Monthly Archives: March 2014

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Real Problems

Leave a comment

Joyce meyer

Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support.—Hebrews 13:5

I recently heard an interesting story about the difference ¬between real and imagined problems—something that all of us have probably faced at one time or another. This story ¬involved a man who was in his second year of Bible college. He was faced with financial challenges and couldn’t figure out how to pay his bills, support his family, and remain in school. He and his wife were expecting their second child, and because of health problems, she required total bed rest. He finally made an appointment with the financial aid office.

He nervously walked in and sat down. Then the man across the desk asked him an interesting question, “Do you need money, or do you have real problems?” That question changed his life. Why? Because he had seen money as his biggest and most difficult-to-solve problem. His bills and financial needs were constantly on his mind. It was as if his need for money had become the most important thing in his life.

Before this young student could say anything more, the financial counselor smiled and said, “Most of the students come in because they need money. Money becomes the center of their lives, and it steals their victory and peace.”

The student felt as if this man had been reading his mail. Until that moment, he had been one of those students the man had described. In his quest to figure out how to make ends meet, victory and peace had completely eluded him.

The wise financial counselor made some very interesting observations that day. He said, “The problem isn’t money, son, the problem is trust. We have a few financial loans we can make, but that won’t solve your problem. You see, your problem is inside your head and your heart. If you can get those things in the right order, money will no longer be the focus of your life.”

No one had ever spoken to him like that before. “Not only did the loan counselor force me to rethink my life and my ¬priorities,” the student said, “but he pointed me in the right direction.”

The loan counselor pulled out his Bible, and asked the ¬student to read three verses that had been underlined in red and highlighted in yellow. “The steps of a [good] man are directed and established by the Lord when He delights in his way [and He busies Himself with his every step]. Though he falls, he shall not be utterly cast down, for the Lord grasps his hand in support and upholds him. I have been young and now am old, yet have I not seen the [uncompromisingly] righteous forsaken or their seed begging bread” (Psalm 37:23–25).

“So look at yourself, son,” the man said. “Are you a good man? Are you a righteous person? If you are, what does that say about you and your relationship with God?” The student read those verses aloud twice, and recognized that those words were a picture of himself. He had fallen—he had allowed himself to become discouraged—and he had been ready to give up. But he knew he was in Bible college because that’s where God wanted him to be.

As he left the financial aid office, he had received no money and no offer for aid, but he left with a lighter heart and an assurance that he would not have to leave school. He was a little slow in paying some of his bills—and a few times, he had to get an extension on paying his tuition—but he was able to stay and complete his education. Today he is in full-time pastoral ministry.

God takes great care of His own, and He will take care of you. Hebrews 13:5 offers you assurance that you don’t have to set your mind on money, wondering and worrying how you can take care of yourself. God has promised to take care of you, so what more is there to say?

God of all precious promises, I’m ashamed that I’ve allowed money or other problems to become so important that I’ve lost my perspective. My problem isn’t money; my problem is my lack of trust in You. As I meditate on Your promises, help me to truly believe that You will perform Your Word in my life. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.

From the book Battlefield of the Mind Devotional by Joyce Meyer.

 

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; J.K. – Not Just Covered

Leave a comment

ppt_seal01

There are products on the market today that promise to bring new life to your leather upholstery or the faded condition of your car. Just wipe it on and dullness will disappear and scratches will no longer be visible. Everything will look like new. In the long run, though, the imperfections may reappear…they are merely covered for a time.

Alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved.

Ephesians 2:5

Now look at yourself. Are there any flaws or failings? The condition of man – of you – falls way short of God’s measure. No one is sinless or righteous, not one (Romans 3:10). But God tells of the love He has for you. Once dead spiritually, when you believe in Jesus, you become “alive together” with Him. By His grace – undeserved, unmerited favor to you – your sins aren’t just covered, they are taken away, never to return. Dead to your sin, He made you alive and gave you new life (II Timothy 1:10).

