Daily Archives: March 23, 2014

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Gaining Courage in Tough Times

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Charles Stanley

When you face a hardship in life, is fear the first emotion you feel? It doesn’t have to be. We can respond in faith regardless of our circumstances. Remember, courage isn’t just an attitude of toughness or determination. It is a quality of mind and spirit that enables us to meet the challenges of life with peace.

Here are four important things to do when facing life’s trials:

1. Be aware of God’s presence.

The most important thing to realize through any hardship or temptation is that God is with you. While other people may desert you, the Lord never will.

Remember what Jesus said about the Holy Spirit: “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you” (John 14:16-17). Once we trust Christ as our Savior, the Holy Spirit will always be with us, no matter what.

2. Draw from God’s strength.

Stressful circumstances can drain us emotionally, physically, and spiritually, thereby making us more vulnerable to satanic attacks. Another key to facing any difficulty with courage is to draw from the Lord’s strength.

As Jesus said, the Father sent the Holy Spirit to help us. The Spirit is third person of the Godhead, and He dwells within every born-again believer, providing divine power for living the Christian life.  Through Him we gain discernment and spiritual wisdom. He strengthens us physically and guides our emotions as we submit to His leading.

3. Yield to His purpose.

When Paul stood before the Roman tribunal to give his defense, he knew their authority amounted to nothing compared to the power of God. He also knew his suffering was for a specific purpose. The apostle said, “The Lord stood with me and strengthened me in order that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished and that all the Gentiles might hear” (2 Tim. 4:16-17, emphasis added).

Paul, knowing the Lord is always near, realized he could yield to the Father’s will. It wouldn’t be the tribunal’s decision whether or not to take his life; it would be God’s. Because Paul trusted the Lord’s plan, he was able to give one of the greatest defenses of the faith ever proclaimed. His suffering served a purpose—to share the message of the risen Savior with the Gentiles, and eventually the world.

We need to know our suffering is not in vain. God sometimes allows affliction in order to accomplish His purposes, which include demonstrating to the world His faithfulness through our lives. Hardship gives us the chance to say, “Let me tell you about the Lord. He is the source of my strength, faith, perseverance, and endurance. He’s the One enabling me to go through this.”

4. Meditate on His Word.

There is one other thing that can keep our spirits up during difficult times—God’s Word. Paul specifically asked Timothy to bring his books and parchments when he was on trial in Rome (2 Tim. 4:13). While nobody knows for certain, those books were possibly early writings of the gospel (or some portion of it) and the parchments referred to Hebrew Scripture.

In spite of the sermons Paul preached, the churches he established, and the profound knowledge he had, he was just as normal as any of us. He needed the living Word of God to remind him of the truth and provide encouragement. When we encounter hardships in life, reading Scripture on a daily basis protects our hearts and minds.

Our Choice

No one chooses to go through times of pain and sorrow in life. But we can choose our response. We can decide to pray, “Father, thank You for never leaving me—and for strengthening me now. Please use me, whatever it takes, to accomplish Your purposes. And Lord, as I meditate upon Your Word, nourish my soul with the truth, and see me through this hard time.”

Friend, if you’ll remember to do these four things, you’ll be filled with the courage to walk through any trial and be victorious in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Promoting Unity

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Our Daily Bread

Proverbs 6:16-19

The LORD hates . . . one who sows discord among brethren. —Proverbs 6:16,19

The language of Proverbs 6:16-19 is strong. In the citing of seven things the Lord hates, sowing “discord among brethren” makes the list. The reason for naming this sin is that it spoils the unity that Christ desires for His followers (John 17:21-22).

Those who sow discord may not initially set out to create divisions. They may be preoccupied instead with their personal needs or the interests of a group they belong to (James 4:1-10). Consider how Lot’s herdsmen argued with those of Abraham (Gen. 13:1-18); Christ’s disciples argued about personal preeminence (Luke 9:46); and divisive groups in the church at Corinth elevated party factions above the unity of the Spirit (1 Cor. 3:1-7).

So what is the best way to promote unity? It begins with the transformation of the heart. When we adopt the mind of Christ, we develop an attitude of humility and we focus on service toward others (Phil. 2:5-11). Only in Him can we access the power to “look out not only for [our] own interests, but also for the interests of others” (v.4). Soon the needs and hopes of others become more important to us than our own.

With growing bonds of love among us, we find discord replaced with joy and unity (see Ps. 133:1). —Dennis Fisher

Like a mighty army moves the church of God;

Brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod.

We are not divided, all one body we—

One in hope and doctrine, one in charity. —Baring-Gould

We can accomplish more together than we can alone.

