Daily Archives: May 10, 2014

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – How to Love Your Mother

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Charles Stanley

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

As children, we showed Mom love with hugs, drawings, and cuddles. But now that we’re adults, some of us are uncertain how to demonstrate love to her. At times this is because the relationship is challenging: Meeting her needs as she ages can be emotionally draining and time-consuming. Or perhaps resentment over experiences of conflict, mistreatment, or rejection in childhood have created a barrier.

Yet despite past histories and present challenges, we cannot ignore the Bible’s command to honor our parents (Eph. 6:2). Let me suggest four ways to respect and love your mother regardless of what has happened in your relationship.

1. Love her patiently. There are no perfect mothers. We all make mistakes and carry emotional baggage that shapes our actions and responses. Just consider how patiently God deals with you, and do the same with your mom.

2. Treat her kindly. Rudeness only reveals our own imperfections and does nothing to benefit Mom or improve your relationship with her.

3. Act unselfishly. We are called to follow Christ’s example of selfless service instead of seeking convenience or our own comfort.

4. Remember that love requires forgiveness. Holding a grudge not only poisons us; it also prevents a good relationship from developing.

Now, all this sounds impossible, and it is—apart from Christ living His life through you. He knows exactly how to love your mom. And He will guide and empower you to respond as He would, if you will yield control of your life to Him.

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Way Out

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Our Daily Bread

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape. —1 Corinthians 10:13

While in London recently, I decided to take the underground train to my destination. So I paid my fare and descended into the depths of London to catch my train. But getting out of the station can be a scary experience for someone who is unfamiliar with the system. If you don’t find the exit, you can quickly get lost in the tunnels.

Being alone in a sparsely populated underground tunnel is an unsettling feeling, so believe me, you don’t want to get lost. Needless to say, I was glad when I spotted the sign that says, “WAY OUT” and followed it to safety.

Paul reminds us that when we are vulnerable to falling into sin, “God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out” (1 Cor. 10:13 NIV). It’s easy to assume that God is not with us when we are tempted to sin. But this verse assures us that He is present and not just standing idly by. Rather, He is actively providing a way out so we can endure it.

So, the next time you feel tempted, remember that you are not helpless. There is a divinely provided “way out”! Look for the sign, and follow it to safety. —Joe Stowell

Lord, keep us mindful that Your presence with us

in times of temptation means that we need not fall.

Give us the desire to seek Your way out so we can

know the joy of living a life that is pleasing to You.

God is actively working to keep you from the danger of getting lost in sin.

Bible in a year: 2 Kings 10-12; John 1:29-51

Insight

Paul delved into Israel’s history (Ex. 12:21-23; 14:21-29; 16:4–17:16) to warn the Corinthians not to be led astray (1 Cor. 10:14-22). Despite the Israelites’ experience of God’s grace (vv.1-5), they nevertheless disobeyed and were led into idolatry and rebellion (vv.6-10).

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg  – The Only Son

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Alistair Begg

. . . The only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

Believer, you can bear your testimony that Christ is the only Son from the Father, as well as the firstborn from the dead. You can say, “He is divine to me, even if He is regarded as simply human by the world. He has done for me what only God could do. He has subdued my stubborn will, melted a rebellious heart, opened gates of brass, and snapped bars of iron. He has turned my mourning into laughter and my desolation into joy; He has left my captivity captive and made my heart rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. Let others think of Him as they will—to me He must be the only Son from the Father: Blessed be His name.

And He is full of grace. If He had not been, I would never have been saved. He drew me when I struggled to escape from His grace; and when at last I came trembling like a condemned culprit to His mercy-seat He said, ‘Take heart, My son; your sins are forgiven.’ And He is full of truth. His promises have been true; not one has failed. I testify that no servant ever had such a master as He; no brother ever had such a relative as He has been to me; no spouse ever had such a husband as Christ has been to my soul; no sinner ever had a better Savior, no mourner a better comforter than Christ has been to my spirit.