God has reshaped you from within, and given you a new beginning. Don’t take this relationship lightly. Trust in Christ and be daily transformed into His likeness. Then intercede for those who lead this country…that they may see where they fall short and need God’s forgiveness and guidance.

Recommended Reading: Colossians 2:6-15

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie –At the Right Time

Leave a comment

greglaurie

When the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. —Galatians 4:4

By nature, I tend to be an impatient person. I’m one of those guys who, when the pizza comes, doesn’t wait for it to cool off. I start eating it immediately. Of course, I have burned the entire roof of my mouth that way. But I just can’t wait.

In this day and age when everything moves so fast, we don’t need to wait for much of anything anymore. How did we ever make it without microwave ovens? Yet even these seem slow to me now. At the grocery store, even if it’s necessary for me to leave a few things behind, I will try to get in the ten-items-or-less line. When I’m on the freeway, if one lane starts to move, even if it’s just slightly faster than my lane, I will move to the faster one. I don’t like to wait.

Yet the Lord tells us to be patient for His return. As we look at this world in which we live and the way our culture is changing, we may think, Lord, come on! Return! Look at the way things are going! But God has His own schedule. He won’t be late. He won’t be early. He will be right on time.

When He came the first time, it was according to His perfect plan. Galatians tells us, “But when the right time came, God sent his Son” (Galatians 4:4, NLT). I love that phrase: when the right time came. At the appointed hour, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies and was born in a manger in Bethlehem. And when the time is just right, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, will return.

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Make it Personal

Leave a comment

Max Lucado

Christ took away your sins. He endured not just the nails of the Romans, the mockery of the crowd, and the spear of the soldier, but he endured the anger of God! God didn’t overlook your sins, lest he endorse them. He didn’t punish you lest he destroy you.  He instead found a way to punish the sin and preserve the sinner.  Jesus took your punishment, and God gave you credit for Jesus’ perfection.

As long as the cross is God’s gift to the world, it will touch you but it will not change you. Precious as it is to proclaim, “Christ died for the world,” even sweeter it is to whisper, “Christ died for me!” For my sins he died. He took my place on the cross. He felt my shame and spoke my name. Thank God for the day Jesus took your place, for the day that grace happened to you!

From GRACE

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – God’s Sovereignty

1 Comment

Charles Stanley

Ephesians 1:11

Some people question whether the Lord is truly in control. They learn about tragedies in the world and wonder if perhaps God isn’t powerful enough to overcome all evil. Or they encounter what seems like an insurmountable obstacle in their own life and come to the conclusion that His power is limited.

My friend, we certainly don’t understand everything that happens in this life. But we know from Scripture that God has ultimate authority. As Psalm 103:19 says, “The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all.”

Consider the far-reaching implications of that verse: God has total control in all the universe. He reigns over everything and everyone, and His power surpasses all other strength. The terms omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient are often used to describe Him. In other words, our God is all-powerful, He exists everywhere, and He is all-knowing. This means there is nothing beyond His knowledge or His ability to direct.

And this limitless, unfathomable God, who is unhindered and fully in control, adopts us as His children. What an amazing thought! As we begin to grasp this truth, peace and rest will flood our souls.

If you believe in an all-powerful God, is that idea simply “head knowledge,” or does it affect the way you think and feel? When you realize that nothing happens apart from His awareness, direction, and loving purpose, it becomes possible to lay down fear and truly experience His peace.

 

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Perspective From The Clouds

Leave a comment

Our Daily Bread

Job 3:3-5; 42:5-6

I have heard of You . . . but now my eye sees You. —Job 42:5

In 1927 the silent film Wings, a World War I film about two American aviators, won the first Academy Award for Best Picture. When it was being filmed, production stopped for several days. Frustrated producers asked the director why. He responded: “All we have is blue sky. The conflict in the air will not be as visible without clouds. Clouds bring perspective.” He was right. Only by seeing aerial combat with clouds as a backdrop could the viewer see what was really going on.

We often wish for blue skies instead of storm clouds. But cloudy skies may reveal God’s faithfulness. We gain perspective on how God has been faithful in our trials as we look back on the clouds.