Bible in a year: Joshua 13-15; Luke 1:57-80

Insight

King Solomon lists seven sins that are detestable to God (vv.17-19). Contrary to popular understanding, he isn’t saying that there are only seven specific sins that God hates. In the Bible, the “six . . . seven” numerical pattern is a literary device called number parallelism. It is also used in Job 5:19 and Proverbs 30:15-16,18-19,21-31. This pattern does not give a complete list but instead lays out all items equally and then emphasizes the final one. In this case, the final item—“one who sows discord among brethren” (v.19)—is the focus of God’s wrath. Proverbs 6:17-19 describes this person as proud and evil in his heart, sowing discord by his unjust actions and deceptive words.

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – If These Were Silent…

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Alistair Begg

I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.

Luke 19:40

But could the stones cry out? Assuredly they could if He who opens the mouth of the dumb should bid them lift up their voice. Certainly if they were to speak, they would have much to declare in praise of Him who created them by the word of His power; they could extol the wisdom and power of their Maker who called them into being. Shall we not speak well of Him who made us new and out of stones raised up children unto Abraham?

The old rocks could tell of chaos and order and the handiwork of God in successive stages of creation’s drama; are we not also able to talk of God’s decrees, of God’s great work in ancient times, in all that He did for His church in the days of old? If the stones were to speak, they could tell of their breaker, how he took them from the quarry and made them fit for the temple. And aren’t we also able to tell of our glorious Breaker, who broke our hearts with the hammer of His Word, that He might build us into His temple? If the stones should cry out, they would magnify their builder, who polished them and fashioned them into a beautiful palace; and shall not we talk of our Architect and Builder, who has put us in our place in the temple of the living God? If the stones could cry out, they might have a long, long story to tell by way of memorial, for many a time a great stone has been rolled as a memorial before the Lord; and we too can testify, stones of help and pillars of remembrance.

The broken stones of the law cry out against us, but Christ Himself, who has rolled away the stone from the door of the tomb, speaks for us. Stones might well cry out, but we will not let them: We will silence their noise as we break into sacred song and bless the majesty of the Most High; we will spend all our days glorifying Him whom Jacob calls the Shepherd and Stone of Israel.

The family reading plan for March 23, 2014 Proverbs 10 | Ephesians 3

 

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – A bottle in the smoke

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CharlesSpurgeon

“For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; yet do I not forget thy statutes.” Psalm 119:83

Suggested Further Reading: Job 1:13-22

Let me give a word of consolation. If you have been persecuted, and still hold fast by God’s word—if you have been afflicted, and still persevere in the knowledge of our Lord and Master, you have every reason to believe yourself a Christian. If under your trials and troubles you remain just what you were when at ease, you may then hope, and not only so, but steadfastly believe and be assured that you are a child of God. Some of you, however, are very much like Christians, when you hear sermons full of promises; when I preach to you about bruised reeds, or address you with the invitation, “Come unto me, all ye that labour;” but when I give you a smoky sermon—one which you cannot endure—if you then can say, guilty, weak, and helpless I may be, but still I fall into his arms; sinful I know I am, and I have grave cause for doubt, but still:

“There, there, unshaken will I rest,

Till this vile body dies;”

I know, poor, weak, and helpless though I am, that I have a rich Almighty Friend; if you can stand a little smoke, then you may believe yourself to be a child of God. But there are some fantastic people we know of, who are shocked with a very puff of smoke, they cannot endure it, they go out at once, just like rats out of the hold of a ship when they begin to smoke it; but if you can live in the smoke and say, “I feel it, and still can endure it,”—if you can stand a smoky sermon, and endure a smoky trial, and hold fast to God under a smoky persecution, then you have reason to believe that you are certainly a child of God.

For meditation: In the parable of the sower, the true believer is the one who hears the word and accepts it; those making a false profession are found out in time either as a result of troubles or of worldly success (Mark 4:16-20). Job passed both tests (Job 1).

Sermon no. 71

23 March (1856)

 

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Praying Aggressively

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John MacArthur

“Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10).

Many people assume that somehow everything that happens is God’s will. But that’s not true. Lives destroyed by murderous aggressors and families broken by adultery aren’t God’s will. Children and adults ravaged by abuse or crippled by disease aren’t God’s will. He uses sin and illness to accomplish His own purposes (Rom. 8:28), but they aren’t His desire.

Eventually God will destroy all evil and fulfill His will perfectly (Rev. 20:10-14), but that hasn’t happened yet. That’s why we must pray for His will to be done on earth. We can’t afford to be passive or indifferent in prayer. We must pray aggressively and not lose heart (Luke 18:1).