He is all I need! In life He is my life, and in death He will be the death of death; in poverty Christ is my riches; in sickness He is my great physician; in darkness He is my star, and in brightness He is my sun; He is the manna of the camp in the wilderness, and it is He who makes the feast in the promised land. Jesus is to me all grace and no wrath, all truth and no falsehood: And of truth and grace He is full, infinitely full.

My soul, tonight bless with all your might ‘the only Son.'”

Devotional material is taken from “Morning and Evening,” written by C.H. Spurgeon, revised and updated by Alistair Begg.

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The family reading plan for May 10, 2014 * Isaiah 8 , 9:1-7 * James 2

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Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – Salvation of the Lord

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“Salvation is of the Lord.” Jonah 2:9

Suggested Further Reading: Ephesians 2:1-10

“Salvation is of the Lord,” in the application of it.“No,” says the Arminian, “it is not; salvation is of the Lord, inasmuch as he does all for man that he can do; but there is something that man must do, which if he does not do, he must perish.” That is the Arminian way of salvation. I thought of this very theory of salvation when I stood by the side of that window of Carisbrooke Castle, out of which King Charles, of unhappy and unrighteous memory, attempted to escape. I read in the guide book that everything was provided for his escape; his followers had means at the bottom of the wall to enable him to fly across the country, and on the coast they had their boats lying ready to take him to another land; in fact, everything was ready for his escape. But here was the important circumstance; his friends had done all they could; he was to do the rest; but that doing the rest was just the point and brunt of the battle.It was to get out of the window, out of which he was not able to escape by any means, so that all his friends did for him went for nothing, so far as he was concerned. So with the sinner. If God had provided every means of escape, and only required him to get out of his dungeon, he would have remained there to all eternity. Why, is not the sinner by nature dead in sin? And if God requires him to make himself alive, and then afterwards he will do the rest for him, then verily, my friends, we are not so much obliged to God as we had thought; for if he requires so much as that of us, and we can do it, we can do the rest without his assistance.

For meditation: The converted are alive and can open the door to the Saviour (Revelation 3:20); but he had to open it himself the first time when they were still unbelieving and dead (Acts 16:14).

Sermon no. 131

10 May (1857)

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Building a Leader: The Right Results

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John MacArthurThe twelve apostles included “Simon, who is called Peter” (Matt. 10:2).

God makes leaders by taking people with the right raw material, putting them through the right experiences, and teaching them the right lessons. That’s how he trained Peter, and the results were astonishing. In the first twelve chapters of Acts we see Peter initiating the move to replace Judas with Matthias, preaching powerfully on the Day of Pentecost, healing a lame man, standing up to the Jewish authorities, confronting Ananias and Sapphira, dealing with Simon the magician, healing Aeneas, raising Dorcas from the dead, and taking the gospel to the Gentiles. In addition, he wrote two epistles that pass on to us all the lessons he learned from Jesus. What a leader!

Peter was as much a model of spiritual leadership in death as he was in life. Jesus told him he would be crucified for God’s glory, and early church tradition tells us that Peter was in fact crucified. But before putting him to death, his executioners forced him to watch the crucifixion of his wife. As he stood at the foot of her cross, he encouraged her by saying over and over, “Remember the Lord, remember the Lord.” When it was time for his own crucifixion, he requested that he be crucified upside down because he felt unworthy to die as his Lord had died. His request was granted.

Just as God transformed Peter from a brash and impulsive fisherman into a powerful instrument for His glory, so He can transform everyone who is yielded to Him.

You will never be an apostle, but you can have the same depth of character and know the same joy of serving Christ that Peter knew. There’s no higher calling in the world than to be an instrument of God’s grace. Peter was faithful to that calling–you be faithful too!

Suggestions for Prayer:

•             Praise God for the assurance that He will perfect the work He has begun in you (Phil. 1:6).

•             Ask Him to use the experiences you have today as instruments that shape you more into the image of Christ.

For Further Study: Read John 21:18-23.

•             How did Jesus describe Peter’s death?

•             What was Peter’s reaction to Christ’s announcement?

•             What misunderstanding was generated by their conversation?