At the beginning of his terrible suffering, Job lamented: “May the day perish on which I was born . . . . May a cloud settle on it” (Job 3:3-5). His experience of despair continued for a long time until God spoke. Then Job exclaimed, “I have heard of You . . . but now my eye sees You” (42:5). Job had encountered the sovereign Creator, and that changed his perspective on God’s purposes.

Do clouds of trouble fill your skies today? Sooner than you think, God may use these clouds to help you gain perspective on His faithfulness. —Dennis Fisher

God, give us wings to rise above

The clouds of trial that block the sun,

To soar above gray skies and see

The love and goodness of Your Son. —Sper

Often the clouds of sorrow reveal the sunshine of His face. —Jasper

Bible in a year: Deuteronomy 30-31; Mark 15:1-25

Insight

In Job 3:3-5, we have what many Bible scholars call Job’s soliloquy. After a time of quiet agony, the great Old Testament saint breaks his silence and lets out his anguish. He calls for darkness and then destruction to overwhelm him. Instead of seeing God’s light-filled and good creation, Job feels he is living in a world of darkness. But in Job 42:5-6, we see the resolution to Job’s conflict. Out of the whirlwind, God challenges Job and points to creation as a witness to His reality. Although he is never told that his sufferings are the result of spiritual warfare from the devil, Job submits to the sovereignty of God and experiences restoration.

 

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Passion and Power

Leave a comment

Ravi Z

One of the unique qualities of the Christian story is that it is presented in the voices of four different witnesses. During the season of Lent, it is interesting to look specifically at the different tellings of the events that led Jesus to the cross. The differences in each testimony offer an interesting glimpse of how personalities differ in their observing and experience of the world, as well as a potent reminder that the story of Jesus is not a flat and static conveying of information but a story as alive as the one who was tortured at the hands of the powers of this world.

For instance, as one theologian observes, Matthew’s crucifixion narrative and greater gospel emphasizes “the way of the humiliated Christ.”(1) In my reading of Matthew, I am always struck by the interplay between power and control, an interesting dynamic on which the writer has chosen to focus. Over and above the motif shared with Mark, Matthew seems to add a dimension of inquiry about power, and along with it, the hint that all is not as it seems: Who wants control? Who thinks they’re in control? Who is really in control? Roy Harrisville compares it to the paradox and reversal at the heart of Jesus’s ministry, the passion of Christ itself enacting “truths earlier hidden in the predictions and parables.”(2)

Thus, where Mark’s decisive crowd before Pilate yells, “Crucify him” (15:13 and again in 14b) and Luke’s crowd similarly, if more emphatically in the Greek, yells, “Crucify, crucify him!” (23:21), Matthew’s crowd twice yells, “Let him be crucified” (27:22b and 23b). There is a hint of a distancing of responsibility. The crowds indeed want the crucifying done, but done to him by someone else. Luke seems to further draw the distinction of choice and control, adding of his crowd, “And they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed” (23:23).

Matthew’s account seems at first passive in the “who” of the act of crucifying, a crowd calling for death at a distance. Later Pilate, too, wants to distance himself from this responsibility, adding a hand-washing scene unique to Matthew’s narrative. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” says Pilate, “see to it yourselves” (27:24). The people, preferring control over the risk of release, answer, “His blood be on us and on our children” (27:25).

Now phrased in terms of blood, Matthew’s interplay of power and control is made all the more potent. Like Jesus’s many parables with their jarring sense of mysterion (mystery that is not hidden, but revealed), Matthew seems to suggest there is one in control indeed, but it is not the one who seems to be holding the power. The image of Christ’s blood upon this blind—though professing to see—crowd and their children is chilling. For unknowingly, they have declared the very thing that the humiliated servant has set out to do: His blood be on us and on our children.

