Daily Archives: December 21, 2013

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Good News of Great Joy

1 Comment

Charles Stanley

Micah 5:2

The Hebrew Scriptures—that is, the Old Testament—included many prophecies about the coming Messiah. A few of them probably left Israelite scholars and laymen alike scratching their heads and wondering how one individual could fulfill such lofty promises. The birth of such a person would be “good news of great joy,” just as the angel proclaimed (Luke 2:10). The Messiah would be . . .

• A descendant of Abraham seated on David’s throne. There is a reason that both Matthew and Luke painstakingly trace Jesus’ genealogy (Matt. 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-38): the Messiah’s family line mattered. God promised that all nations would be blessed through the house of Abraham (Gen. 22:18), and Isaiah prophesied that Christ would reign forever on David’s throne (Isa. 9:7). The gospel writers showed that Jesus could claim direct lineage from both of these men.

• A man born in Bethlehem who comes out of Egypt. The Messiah’s place of origin must have caused confusion. Though His predicted birthplace was Bethlehem, He was expected to come out of Egypt (Mic. 5:2; Hos. 11:1). We know that a census brought Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to tiny, insignificant Bethlehem just in time for the Christ child’s arrival. And Matthew’s gospel explains the rest of the mystery: the family fled to Egypt to avoid Herod’s jealous rage (Matt. 2:13).

God was specific in describing the Messiah because He wanted people to recognize the Anointed One and rejoice in His coming. That’s exactly what happened when the King of Kings rode a donkey into Jerusalem (prophecy: Zech. 9:9; completion: John 12:12-15). Jesus is the promised Christ—this truly is great news and reason to rejoice.

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Light And Shadow

Leave a comment

Our Daily Bread

Isaiah 9:1-7

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined. —Isaiah 9:2

Art historian Seymour Slive described the great Dutch artist Rembrandt (1606–1669) as the master of light and shadow, a compelling storyteller on canvas. Rembrandt’s painting The Adoration of the Shepherds portrays the darkened stable in Bethlehem where two shepherds kneel beside the manger while other people stand farther away. One man holds a lantern, but the brightest light shines not from his lantern but from the Christ-child, illuminating those who have gathered close to Him.

Seven centuries before Jesus’ birth, Isaiah used an image of light and shadow to foretell the coming of a Savior for Israel: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined. . . . For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given” (Isa. 9:2,6).

Each person may see a different story in Rembrandt’s painting, but perhaps each of us is represented somewhere in that stable. Are we kneeling in worship, standing back in hesitation, or hiding from the light that has penetrated our darkness?

Christmas invites us to step out of the shadows of darkness and to allow the light of Christ to shine into our hearts. —David McCasland

Observing God’s love from afar

Is only a passing delight;

But when we experience Christ’s presence,

Our darkness is turned into light. —Hess

Faith in Christ is not a leap into the dark; it’s a step into the Light.

Bible in a year: Micah 4-5; Revelation 12

 

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – An Everlasting Covenant

Leave a comment

Alistair Begg

For he has made with me an everlasting covenant.

2 Samuel 23:5

This covenant is divine in its origin. “He has made with me an everlasting covenant.” Oh, that great word “he”! My soul, consider-God, the everlasting Father, has positively made a covenant with you; yes, the God who spoke the world into existence by a word; He, stooping from His majesty, takes hold of your hand and makes a covenant with you. Isn’t this act so stupendous and such an example of condescension that it would overwhelm us forever if we could really understand it? “He has made with me an everlasting covenant.”

A king has not made a covenant with me-that would be something; but the Prince of the kings of the earth, Shaddai, the Lord All-sufficient, the Jehovah of ages, the everlasting Elohim-“He has made with me an everlasting covenant.”

But notice, it is particular in its application. “For he has made with me an everlasting covenant.” Here is the sweetness of it to each believer. It is nothing for me that He made peace for the world; I want to know whether He made peace for me! It is a small matter that He has made a covenant; I want to know whether He has made a covenant with me.

Blessed is the assurance that He has made a covenant with me! If God the Holy Spirit gives me assurance of this, then His salvation is mine, His heart is mine, He Himself is mine-He is my God.

This covenant is everlasting in its duration. An everlasting covenant means a covenant that had no beginning and that will never, ever end. How sweet in all the uncertainties of life to know that “God’s foundation stands firm,”1 and to have God’s own promise, “I will not violate my covenant or alter the word that went forth from my lips.”2 I will sing of this through all my days and at their ending and forever.

