Daily Archives: May 17, 2014

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Shield of Faith

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Charles Stanley

Ephesians 6:14-17

The apostle Paul wrote about spiritual warfare so we might know our enemy and how to fight him. He compared the armor and weapons God has given us to the outfitting of a soldier: a helmet to protect our minds, a breastplate to cover our hearts, special shoes to help us stand firm, a belt of God’s truth to encircle us, the mighty sword of the Spirit, and the protective shield of faith.

Roman soldiers carried large rectangular shields, which covered the entire body. When facing an attack of flaming arrows, the warriors would stand shoulder to shoulder, with neighboring shields touching. Then, as the enemy’s arrows flew toward them, they would kneel in unison with their shields held above them, still in contact with the ones on either side. Nothing could pierce that defense.

This is a picture of how we are to fight when Satan sends flaming darts our way. They enter our life in the form of temptations, doubts, or anxieties—the devil’s combatants shoot these silently and swiftly towards us in the hopes of finding a vulnerable spot. When we maintain our shield of faith in an upright position, the attack fails. However, if we should lower it or fail to stand together as the body of Christ, the missiles penetrate.

Our heavenly Father has provided all we need for life on a battlefield. He has secured the victory through Jesus Christ, canceled sin’s power over us, and given us armor to wear. Our part is to walk by faith, believing God moment by moment. Remember that your faith is your shield. Keep it in good order.

 

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Surfacing

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Our Daily Bread

Colossians 1:15-23

By Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible. —Colossians 1:16

Human beings straddle visible and invisible realities—the natural and the supernatural. I thought about these two worlds when I went out in a boat to watch whales off the coast of New Zealand. A whale would rest on the surface for a while, then breathe deeply a few times, his exhalations creating a spectacular spout, before plunging a mile deep to feed on squid.

Despite having its own lively habitat of marine plants and sea creatures, the whale must surface for oxygen from time to time or it dies. Though it knows little about the world above, it needs vital contact with it to survive.

I sometimes feel like that whale, coming up for spiritual air at regular intervals to stay alive. But there is no neat division between the natural and the supernatural. The world we live in is not an either/or world. What I do as a Christian—praying, worshiping, demonstrating God’s love to the sick, needy, and imprisoned—is both supernatural and natural.

The same God who created the world that’s visible to us actively sustains it and has made a way for us to approach Him, the invisible. Paul wrote, “You, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death” (Col. 1:21-22).

All our actions take place in the visible world, which we can touch, smell, and see. Yet the Creator and Sustainer of all things has provided a way for us to breathe the spiritual air we need and crave. —Philip Yancey

God’s throne is always accessible to His children.

Bible in a year: 1 Chronicles 1-3; John 5:25-47

Insight

Some skeptics have cited Colossians 1:15 to argue for Jesus being a created being: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.” But in the Jewish mind “firstborn” did not primarily refer to birth order. Instead, it meant the preeminence of the firstborn male over the family property. Clearly, Paul is emphasizing the preeminence of Christ.

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – God’s Chosen Servants

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Alistair Begg

You are my servant, I have chosen you. Isaiah 41:9

If we have received the grace of God in our hearts, its practical effect has been to make us God’s servants. We may be unfaithful servants, we certainly are unprofitable ones, but yet, blessed be His name, we are His servants, wearing His uniform, eating at His table, and obeying His commands. We were once the servants of sin, but He who made us free has now taken us into His family and taught us obedience to His will. We do not serve our Master perfectly, but we would if we could. As we hear God’s voice saying unto us, “You are My servant,” we can answer with David, “I am your servant. . . . You have loosed my bonds.”1

But the Lord calls us not only His servants, but His chosen ones—”I have chosen you.” We have not chosen Him first, but He has chosen us. If we are now God’s servants, it wasn’t always so; the change must be ascribed to sovereign grace. The eye of sovereignty singled us out, and the voice of unchanging grace declared, “I have loved you with an everlasting love.”2 Long before time began or space was created, God had written upon His heart the names of His elect people, had predestinated them to be conformed unto the image of His Son, and ordained them heirs of all the fullness of His love, His grace, and His glory.