Harrisville illustrates this all the more profoundly in his analysis of Matthew’s narrating of the Last Supper and the curious words of Jesus about the “blood of the covenant,” now explained in this passion narrative before us:

“The statement about the ‘blood of the covenant’ (26:28) will have its explanation in subsequent events, in Judas’s confession (‘I have sinned by betraying innocent blood’ [27:24]), in Pilate’s avowal of innocence (‘I am innocent of this man’s blood’ [27:4]), and in the people’s accepting responsibility for Jesus’s death (‘his blood be on us and on our children!’ [27:25]). All these will be the ‘many’ for whose forgiveness the blood of the covenant is poured out.“(3)

The story of Jesus as he moves toward the cross, told through eyes that remind us he has come for a world of unique individuals, is a story of power and weakness that turns our common assumptions and experience on its head. Like the parables, the way of the humiliated Christ confounds us, approaching in power, though hidden in the unlikely gift of a servant.

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

(1) Roy Harrisville, Fracture: The Cross as Irreconcilable in the Language and Thought of the Biblical Writers (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2006), 147.

(2) Ibid., 158.

(3) Ibid., 159.

 

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – First Pure, then Peaceable

Leave a comment

Alistair Begg

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Matthew 5:9

This is the seventh of the beatitudes: and seven was the number of perfection among the Hebrews. It may be that the Savior placed the peacemaker seventh on the list because he most nearly approaches the perfect man in Christ Jesus. He who would have perfect blessedness, so far as it can be enjoyed on earth, must attain to this seventh benediction and become a peacemaker.

There is a significance also in the position of the text. The verse that precedes it speaks of the blessedness of “the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” It is important to understand that we are to be “first pure, then peaceable.”3 Our peaceableness is never to be a contract with sin or toleration of evil. We must set our faces like flint against everything that is contrary to God and His holiness: When purity in our souls is a settled matter, we can go on to peaceableness.

In the same way, the verse that follows seems to have been put there on purpose. However peaceable we may be in this world, yet we shall be misrepresented and misunderstood; and we should not be surprised, for even the Prince of Peace, by His very peacefulness, brought fire upon the earth. He Himself, though He loved mankind and did no ill, was “despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.”4 Just in case the peaceable in heart should be surprised when they meet with enemies, the following verse reads, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” So, the peacemakers are not only pronounced to be blessed, but they are surrounded with blessings.

Lord, give us grace to climb to this seventh beatitude! Purify our minds that we may be “first pure, then peaceable” and fortify our souls, that our peaceableness may not lead us into cowardice and despair when we are persecuted for Your sake.

3James 3:17 4Isaiah 53:3

The family reading plan for March 17, 2014 Proverbs 4 | Galatians 3

 

 

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – Humility

Leave a comment

CharlesSpurgeon

“Serving the Lord with all humility.” Acts 20:19

Suggested Further Reading: Philippians 2:3-11

Pride can shut the door in the face of Christ. Only let us take out our tablets and write down “God is for me, therefore let me be proud;” only let us say with Jehu, “Come, and I will show thee my zeal for the Lord of Hosts,” and God’s presence will soon depart from us, and Ichabod be written on the front of the house. And let me say to those of you who have already done much for Christ as evangelists, ministers, teachers, or what not, do not sit down and congratulate yourselves upon the past. Let us go home and think of all the mistakes we have made; all the errors we have committed, and all the follies into which we have been betrayed, and I think instead of self-congratulation we shall say, “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” Let us humble ourselves before God. You know there is a deal of difference between being humble and being humbled. He that will not be humble shall be humbled. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God and he shall lift you up, lest he leave you because you hold your head so high. And should I be addressing any here this morning who are very much exalted by the nobility of rank, who have what the poet calls “The pride of heraldry, the pomp of power,” be humble, I pray you. If any man would have friends, let him be humble. Humility never did any man any hurt. If you stoop down when you pass through a doorway, if it should be a high one, you will not be hurt by stooping; but if it should be a low one, you might have knocked your head if you had held it up.

For meditation: We have no end of sins to be ashamed of. Let us be proud only of the Gospel of our Saviour, who so humbled himself for our sakes. We ought to boast only of the Lord (2 Corinthians 10:17), otherwise boasting is groundless (Romans 3:27).

