Daily Archives: October 13, 2013

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Freedom of the Cross

1 Comment

Charles Stanley

In these tough economic times, many now recognize the cost of freedom. Perhaps you feel trapped in debt, unemployment, or personal heartache. And even if you are currently fortunate enough to be without trial, there is a bondage we all face: sin.

Breaking free from sin’s penalty and power comes at a great price. Your symbol of true freedom—liberty from the chains of self—is a costly one. It is soaked in the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son.

The Cross

The agony of Jesus’ crucifixion is well known, even to non-Christians and adherents of other religions. The actual event, however, was far more than mere historic melodrama. Its significance lies not in the emotional experience of the participants and onlookers, but in what God accomplished through His Son’s death.

The cross of Calvary is the extraordinary instrument of liberty where our eternal fate is secured. You see, our freedom cannot be purchased with a social revolution or a majority vote. The source of our oppression is spiritual—not political, economic, or cultural.

Yet many people today dismiss the contemporary relevance of the cross because of its apparent weakness. We are strength-conscious people. Businesspeople meet for “power” lunches. Politicians strive to gain ever-increasing legislative influence. Individuals with common causes group together to wield more clout. The military spends billions to develop and deploy Armageddon-scale weaponry. But there has never been—and never will be—anything that rivals the awesome power of the cross.

The Cost

Despite the world’s skepticism and ridicule, the very core of Christianity is Jesus’ death and resurrection. It is the central truth of Christian doctrine and experience. In the words of Paul, the cross is both “the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:24).

You see, we are born sinners, separated from the life and liberty of our Creator. We are imprisoned by the darkness of sin, chained by its grip of selfishness and under the influence of Satan. Only Christ’s sacrifice has the power to liberate us from this bondage.

The gospel of the resurrection has the ability to deliver us—body and soul—from the grave. Because Christ paid the penalty of sin and emerged from the tomb, His sacrifice is the only power that can unshackle humanity from the chains of eternal, spiritual death. It is the only thing that can transport you from the domain of darkness into the kingdom of life and light (Colossians 1:13).

The cross is God’s wisdom because there is no other means by which sinful human beings can be reconciled to our holy and perfect Creator. Because God became flesh, He could die as our substitute, bearing the divinely decreed penalty for our rebellion against Him.

The crucifixion has the power to radically alter every aspect of your life. Jesus’ sacrifice empowers you to reorient your life toward selfless giving, loving, and serving instead of self-dominance or self-protection. Christ calls us to follow Him by dying to ourselves—to give up our lives so that we might find them in relationship with Him (John 12:25-26). Doing so transforms the heart and releases evil’s grip on our lives.

Freedom

Our only hope for freedom is to be rescued by the One with the power and right to liberate us from sin’s reign. That is exactly what Christ did at Calvary. Through the cross, the wrath of God the Father was spent on His Son. Jesus paid the supreme price by laying down His life.

Since Christ tasted the bitterness of death and rose again three days later, sin no longer rules over those of us who trust in Him. He triumphed over the grave, and all who place their faith in Him share His victory. The grace of the Lord is marvelous. But it is yours only because Jesus bore the penalty of sin: death (Rom. 6:23). He made it possible for us to be reconciled to the Author of spiritual liberty— Jehovah God.

Is the cross of Christ the center of your faith? There is absolutely no way to God except through the Son (John 14:6). The gift of freedom is available to all who are willing to receive because of His crucifixion—the greatest, eternal sacrifice for the world God so dearly loves.

Adapted from “Enter His Gates” (1998).

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Facing Our Past

Leave a comment

Our Daily Bread

Acts 9:20-30

He tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple. —Acts 9:26

Chuck Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship, spent 40 years helping people hear and understand the gospel of Jesus Christ. When he died in April 2012, one newspaper article carried the headline, “Charles Colson, Nixon’s ‘dirty tricks’ man, dies at 80.” It seemed surprising that a man so transformed by faith should be identified with things he did as a politically ruthless presidential aide decades earlier before he knew the Savior.