That’s how David prayed. His passion for God’s will compelled him to pray, “Make me understand the way of Thy precepts, so I will meditate on Thy wonders. . . . I shall run the way of Thy commandments, for Thou wilt enlarge my heart. Teach me, O Lord, the way of Thy statutes, and I shall observe it to the end. Give me understanding, that I may observe Thy law, and keep it with all my heart. Make me walk in the path of Thy commandments, for I delight in it” (Ps. 119:27, 32-35).

But David also prayed, “Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered; and let those who hate Him flee before him. As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; as wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish before God. But let the righteous be glad; let them exult before God; yes, let them rejoice with gladness” (Ps. 68:1-3). He loved God’s will, but he also hated everything that opposed it.

When you truly pray for God’s will to be done, you are aggressively pursuing His will for your own life and rebelling against Satan, his evil world system, and everything else that is at odds with God’s will.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Thank God for David’s example and for others who demonstrate a passion for God’s will.

Ask for wisdom to see beyond your circumstances to what God wants to accomplish through them.

For Further Study:

Read Psalm 119.

How can God’s Word help you to know and obey God’s will?

What was the psalmist’s attitude toward the Word?

 

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Desiring to Please Him in All Things

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Joyce meyer

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong in behalf of those whose hearts are blameless toward Him.          Did I mess any —2 Chronicles 16:9

Anyone who loves God wants to please Him. Just having the desire to please Him pleases Him. A desire to please God is necessary— it motivates us to seek His will in all things. People who have a deep desire to please God may not perform perfectly all the time, but they keep pressing forward and always have the attitude of wanting to improve.

In 2 Chronicles 16:9, we see God is searching to and fro for someone whose heart is perfect toward Him. The Scripture does not say He is looking for someone with a perfect performance, but rather someone with a perfect heart—a heart desiring to please Him.

Power Thought: I desire to please God.

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Loving and Kind

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dr_bright

“But His joy is in those who reverence Him, those who expect Him to be loving and kind” (Psalm 147:11).

Can you imagine an intelligent person saying no to Christ if he fully understood how much God loves him and if he realized that when he receives Christ his sins are all forgiven and he is given eternal life together with new meaning and purpose for his present life?

The non-believer who does not know all these things continues to live in disobedience, rejecting God’s love and forgiveness. Why? Simply because he does not understand; he lacks information.

It is difficult to imagine a person saying no to such a wonderful life of challenge and adventure with the risen Christ if that person knows all the facts about who Christ is and why He came to this world. It is the same with the Christian who is living in spiritual poverty. He often continues to live a frustrated, fruitless life, simply because he just does not understand who the Holy Spirit is and what the supernatural life is all about. But lack of knowledge is not the only obstacle to enjoying the supernatural life.

Pride: Pride, which is an exaltation of self instead of God, is the root cause of all sin. This defeating aspect of our human nature has kept many Christians from living supernaturally. Pride is not the same as a God-given healthy love and acceptance of oneself.

Fear of man: Peer pressure keeps many Christians from living the supernatural life. “The fear of man brings a snare” (Proverbs 29:25, NAS).

Many are afraid to be different, or are ashamed to witness for Jesus Christ who loved us and gave Himself for us. “But His joy is in those who reverence Him, those who expect Him to be loving and kind.”

Bible Reading: Psalm 147:5-10

TODAY’S ACTION POINT:  I will claim the enabling power of the Holy Spirit to overcome pride and fear of man, I will reverence the Lord and expect Him to be loving and kind as He promised.

 

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; C.P. – Renewed Hope

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ppt_seal01

Hide and Seek was a popular game in the past, and is still a favorite. It’s fun and fascinating to find something hidden, but one thing that shouldn’t be concealed is His Word and His works (Psalm 78:4). The only place you should hide the Word is in your heart (Psalm 119:11).

That the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn.

Psalms 78:6

Throughout the Scriptures, God tells His people to remember the things He has done for them. Remembering strengthens your faith, helps you keep on serving the Lord and renews your hope. Memorialize what He has done for you by marking it down in some way. Remind your family and friends of all the prayers He answered so they may know God is real and great, worthy to be adored, obeyed and praised.

It’s easy to pick up a newspaper or read online news and despair about the country’s condition. But don’t forget, the Lord still answers prayers, rescues, heals and performs miracles today. Take hope in God about the most concerning needs in your life and family, and then seek His face for this country, its leaders, troops and citizens.

Recommended Reading: Deuteronomy 6:1-15