Sermon no. 365

17 March (1861)

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Displaying God’s Holiness

1 Comment

John MacArthur

“Hallowed be Thy name” (Matt. 6:9).

We have learned that hallowing God’s name requires setting it apart from everything common, and giving Him first place in our lives. That starts with believing He exists. Hebrews 11:6 says, “He who comes to God must believe that He is.”

Beyond mere belief, you must also know the kind of God He is. Many people who claim to believe in God aren’t hallowing His name because they have erroneous concepts of who He is. The Israelites thought they were worshiping the true God when they bowed down to the golden calf (Ex. 32:4). The Jewish leaders of Jesus’ day thought they worshiped the true God, but Jesus called them children of the devil because they rejected God’s Word (John 8:44, 47). Sound biblical doctrine about God is essential to revering God properly.

Hallowing God’s name also involves constantly being aware of His presence. That helps you focus on His priorities and see every aspect of your life from His perspective. That’s what David meant when he said, “I have set the Lord continually before me” (Ps. 16:8).

Obedience is another way to hallow God’s name. Your theology might be flawless and you may be constantly aware of His presence, but if you disobey Him, you dishonor Him. Jesus said, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16).

You are an instrument through whom God displays His holiness in the world. If His name is to be hallowed on earth as it is in heaven, it must first be hallowed in your life. That occurs when you believe in Him, understand who He really is, maintain an awareness of His presence, and obey His Word.

That high calling sets you apart from every unbeliever (1 Pet. 2:9-10). Live today in light of that glorious calling!

Suggestions for Prayer:

Ask God to help you be aware of His presence in every circumstance you face today.

Pray that your life will manifest His holiness.

For Further Study:

Read Exodus 32.

Why did the Israelites build the golden calf?

What was Moses’ response when God threatened to destroy His people?

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Are You Lovable?

Leave a comment

Joyce meyer

God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us. —Romans 5:8

When you read the title on this page— Are You Lovable?—you may have immediately thought, “No, I’m not!”

I would have probably responded the same way before I came to understand the true nature of God’s love and His reason for loving me.

How can God love you as imperfect as you are? He loves you because He wants to. It pleases Him. God loves you because that is His nature. God is love (see 1 John 4:8). If He were otherwise, He wouldn’t be who He is.

God may not always love everything you do, but He does love you. His love is unconditional—it is based on Him, not you.

 

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Do the Will of God

Leave a comment

dr_bright
“And the world is fading away, and these evil, forbidden things will go with it, but whoever keeps doing the will of God will live forever” (1 John 2:17).
There are few questions more frequently asked of me than this, “How can I know God’s will for my life?” or “How can I know what God wants me to do in this particular situation?”
“When I was crossing the Irish Channel one starless night,” said F.B. Meyer, a saint of yesteryear, “I stood on the deck by the captain and asked him, ‘How do you know Holyhead Harbor on so dark a night as this?’
“‘You see those three lights?’ he asked. ‘All of them must line up together as one, and when we see them so united, we know the exact position of the harbor’s mouth.’

“When we want to know God’s will, there are three things which always concur: the inward impulse, the Word of God and the trend of circumstances – God in the heart and God in circumstance, indicating His will. Never start until these three things agree.”
If we are to keep doing the will of God, as this verse in 1 John suggests, it is of course imperative that we know how to determine the will of God. F.B. Meyer’s words of wisdom, based on years of experience, are a good starting point.
The average person lives his life, dies and vanishes from the world scene, soon to be forgotten. But the influence of all who do God’s will lives on forever. Therefore, every individual should frequently and carefully evaluate how he invests his time, talents and treasure to be sure he truly is living not for worldly values but for the cause of Jesus Christ.
“Only one life, ’twill soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last.”
Bible Reading: Romans 12:1-3
TODAY’S ACTION POINT: As clearly as I am able to discern God’s will for my life, I will follow Him and do His will instead of following the ways of the anti-God world system which is fading away.