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Don’t Exceed Reasonable Limits

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Joyce meyer

Do you not know that your body is the temple . . . of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you . . . You are not your own, you were bought with a price . . . So then, honor God and bring glory to Him in your body.—1 Corinthians 6:19-20

In today’s world, stress is a normal part of everyday life. God created you to withstand normal amounts of pressure and tension, and if you keep stress within reasonable limits, there is no problem. But if you don’t, the trouble begins. Many stressful situations are unavoidable, but too often you cause yourself extra stress by working too hard and too long, not eating and sleeping properly, and getting so involved in activities—even good works—that you exceed wise limits. If you keep adding to that mental and emotional stress, you get into trouble.

If you are pushing yourself beyond reasonable limits, it’s time to remember that the Holy Spirit lives in you. You owe it to Him and to yourself to let Him help you recognize and stay within your limits. Don’t burn out. Burn on!

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – We Shall Never Lack

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“Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those of us who reverence the Lord will never lack any good thing” (Psalm 34:10)

“When you have nothing left but God,” a Christian leader once observed, “then for the first time you become aware that God is enough.”

With every command of God is a specific or implied promise to enable us to do what He commands us to do. He always makes it possible for us to fulfill the conditions to obey His commands.

Rarely, will some of us see a check for a million – or even thousands – of dollars. But here is a check for millions of millions, waiting to be cashed by those of us who know and love the Lord, who love Him enough to obey His commands.

Here is a promise of God which is great enough to meet our needs, our wants, even our deepest desires and distresses.

As you and I go through our day, how reassuring it is to know that our reverence for the Lord will be rewarded by provision of every good thing we need. That means the strength, the peace, the courage, the love I need to get me through the decisions, the trials, the testings.

That also means a new consciousness of God’s indwelling Holy Spirit, the one through whom I find the supernatural, abundant life. That means a tender conscience toward God, so that I make a supreme effort to avoid yielding to temptation in any way, lest I grieve my wonderful Lord.

Bible Reading: Psalm 34:1-9

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I shall not be afraid to go to the bank of heaven today and cash a check for all my needs, enabling me to share the supernatural life with all whom my life touches.

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; J.K. – One and Only

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ppt_seal01Once a year: that was the only time the high priest could enter the room designated as the Holy of Holies. He had to pass behind a thick, high curtain which separated the room from the outer section of the temple. In that place he pleaded for forgiveness of sins for the people of Israel. Then Jesus came; He died – once for all to pay the price for sin.

We have this…a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain.

Hebrews 6:19

As He hung the final three hours on the cross, “there was darkness over the whole land…and the curtain of the temple was torn in two.” The Savior, still in control even at death, declared that His work was finished, and His human spirit went directly into the Father’s presence (Luke 23:44-46). Jesus, the Hope of mankind, the God-man…now sits on His throne in Heaven as your intercessor. The curtain is open; you can talk to Him directly!

It should give you a security unlike any other. Your redemption has been accomplished by the Holy One. Nothing further is needed except your belief. In this time of great doubt and insecurity, pray that the people of this nation would trust in their one and only hope, the Savior Jesus Christ.

Recommended Reading: Hebrews 9:11-15, 22-28

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – At an Advantage  

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greglaurie

He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross. —Colossians 2:14–15

When I was a kid, I was walking down the street one day with some little cap guns that looked like six shooters, complete with holsters. I was feeling pretty good as I made my way down the street, firing these things off. But then I encountered some kids on the corner who grabbed my guns, pushed me, and told me to go away.

I went home, crying. Then I found my brother, who was five years older than me, and I said, “Let’s go back there. I want to get those guns.” We went back to the same street, where I found the kids with my cap guns. Suddenly I had courage like never before. With my brother behind me, I successfully retrieved my cap guns.

Instead of facing the enemy in our own strength, instead of going out and trying to do this or that for God, we need to stay as close to Christ as possible. We can stand in Christ, and in His protection, because He dealt a decisive blow against Satan and his minions at the cross of Calvary.

So in spiritual battles, when temptation comes, we as Christians aren’t fighting for victory; we are fighting from it. In other words, we are resting in the work that Christ has done for us. Therefore, we should never want to stray from Him because if we are caught alone, we would be weak and vulnerable.

But thankfully, He is with us. The question is, are we with Him?

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013