasure would be rendered pointless.

That, in reality, is the situation facing your friends, coworkers and loved ones who don’t have a relationship with Christ. As you pray for America’s leaders today, ask God to come beside you and give you wisdom and discernment in showing others how they might find the shepherd of their souls. Whether they live in the White House or in your neighborhood, pray they will not be left helpless without Him.

Recommended Reading: Isaiah 44:1-8

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – A Mess for Good

Leave a comment

Max Lucado

Twenty years of marriage, three kids, and now he’s gone. Traded her in for a younger model.  She told me her story, and we prayed. Then I said,  “It won’t be painless or quick. But God will use this mess for good. With God’s help you’ll get through this.”

Remember Joseph?  Genesis 37:4 says his brothers “hated him.”  Far from home, they cast him into a pit, leaving him for dead. A murderous cover-up from the get go. Pits have no easy exit. Joseph’s story got worse before it got better. Yet in his explanation we find his inspiration: “You meant evil against me,” he said, “but God meant it for good. . .”  The very acts intended to destroy God’s servant, turned out to strengthen him.  The same will be said about you.  You will get through this!

From You’ll Get Through This

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Is this promise from You, Lord?

1 Comment

Charles Stanley

You and I will never go wrong by trusting and obeying God. You may be praying and asking God to work in your life and situation. Maybe there is something you long to have or something you want to experience. You want to make sure that you are getting His best and are in step with His will. But how can you be sure that the promises you’re claiming from Scripture are those God intended for you?

When you trust God for promises in His Word and feel as though He has answered, ask yourself the following questions about your choice:

Does this promise meet my personal need or desire?
Sometimes we can want something so badly that we make choices without considering the consequences. But if we wait for God and remain committed to be right in step with His will, we will receive His blessing, and it will be more than we imagined. In fact, it will be the best. We may be right on target and have chosen the right course of action. If this is the case, then God promises that we will hear His voice or at least sense His leading telling us that this is the right way (Isa 30:21).

Have I submitted my desires to His will?
This is a crucial step. I once knew a woman who wanted to marry a man whom she had known for years. It seemed like a perfect match, but I counseled her to get alone with the Father and remind Him of His promises to her and ask Him if this union was His best. “If it is God’s gift to you, He will make sure you keep it. If it is not, you do not want it.” I could tell by the look in her eyes that she really did not want to submit her desires to the Lord. That night, however, she got down on her knees and gave God the relationship. Three weeks later she found out that he was seeing someone else. The Father had protected her from making a terrible mistake. Though it took a long time for her to get over the incident, she is now happily married to a wonderful man who loves her without hindrance. God had something better in mind. Before you make a horrendous mistake, stop and submit your life and situation to Him. You will be very glad you did.

If God answers this promise, will He be glorified?
Often people are more concerned about having their needs met than they are about pleasing God. They forget that if their lives are not in step with His will, then there will be heartache, disappointment, and sorrow. However, if He is our first concern, then the decisions we make will glorify Him and He will be honored. When He is, then others will see His work in our lives and they will want to develop a personal relationship with Him.

Can God fulfill this promise to me without harming or hurting someone else and without interfering with His will for his or her life?
Many times, our requests are “me” centered. We want things that are not necessarily bad, but they may be things that could draw someone else away from the Lord. You cannot just pick a promise out of His Word and claim it as your own or push to achieve it in your life. God has a plan, and He always takes into account your life and the lives of others around you. Therefore you need to pray, “Lord, this is what I want to do, but I want to make sure that it lines up with Your will for my life and that it will not harm anyone else.” God’s promises always bring blessing and hope. They never subtract or take away our emotional strength or faith; they always add and multiply what He has so generously given.

Does the Holy Spirit bear witness to my spirit that God is pleased with this promise?
You may want something so desperately that you will go to Scripture, choose a promise, claim it, and then tell others, “This is what God is going to do for me.” But He never does. Each time you remind Him of what you have read in His Word, you sense His quietness of Spirit. He is waiting for you to get in line with His will and stop trying to make something happen that is not His best for your life.