 

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; P.G. – Wanted: Dead AND Alive

Leave a comment

ppt_seal01

The worn sepia-toned handbill nailed to fence posts and trees in Western movies sought the return of the pictured fugitive – dead or alive. In Romans 6, God has posted a new notice. He wants believers dead AND alive. On its face, this is a vexing problem! But as with many aspects of the Christian life, dying and living require choice.

For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.

Romans 6:10

People don’t talk much about sin these days. It’s much too uncomfortable. But its power within you has influenced your entire life. When you accepted the death of Christ as sin’s payment, that power was replaced with new life.

Does that mean you’ll never sin again? No. That capacity remains. But you are to live as dead to sin but alive to God. You can check how alive you are by taking your spiritual pulse. Are you immersed in His Word…reading, studying, applying? Are you praising and praying…improving your communication with God? Do you keep a record of His faithfulness?

As you focus on drawing closer to Him, intercede for the men and women of America’s government to find their own new life in Christ.

Recommended Reading: Romans 6:5-14

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Forgetfulness

Leave a comment

greglaurie

For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth. —2 Peter 1:12

A number of years ago, I received one of those dreaded notices in the mail. It was time for me to take my driving test again. I thought, I’ve been driving for many years. I don’t think I need to read the manual again. When I showed up at the DMV for my appointment, I was handed a written test. Some of the questions stumped me a bit, but I thought I did reasonably well. I realized that I could only miss three. I took my test back to the DMV employee and watched her as she pulled out a red pen and, with great relish, began to look over my test. She marked one . . . two, then three, four, five, six. . . .

“You have to take the test again,” she told me.

I took it again and passed the test — barely. It was a humiliating experience. Because I have driven every day for years, I thought I knew all of the basics. But obviously I didn’t. It reminded me that I don’t necessarily know as much as I think I do.

There are things in life that we forget. That is one of the reasons Peter wrote his second epistle. He said, “Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you, knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me” (2 Peter 1:13-14). If you focus on these things that you should never forget, God says you will never stumble or fall (verse 10), and He will give you an abundant entrance into His kingdom.

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Grace Happened

Leave a comment

Max Lucado

We are incarcerated by our past. We have been found guilty! Our executioner’s footsteps echo against the stone walls. We sit on the floor of the dusty cell, awaiting our final moment. We don’t look up as he opens the door.  We know what he’s going to say. “Time to pay for your sins.”  But we hear something else!  “You’re free to go.  They took Jesus instead of you!”

The door swings open, the guard barks, “Get out!”  And we find ourselves shackles gone, crimes pardoned, wondering, what just happened?  Grace just happened!  Christ took away your sins.

Romans 3 says that God, in his gracious kindness, declares us not guilty. For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us.

What happened?  Grace happened!

From GRACE

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – What can I do when my feelings go from discouraged to hopeless?

1 Comment

Charles Stanley

Habakkuk 3:17-19

If you feel hopeless, helpless, or powerless—unable to deal with people or problems and on the verge of exhaustion—take heart in the prophet Habakkuk’s stirring conclusion to his short book.

Knowing that a savage army of Babylonians would soon plunder his homeland, Habakkuk was discouraged. Surely, the coming destruction would be absolutely unbearable. Yet despite the disheartening scenario, Habakkuk penned an amazing response: “I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The Lord GOD is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, and makes me walk on my high places” (3:18, 19). Even if the crops all failed, the livestock died, and everything he had learned to depend on was ruined, Habakkuk would still trust the Lord (3:17).

Where did the prophet find such hope in the face of such terrible calamity? For one thing, he had been strengthened by God’s Word. His expression of faith closely echoes the words of David, uttered centuries before: “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies” (Ps. 18:2, 3).

Also, Habakkuk had spent a great deal of time alone with the Lord. In fact, the book that bears his name is a record of his extended conversation with God concerning His ways and plans. While Habakkuk did not understand (or particularly like) what he heard from God, he acknowledged the fact that His ways are best. He trusted the Lord for the future of Israel and for his own life. Regardless of the circumstances, the prophet knew that the Lord was at work and would bring good out of what seemed to be horrendous circumstances. That is God’s promise to us. He is always at work in our lives to bring good out of the darkest of situations (Rom. 8:28).