The apostle Paul’s conversion and his early Christian witness were greeted with skepticism and fear. When he began preaching that Jesus is the Son of God, people said, “Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose?” (Acts 9:21). Later when Paul went to Jerusalem and tried to join the disciples, they were afraid of him (v.26). In years to come, Paul never ignored his past, but spoke of it as evidence of the mercy of God (1 Tim. 1:13-14).

Like Paul, we don’t need to parade our failures or to pretend they didn’t happen. Instead, we can thank the Lord that through His grace and power, our past is forgiven, our present is changed, and our future is bright with hope for all He has prepared for us. —David McCasland

Transformed by grace divine,

The glory shall be Thine;

To Thy most holy will, O Lord,

We now our all resign. —Burroughs

Only Jesus can transform our life.

Bible in a year: Isaiah 41-42; 1 Thessalonians 1

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – Jacob and Esau

Leave a comment

CharlesSpurgeon

“Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.” Romans 9:13

Suggested Further Reading: Ezekiel 33:11-20

My soul revolts at the idea of a doctrine that lays the blood of man’s soul at God’s door. I cannot conceive how any human mind, at least any Christian mind, can hold any such blasphemy as that. I delight to preach this blessed truth—salvation of God, from first to last—the Alpha and the Omega; but when I come to preach damnation, I say, damnation is of man, not of God; and if you perish, at your own hands must your blood be required. There is another passage. At the last great day, when all the world shall come before Jesus to be judged, have you noticed, when the righteous go on the right side, Jesus says, “Come, ye blessed of my Father,”—(“of my Father,” mark,)—“inherit the kingdom prepared”—(mark the next word)—“for you, from before the foundation of the world.” What does he say to those on the left? “Depart, ye cursed.” He does not say, “ye cursed of my Father,” but, “ye cursed.” And what else does he say? “into everlasting fire, prepared”—(not for you, but)—“for the devil and his angels.” Do you see how it is guarded. Here is the salvation side of the question. It is all of God. “Come, ye blessed of my Father.” It is a kingdom prepared for them. There you have election, free grace in all its length and breadth. But, on the other hand, you have nothing said about the Father—nothing about that at all. “Depart, ye cursed.” Even the flames are said not to be prepared for sinners, but for the devil and his angels. There is no language that I can possibly conceive that could more forcibly express this idea, supposing it to be the mind of the Holy Spirit, that the glory should be to God, and that the blame should be laid at man’s door.

For meditation: For meditation: The love of God towards a sinful Jacob should surprise us more than the hatred of God towards a sinful Esau.

Sermon no. 239

13 October (Preached 16 January 1859)

 

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – From the Mouth of God

1 Comment

John MacArthur

“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

Second Timothy 3:16 speaks of the inspiration of Scripture. “Inspired” is the translation of a Greek word that literally means “God-breathed.” Every word of Scripture is from the mouth of God.

Theologians speak of inspiration as the mysterious process by which God worked through the authors of Scripture to produce inerrant and divinely authoritative writings. Inspiration is a mystery because Scripture doesn’t explain specifically how it occurred. The only glimpse we have is this from 2 Peter: “Know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God” (vv. 20-21).

“Interpretation” speaks of origin. Scripture didn’t originate on the human level, but with the Holy Spirit, who moved upon the authors to write it (v. 21). “Moved” is the translation of a nautical term that describes the effects of wind upon a ship as it blows against its sails and moves it through the water. Similarly, the Spirit moved on the biblical writers to produce the Word of God in the language of men.

The human authors of Scripture knew they were writing God’s Word, and did so with confidence and authority. Often they cited or alluded to one another as authoritative agents of divine revelation (e.g., 2 Pet. 3:15-17).

On a personal level, inspiration guarantees that what Scripture says, God says. It’s His counsel to you, so you can study and obey it with full assurance that it is true and will never lead you astray.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Praise the Lord for His inspired Word.