1 2 Timothy 2:19 2 Psalm 89:34

 

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – Going home—a Christmas sermon

Leave a comment

CharlesSpurgeon

“Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.” Mark 5:19

Suggested Further Reading: 2 Kings 7:3-9

First, tell it truthfully. Do not tell more than you know; do not tell John Bunyan’s experience, when you ought to tell your own. Do not tell your mother you have felt what only Rutherford felt. Tell her no more than the truth. Tell your experience truthfully; for perhaps one single fly in the pot of ointment will spoil it, and one statement you may make which is not true may ruin it all. Tell the story truthfully.

In the next place, tell it very humbly. I have said that before. Do not intrude yourselves upon those who are older, and know more; but tell your story humbly; not as a preacher, not ex-cathedra, but as a friend and as a son.

Next, tell it very earnestly. Let them see you mean it. Do not talk about religion flippantly; you will do no good if you do. Do not make puns on texts; do not quote Scripture by way of joke: if you do, you may talk till you are dumb, you will do no good, if you in the least degree give them occasion to laugh by laughing at holy things yourself. Tell it very earnestly.

And then, tell it very devoutly. Do not try to tell your tale to man till you have told it first to God. When you are at home on Christmas Day, let no one see your face till God has seen it. Be up in the morning, wrestle with God; and if your friends are not converted, wrestle with God for them; and then you will find it easy work to wrestle with them for God. Seek, if you can, to get them one by one, and tell them the story. Do not be afraid; only think of the good you may possibly do.

For meditation: Many of us will be with unconverted friends or relatives over Christmas. May Spurgeon’s four points help each of us to speak of “the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

Sermon no. 109

21 December (1856)

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – The Certainty of Judgment

1 Comment

John MacArthur

“If the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?” (Heb. 2:2-3).

Today the majority believes that God is a God of love and grace, but not of justice. One brief look at Hebrews 2:2-3 ought to convince anyone otherwise. The writer’s point is this: Since the Old Testament makes it clear that transgression and disobedience met with severe and just punishment, how much more so will equal or greater punishment be rendered under the New Testament, which was revealed by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself?

Both the Old and New Testaments confirm that angels were instrumental in bringing the law (Deut. 33:2; Acts 7:38). The law the angels spoke, primarily the Ten Commandments, was steadfast. That meant if someone broke the law, the law would break the lawbreaker. The law was inviolable; punishment for breaking it was certain.

“Every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense” (v. 2). Transgression refers to stepping across a line–a willful, purposeful sin. Disobedience, however, refers to imperfect hearing–the sin of shutting one’s ears to the commands, warnings, and invitations of God. It is a sin of neglect or omission, doing nothing when something should be done.

Hebrews 2:2 also puts to rest the notion that God is not fair. The writer says every sin received a “just recompense.” God, by His very nature, is just. Every punishment He meted out to those who defied Him was a deterrent to the sin He wanted to stop.

God severely punished the nation of Israel because they knew better. That leads to the important principle that punishment is always related to how much truth one knows but rejects. The person who knows the gospel, who has intellectually understood it and believed it, yet drifts away will experience the severest punishment of all.

Suggestion for Prayer:

Ask God to give you an even greater appreciation of the punishment He has saved you from to motivate you to pursue the lost more vigorously.

For Further Study:

Read Matthew 11:20-24, 12:38-42, and Luke 12:47-48 to discover Christ’s attitude toward those who know the truth yet rebel against it.

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Peace in the House

Leave a comment

Joyce meyer

Fill up and complete my joy by living in harmony and being of the same mind and one in purpose, having the same love, being in full accord and of one harmonious mind and intention.

—Philippians 2:2

When Jesus sent the disciples out two by two to do miracles, signs, and wonders, in essence He said to them, “Go and find a house and say, ‘Peace be unto you.’ And if your peace settles on that house, you can stay there. If it doesn’t, shake the dust off your feet and go on” (see Mark 6:7-11).

One day God showed me what Jesus was really saying to them: “I want you to go out with the anointing, but to do that you need to have peace in the house.” You need to do whatever you can to maintain peace in your home because it dramatically affects the anointing and power of God that rests on your life. Keep the strife out of your life! No peace, no power! Know peace, know power!

 

 

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – The Holy Spirit Promised

Leave a comment

dr_bright

“But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power to testify about Me with great effect, to the people in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth, about my death and resurrection” (Acts 1:8).

Evangelists were gathered in Amsterdam, Holland, from more than 130 countries around the world to attend the International Conference for Itinerant Evangelists sponsored by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. On the third night of this historic event I was asked to bring the address on “How to be Filled With the Holy Spirit.” Just before I was to speak, a note from Billy Graham was handed to me. It said, “I consider this one of the most important addresses of the entire conference.”