When the outlook looks grim, Christ is your strength. When the circumstances seem volatile, Christ is your stability. When the future appears foreboding, Christ remains your hope. The strength of Christ is both inexhaustible and immeasurable—and it is yours to receive.

God delights in upholding the weary and reviving the fainthearted (Is. 40:29–31). Your reservoir of emotional and physical energy may feel nearly drained, but God’s supply of spiritual stamina never runs out. Come to Him and His Word for the strength to carry on, and He will supply the power you need to traverse the rough terrain ahead. That’s His promise, and God always keeps His promises.

Adapted from “The Charles F. Stanley’s Life Principles Bible,” 2008.

 

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Heart Food

Leave a comment

Our Daily Bread

Jeremiah 15:15-21

Your words were found, and I ate them. —Jeremiah 15:16

I love food! I love to see it beautifully presented, and I love to savor the taste. If it were up to me, I would eat more often than I should—although it wouldn’t help my waistline! So, it’s a good thing my wife, Martie, knows when to lovingly remind me to eat healthful foods in the right amount.

Reading Jeremiah’s interesting thought—that when he found the words of God (even the words of God’s judgment) he “ate them” (Jer. 15:16)—makes me wonder if I ingest God’s Word as eagerly, as lovingly, and as often.

Clearly, Jeremiah did not actually eat God’s Word. It was his way of saying that he read and savored it in his innermost being. And that’s exactly where God’s Word is intended to go. The Word is heart food! When we ingest it, the Holy Spirit provides the power to help us grow to be more like Jesus. His Word transforms how we think about God, money, enemies, careers, and family. In other words, it’s really good for us.

So, “eat” God’s Word to your heart’s content! No doubt you will find yourself agreeing with the prophet Jeremiah when he said: “Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart” (15:16). —Joe Stowell

Lord, cultivate in me an appetite for Your Word. Thank

You that the Bible is food for my soul. Lead me to read

it, to savor it, to ingest it, and to know the strength

that Your words can give to my often-failing heart.

The more you feast on God’s Word, the healthier you will become.

Bible in a year: Deuteronomy 28-29; Mark 14:54-72

Insight

Righteous living will eventually meet with opposition and persecution. Indeed, “all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Tim. 3:12). In Jeremiah 15, we see how Jeremiah lamented the unjust treatment he experienced as a true prophet of God. Yet in his anguish he received the assurance that God would stand by him.

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Keep Me Back from Sin

Leave a comment

Alistair Begg

Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins.

Psalms 19:13

Such was the prayer of the “man after God’s own heart.” Did holy David need to pray like this? How needful, then, such a prayer must be for us babes in grace! It is as if he said, “Keep me back, or I shall rush headlong over the precipice of sin.” Our evil nature, like an ill-tempered horse, is apt to run away. May the grace of God put the bridle upon it and hold it in, that it rush not into mischief.

What would the best of us do if it were not for the checks that the Lord sets upon us both in providence and in grace! The psalmist’s prayer is directed against the worst form of sin–that which is done with deliberation and willfulness. Even the holiest need to be “kept back” from the vilest transgressions. It is a solemn thing to find the apostle Paul warning saints against the most loathsome sins: “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”1

What! Do saints really need to be warned against such sins as these? Yes, they do. The whitest robes, unless their purity be preserved by divine grace, will be defiled by the blackest spots.

Experienced Christian, do not boast in your experience; you will trip if you look away from Him who is able to keep you from falling. You whose love is fervent, whose faith is constant, whose hopes are bright, do not say, “We shall never sin,” but rather cry, “Lead us not into temptation.” There is enough kindling in the heart of the best of men to light a fire that shall burn to the lowest hell, unless God shall quench the sparks as they fall. Who would have dreamed that righteous Lot could be found drunk and committing immorality? Hazael said, “Is Your servant a dog, that he should do this thing?” and we are very apt to use the same self-righteous question. May infinite wisdom cure us of the madness of self-confidence.