Reaffirm your commitment to live according to its principles today.

For Further Study:

Often the New Testament affirms the inspiration of the Old Testament by attributing Old Testament quotations to God Himself. For example, compare these Old Testament passages with their New Testament counterparts: Genesis 2:24 with Matthew 19:4-5; Psalm 2:1 with Acts 4:24-25; Isaiah 55:3 with Acts 13:34; Psalm 16:10 with Acts 13:35; Psalm 95:7 with Hebrews 3:7.

How might you respond to someone who says that the Bible is merely the words of devout religious men?

 

 

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Faith and Favor

Leave a comment

Joyce meyer

Man’s steps are ordered by the Lord. How then can a man understand his way?—Proverbs 20:24

When Dave and I sensed God calling us to begin a television ministry, we began to take steps in that direction by faith. We could not do it without money, so the first thing we did was write to the people on our mailing list, asking friends and ministry partners to give financially toward helping us start a television ministry. We felt God had spoken to our hearts concerning a certain amount of money we would need to begin, and that amount is exactly what we received.

We then took another step. We needed a producer and God provided. A man had applied for a job as a television producer three months before God spoke to us about being on television. Since we were not on television we told him we would not need his services. When the time came, we remembered that man and realized that God had met our need before we even knew we had one.

The next step we took was to buy time on a few stations once a week. As the programs paid for themselves and we saw good fruit from them, we bought more time. Eventually we went on daily television and now have a daily program that airs around the world and, prayerfully, is helping millions of people.

God led Dave and me one step at a time and that is how He will lead you. Every time we took a step of faith, God gave us favor, and I encourage you to expect favor also. God already knows your needs and He has your answer, so when fear knocks on your door, answer with faith and you will do great things.

God’s word for you today: Be confident that God is leading you and giving you favor.

 

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Path of Blessing

Leave a comment

dr_bright

“You know these things – now do them! That is the path of blessing” (John 13:17).

These words of Jesus are as binding on us who follow Him today as they were on the disciples who actually heard Him speak them.

You will remember the setting. Jesus had just washed the feet of His disciples as an example of servanthood that He wanted them to observe and to learn. And that is the lesson we do well to ponder: service for others.

Except for the good we can do others, in the power and with the enabling of God’s Holy Spirit, what really is the purpose of our being left here on earth? And miracle of miracles, when we do that which is right – serve others, in Christ’s name – our own personal problems seem minor and relatively unimportant.

Loneliness and depression have their quickest cure in the realm of helping others. No matter what our problem – physical, spiritual, or material – it is quite likely we can find others whose plights are worse. By giving of ourselves in their behalf, we forget about our own troubles, which are usually resolved in the process.

Simple, is it not, that we are to do those things the Lord commands us to do? When we read and study His Word, we can find our just what they are.

Bible Reading: John 13:12-16

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will not be content with just admiring the example Jesus has set before us, but will seek to obey His commands to be a doer if the Word as well.

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; G.C. – Times Table

Leave a comment

ppt_seal01

Do you remember the first time you saw the multiplication table? You flipped a page in the math book and there it was – an intimidating grid of scary numbers. At first glance, committing that table to memory seemed like an impossible task. But with a closer look and some explanation, your perception changed. You also discovered that, in contrast to simple addition, multiplication of two numbers tremendously magnifies the result. The table was not really a frightening beast, but actually a powerful tool.

Walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.

Acts 9:31

The Bible promises multiplied peace and joy for those that fear God. Fearing God in this context does not mean hiding under the bed afraid. It means being filled with respect, awe, wonder and reverence for His holiness. When you approach God from this perspective, His presence and power are magnified in your life.

Before you pray for America, your neighborhood or your family today, stop and confess your fear of God. Acknowledge His attributes of loving kindness, generosity and peace. As you walk in this kind of fear, even the most menacing monster will be met with multiplied assurance.

Recommended Reading: Hebrews 6:10-14