According to the hundreds of thousands of surveys which our ministry has taken all over the world, 95 percent of the professing believers do not understand the ministry of the Holy Spirit. This includes a majority of pastors, evangelists and missionaries. In fact, if I had only one message to give to the Christian world, it would be how to be filled with the Holy Spirit and how to walk moment by moment in the fullness of His power. Indeed if I had to choose between introducing a non-believer to Christ or helping a defeated, fruitless, impotent Christian to understand the ministry of the Holy Spirit and share his faith in Christ with others, I would choose the latter because inevitably the end result would be far greater in terms of the number of people who would be introduced to Christ. The one great need of the Body of Christ today that transcends all other needs is to be awakened to the person and ministry of the Holy Spirit, to be empowered and controlled by Him, to allow Him to exalt and honor our Lord Jesus Christ in and through us, for that is the purpose of His coming. “He (the Holy Spirit) shall praise Me and bring Me great honor by showing you My glory” (John 16:14).

On hundreds of occasions throughout the world I have spoken on this subject and always, when the invitation is given, a good percentage indicate their desire to be filled with the Spirit. The Scripture promises, “Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled.” Do you hunger and thirst after righteousness? If so, you are a candidate for the fullness of God’s Spirit. You can by faith appropriate His fullness right now by claiming His promise that God will release His power through you in order that you may be an effective witness for the Lord Jesus Christ.

Bible Reading: Romans 15:15-21

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Today I will claim by faith the fullness of God’s Spirit in order to live the supernatural life and to be a more fruitful witness for the Lord Jesus Christ. I know that it is the Holy Spirit who will enable me to live that exciting, supernatural life.

 

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; G.C. – Longingly Looking

Leave a comment

ppt_seal01

If you asked average Americans what they are watching – the answer is likely to be everything! According to current statistics from YouTube, 100 hours of video is uploaded to their website every hour, and six billion hours of video is viewed each month. That’s almost an hour for every person on Earth.

There were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

Luke 2:8

In contrast to those frantic video viewing habits, the Bible paints a different picture of “watching.” In Luke’s account of the Christmas story, shepherds were on guard keeping their flock of sleeping sheep safe when they saw a great gift from God…a visit by angels in the starry heavens. In Matthew, another story is told about virgin brides preparing themselves, watching and eagerly waiting for their bridegroom, determined not to miss their own wedding.

What are you watching today? Are you numbly in step with much of the world, filling your time with mindless entertainment, or are you longingly looking for God’s great gifts, anticipating their appearance on the horizon? Don’t miss what the Lord is doing in your life and in America. Like the faithful shepherds, keep your watch by day and by night.

Recommended Reading: Matthew 25:1-13

 

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie –”I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day”

Leave a comment

greglaurie

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” —Luke 2:14

One of the most familiar carols we hear during the holidays is “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” The story behind the song, based on a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, is very interesting.

In 1860, Longfellow was at the peak of his success as a poet. Abraham Lincoln had just been elected President, giving hope to many in the nation. But things soon turned dark for America and for Longfellow, personally. The Civil War began the following year, and Longfellow’s wife died of severe burns after her dress caught fire. Longfellow sustained severe burns on his hands and face from trying to save his wife. He was so badly burned that he could not even attend her funeral. In his diary for Christmas Day 1861, he wrote, “How inexpressibly sad are the holidays.”

In 1862, the Civil War escalated and the death toll from the war began to mount. In his diary for that year, Longfellow wrote of Christmas, “‘A merry Christmas,’ say the children, but that is no more for me.” In 1863, Longfellow’s son, who had run away to join the Union Army, was severely wounded and returned home in December. There is no entry in Longfellow’s diary for that Christmas.

For Christmas Day that year, Longfellow wanted to pull out of his despair, so he decided to try to capture the joy of Christmas. He began:

I heard the bells on Christmas Day

Their old familiar carols play,

And wild and sweet

The words repeat

Of peace on earth, good-will to men.

As Longfellow came to the sixth stanza, he was stopped by the thought of the condition of his beloved country. The Battle of Gettysburg was not long past. Days looked dark, and he probably asked himself the question, “How can I write about peace on earth, goodwill to men in this war-torn country, where brother fights against brother and father against son?” But he kept writing and what did he write?

And in despair I bowed my head;

“There is no peace on earth,” I said;

“For hate is strong,

And mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”

That could be said of our day as well.

But then, catching an eternal perspective and the real message of Christmas and Christ Himself, he wrote:

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep;

“God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!

The Wrong shall fail,

The Right prevail,

With peace on earth, good-will to men!”