1 Colossians 3:5

The family reading plan for March 16, 2014  Proverbs 3 | Galatians 2

 

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – Good works

Leave a comment

CharlesSpurgeon

“Zealous of good works” Titus 2:14

Suggested Further Reading: 1 Timothy 2:8-15

It would be a good thing, perhaps, if we went back to Wesley’s rule, to come out from the world in our apparel, and to dress as plainly and neatly as the Quakers, though alas! they have sadly gone from their primitive simplicity. I am obliged to depart a little sometimes, from what we call the high things of the gospel; for really the children of God cannot now be told by outward appearance from the children of the devil, and they really ought to be; there should be some distinction between the one and the other; and although religion allows distinction of rank and dress, yet everything in the Bible cries out against our arraying ourselves, and making ourselves proud, by reason of the goodliness of our apparel. Some will say, “I wish you would leave that alone!” Of course you do, because it applies to yourself. But we let nothing alone which we believe to be in the Scriptures; and while I would not spare any man’s soul, honesty to every man’s conscience, and honesty to myself, demands that I should always speak of that which I see to be an evil breaking out in the Church. We should always take care that in everything we keep as near as possible to the written Word. If you want ornaments here they are. Here are jewels, rings, dresses, and all kinds of ornament; men and women, you may dress yourselves up till you shine like angels. How can you do it? By dressing yourselves out in benevolence, in love to the saints, in honesty and integrity, in uprightness, in godliness, in brotherly-kindness, in charity. These are the ornaments which angels themselves admire, and which even the world will admire; for men must give admiration to the man or the woman who is arrayed in the jewels of a holy life and godly conversation. I beseech you, brethren, “adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.”

For meditation: Isaiah 3:16-23: God is concerned about our outward appearance and our attitude to it. He wants spirituality, not showing off (1 Peter 3:3-4).

Sermon no. 70

16 March (1856)

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Hallowing God’s Name

1 Comment

John MacArthur

“Hallowed be Thy name” (Matt. 6:9).

To most people the word hallowed elicits thoughts of Halloween, ivy-covered walls, or starchy religious traditions. But those are all far from its biblical meaning. “Hallowed” in Matthew 6:9 translates a Greek word that means “holy.” When Christ said, “Hallowed be Thy name,” He was saying in effect, “May Your name be regarded as holy.” When you hallow God’s name, you set it apart from everything common and give Him the place He deserves in your life.

Throughout Scripture, holiness is attributed to persons or things that are consecrated to God’s service. The Sabbath day, for example, was to be kept holy–set apart from the other days (Ex. 20:8). The Israelite priests were to be considered holy because they rendered special service to the Lord (Lev. 21:8). As believers in Christ we are to be holy because we belong to God (1 Pet. 1:15).

Holiness also speaks of moral excellence and purity. God is called the “Holy One” (1 Pet. 1:15) not only because He is set apart from His creation, but also because He is pure and sinless in His character. That’s why Isaiah pronounced a curse on himself when he saw the Lord and heard the angels crying out, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory” (Isa. 6:3- 5). He was overcome with a sense of his own human sinfulness in the presence of a holy God.

Such a God deserves your highest respect and reverence. He is your gracious and loving Father, but He is also the sovereign, majestic God of the universe. Consequently, you must guard against thinking of Him as a buddy or addressing Him flippantly.

Additionally, He deserves your humble obedience. You hallow His name only when your life is marked by righteousness and moral excellence.

May that be true of you today, and may you seek to honor Him in all that you do!

Suggestions for Prayer:

Always approach God with a sense of respect and reverence.

Think of specific ways that you can hallow His name today. Ask Him for the grace to do so. For Further Study:

Read each of these verses, noting the specific ways you can glorify God:

Joshua 7:19, Psalm 50:23, John 15:8, Romans 15:5-6, 1 Corinthians 6:20, Philippians 2:9-11, and 2 Thessalonians 3:1.