By claiming this promise, am I contradicting God’s Word in any way?
You always want to make sure that what you are asking the Father to do is in alignment with His will for your life. It also needs to be something that is biblically on target. Solomon prayed for wisdom, and this was exactly what he needed and what the Lord had planned to give him. When we study Scripture, we are going to begin to think like He does, gaining His mind about our situation. He may not remove our trials, but He will give us such a strong sense of hope that we will be able to endure to the end with a spirit of victory and reward. God wants us to claim His promises, not just to gain a material blessing, but so that we can understand His truth for our lives. A promise made to us by God emphasizes His greatness, His faithfulness, and His unchanging love for us.

If God answers this promise, will it further my spiritual growth?
The answer to this question should be a flat-out “Yes!” If you have to think about it or try to convince yourself that gaining the answer to your promise will actually be good, then either you have missed the point, or you are off track with God.

By now you probably realize that claiming a promise of God is not a simple matter. It takes faith, obedience, and patience. But even more than these three, gaining the promises of God requires a deep abiding love for Him. Therefore, choose to trust Him, to commit your way to Him, and to delight in His precepts, and you will be able to claim His promises. And you will quickly discover that the goodness God has for you will never end.

Adapted from “10 Principles for Studying Your Bible” by Dr. Charles Stanley, 2008.

 

Related Resources

Related Video

How to Claim a Promise

In this message, Dr. Stanley discusses the “static” we feel in our spirits when we’re not in the will of God. Our entire belief system is based on the promises of God, and we can trust God to be faithful to keep them all. However, many people miss out because they neglect Him and don’t take hold of the promises God has made to His children. (Watch How to Claim a Promise.)

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — A Slower Pace

Leave a comment

Our Daily Bread

Exodus 20:8-11

Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work. —Exodus 20:9-10

When writer Bruce Feiler was diagnosed with bone cancer in his thigh, he couldn’t walk without some help for over a year. Learning to get around on crutches caused him to appreciate a slower pace of life. Feiler said, “The idea of slowing down became the number one lesson I learned from my experience.”

After God’s people were liberated from Egypt, He gave them a commandment that would cause them to slow down and view Him and the world “in pause.” The fourth commandment introduced a dramatic contrast to the Israelites’ slavery under Pharaoh when they had no break in their daily work routine.

The commandment insisted that God’s people set aside one day a week to remember several important things: God’s work in creation (Gen. 2:2), their liberation from Egyptian bondage (Deut. 5:12-15), their relationship with God (6:4-6), and their need for personal refreshment (Exod. 31:12-18). This was not to be a day of laziness, but one where God’s people acknowledged, worshiped, and rested in Him.

We too are called to slow down, to be refreshed physically, mentally, and emotionally, and to behold God in His good creation. —Marvin Williams

Lord, I need spiritual and physical rest. Help me

to deliberately take the time to spend with You.

Please remove any obstacle that keeps me from

having a more balanced rhythm to my life.

Living for God begins with resting in Him.

Bible in a year: Psalms 135-136; 1 Corinthians 12

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Divine Guidance

Leave a comment

Alistair Begg

You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory.  Psalms 73

The psalmist felt his need of divine guidance. He had just been discovering the foolishness of his own heart, and to prevent himself from being constantly led astray by it, he resolved that God’s counsel should be his guide. A sense of our own folly is a great step toward being wise, when it leads us to rely on the wisdom of the Lord. The blind man leans on his friend’s arm and reaches his home in safety, and likewise we should give ourselves up implicitly to divine guidance, without doubting, assured that even though we cannot see, it is always safe to trust the All-seeing God. “You will” is a blessed expression of confidence. He was sure that the Lord would not neglect the necessary task.