What comfort is here! Having loved us for so long, will the Lord then reject us? He knew how stiff-necked we would be, He understood that our hearts were evil, and yet He made the choice. Our Savior is no fickle lover. He does not feel enchanted for a while with some gleams of beauty from His church’s eye and then afterwards reject her because of her unfaithfulness. No, He married her in old eternity; and He hates divorce! The eternal choice is a bond upon our gratitude and upon His faithfulness, which neither can disown.

1Psalm 116:16 2Jeremiah 31:3

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 17, 2014 * Isaiah 16 * 1 Peter 4

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Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – Christ—the power and wisdom of God

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“Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:24

Suggested Further Reading: Acts 10:34-43

Christ is the power of God, for he is the Creator of all things, and by Him all things exist. But when he came to earth, took upon himself the fashion of a man, tabernacled in the inn, and slept in the manger, he still gave proof that he was the Son of God; not so much so when, as an infant of a span long, the immortal was the mortal, and the infinite became a babe; not so much so in his youth, but afterwards when he began his public ministry, he gave abundant proofs of his power and godhead. The winds hushed by his finger uplifted, the waves calmed by his voice, so that they became solid as marble beneath his tread; the tempest, cowering at his feet, as before a conqueror whom it knew and obeyed; these things, these stormy elements, the wind, the tempest, and the water, gave full proof of his abundant power. The lame man leaping, the deaf man hearing, the dumb man singing, the dead rising, these, again, were proofs that he was the “power of God.” When the voice of Jesus startled the shades of Hades, and rent the bonds of death, with “Lazarus come forth!” and when the carcase rotten in the tomb woke up to life, there was proof of his divine power and godhead. A thousand other proofs he afforded; but we need not stay to mention them to you who have Bibles in your houses, and who can read them every day. At last he yielded up his life, and was buried in the tomb. Not long, however, did he sleep; for he gave another proof of his divine power and godhead, when starting from his slumber, he affrighted the guards with the majesty of his grandeur, not being held by the bonds of death, they being like green twigs before our conquering Samson, who had meanwhile pulled up the gates of hell, and carried them on his shoulders far away.

For meditation: This very same power of God is mighty to save believers through the gospel (Romans 1:16), is at work within them (Ephesians 1:19) and can enable them to fight the good fight of the faith against all evil powers (Ephesians 6:10-13).

Sermon no. 132

17 May (1857)

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Overcoming Pessimism

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John MacArthur

The twelve apostles included “Philip” (Matt. 10:3).

It’s been said that an optimist sees a glass half full; a pessimist sees it half empty. An optimist sees opportunities; a pessimist sees obstacles. In one sense Philip was an optimist. He recognized Jesus as the Messiah and immediately saw an opportunity to share his discovery with Nathanael. In another sense, Philip was a pessimist because on occasions he failed to see what Christ could accomplish despite the apparent obstacles.

On one such occasion Jesus had just finished teaching and healing a crowd of thousands of people. Night was falling and the people were beginning to get hungry. Apparently Philip was responsible for the food, so Jesus asked him, “Where are we to buy bread, that these may eat?” (John 6:5). Philip said, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, for everyone to receive a little” (v. 7). In other words, “We don’t have enough resources in our whole savings account to buy enough food for a group this size!” Philip’s calculating, pragmatic, pessimistic mind could reach only one conclusion: this is an utter impossibility.

Jesus knew all along how He was going to solve the problem, but He wanted to test Philip’s faith (v. 6). Philip should have passed the test because he had already seen Jesus create wine from water at the wedding at Cana (John 2:1-11). Despite Philip’s failure, Jesus didn’t give up on him. Instead, from five barley loaves and two fish He created enough food to feed the entire crowd, thus replacing Philip’s pessimism with a reaffirmation of divine sufficiency.