Here is a word for you, believer; rest in it. Be sure that God will be your counselor and friend; He will guide you; He will direct all your ways. In His written Word you have this assurance fulfilled in part, for Holy Scripture is His “counsel” to you. We are happy to have God’s Word as our constant guide! What is the sailor without his compass? And what is the Christian without the Bible? This is the unerring chart, the map in which every shoal is described, and all the channels from the quicksands of destruction to the harbor of salvation mapped and marked by one who knows the way.

O God we bless You, that we may trust You to guide us now, and even to the end! After this guidance through life, the psalmist anticipates a divine reception-“and afterward . . . receive me to glory.” What a thought for you, believer! God Himself will receive you in glory-you! Though you are wandering, erring, straying, still He will bring you safe at last to glory! This is your portion; live on it today, and if perplexities should surround you, go in the strength of this text straight to the throne.

 

 

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – Election

Leave a comment

CharlesSpurgeon

“But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Thessalonians 2:13,14

Suggested Further Reading: Psalm 33:1-12

Revelation points us to a period long before this world was fashioned, to the days when the morning stars were formed; when, like drops of dew, from the fingers of the morning, stars and constellations fell trickling from the hand of God; when, by his own lips, he launched forth ponderous orbs; when with his own hand he sent comets, like thunderbolts, wandering through the sky, to find one day their proper sphere. We go back to years gone by, when worlds were made and systems fashioned, but we have not even approached the beginning yet. Until we go to the time when all the universe slept in the mind of God as yet unborn, until we enter the eternity where God the Creator lived alone, everything sleeping within him, all creation resting in his mighty gigantic thought, we have not guessed the beginning. We may go back, back, back, ages upon ages. We may go back, if we might use such strange words, whole eternities, and yet never arrive at the beginning. Our wing might be tired, our imagination would die away; if it could outstrip the lightnings flashing in majesty, power, and rapidity, it would soon weary itself before it could get to the beginning. But God from the beginning chose his people. When the unnavigated heavens were yet unfanned by the wing of a single angel; when space was shoreless, or else unborn when universal silence reigned; when neither a voice or whisper shocked the solemnity of silence; when there was no being and no motion, no time, and nothing but God himself alone in his eternity; when without the song of an angel, without the attendance of even the cherubim, long before the living creatures were born, or the wheels of the chariot of Jehovah were fashioned, even then, “in the beginning was the Word,” and in the beginning God’s people were one with the Word, and “in the beginning he chose them into eternal life.” Our election then is eternal.

For meditation: God’s love is from everlasting to everlasting (Psalm 103:17).

Sermon nos. 41-42

1 September (Preached 2 September 1855)

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – The Reality of Spiritual Warfare

1 Comment

John MacArthur

“Be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 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).

Our nation has known many wars, but Vietnam was an especially frustrating campaign. Thick jungle terrain made the enemy hard to find and guerrilla warfare made him hard to fight. Many Vietnamese who peacefully worked the rice paddies by day donned the black garb of the Viet Cong soldier by night and invaded unsuspecting U.S. forces camped nearby. American public opinion was strongly anti-war and morale among our troops was often low.

Spiritual warfare has similar parallels. Subtly and deceitfully, Satan disguises himself as an angel of light and “prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). His emissaries disguise themselves as apostles of Christ and servants of righteousness (2 Cor. 11:13-15). It takes wisdom and discernment to identify them and defend yourself against their attacks.

Most people are defenseless, however, because they scoff at the supernatural and deny the reality of spiritual warfare. They think Satan may be fine for movie plots and book sales, but assume only the superstitious and credulous take him seriously. Unfortunately, many Christians have succumbed to their ridicule and forsaken the battle.

Ephesians 6:10-24 reminds us that spiritual warfare is real and that God has given us all the resources we need– not only to defend ourselves, but also to take the initiative and win the victory over the forces of darkness.

I pray that our studies this month will encourage you in the battle and challenge you to always have on “the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (Eph. 6:11).

Suggestions for Prayer:

Seek discernment and grace to identify the enemy and stand against him courageously.

For Further Study:

Read Ephesians 6:10-24. What armor has God supplied to protect you in spiritual warfare?