There’s a little of Philip in each of us. We’ve experienced God’s saving power and have seen Him answer prayer, yet there are times when we let pessimism rob us of the joy of seeing Him work through obstacles in our lives. Don’t let that happen to you. Keep your eyes on Christ and trust in His sufficiency. He will never fail you!

Suggestions for Prayer: Memorize Ephesians 3:20-21. Recite it often as a hymn of praise and an affirmation of your faith in God.

For Further Study: Read Numbers 13 and 14.

•             What kind of report did the pessimistic spies bring back from the Promised Land?

•             How did the people react to their report?

•             How did God react to their report?

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Embrace Change with Faith

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I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. —Matthew 18:3 NIV 1984 (Emphasis mine)

If you are stressed out all the time, something will have to change in order for the stress to be relieved. It will not just go away as long as you keep doing the same thing. We cannot expect to keep doing the same thing over and over and get a different result. If you want different results, you have to change what you are doing.

Take some bold steps of faith and change anything the Lord leads you to change. If what you are doing with your time is not bearing good fruit, then make a change. If you are not getting enough rest, make a change. If you are not disciplining your children and their behavior is causing you a lot of stress, then make a change. If you are not taking care of yourself, then make a change. If you are bored, make a change. If your friends are taking advantage of you, then make a change! Are you getting the point? Stress can be relieved if you’re not afraid to make changes.

You may be afraid of change, but it is also possible that even if you find the courage to make the necessary changes, other people in your life won’t like the changes you make. Don’t be afraid of them, either.

You will get used to the changes, and so will they. If you don’t take action now, you will still be complaining about the same things a year from now, and a year after that, and ten years after that, and there will be no end to your misery. The time is now! Boldness takes action, but fear breeds inactivity and procrastination. The choice is yours!

Trust in Him Don’t waste time resisting change. God uses it to shape us, mold us, and make us new. Change keeps life fresh and adventurous—embrace change with faith and trust that God will pull you through.

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Freedom From Fear

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“He does not fear bad news, nor live in dread of what may happen. For he is settled in his mind that Jehovah will take care of him” (Psalm 112:7).

Sarah was a hypochondriac, a bundle of nerves, plagued by all kinds of fears – fears that she would become ill, fears that she would have an accident, fears that something would happen to her husband or children or that they would experience financial reverses. Her every conversation was negative. And of course, her attitude alienated her from others, and the more isolated she found herself, the more fearful she became.

Completely absorbed with her own problems, she was seriously thinking of committing suicide when a Christian couple moved in next door to her. They began to demonstrate the love of God and share the good news of His forgiveness in Jesus Christ. Few people had taken an interest in Sarah, but this godly, Christian couple, especially Mary, the wife, embraced her with understanding compassion and a loving heart.

Together they began to study the Bible and after a brief time, Sarah received Christ and began to grow as a Christian. She began to memorize Scripture and took great delight in hiding large quantities of the Word in her heart. Now her mind and her conversation were saturated with the things of God – His attributes, His holiness, His love – and His promises became a joyful reality to her.

A year had passed when one day she remarked to me with great enthusiasm, “I have been liberated. Christ has set me free. I seldom think of my own problems anymore, but find my mind absorbed with God and His truth, and how I might reach out in love and compassion to others as Mary reached out to me in my deepest need.”

Sarah was no longer afraid. The fears that had plagued here were gone, because it was settled in her mind that Jehovah would take care of her and her family. No matter what happened, she knew that she could trust a loving, gracious, holy, righteous God, who had become her very real heavenly Father. Jesus Christ had become more real to her than her own flesh and blood.

Bible Reading: Psalm 112:1-6

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will seek to know more and more about my Lord by hiding His Word in my heart and meditating upon His many attributes. For I am convinced that He will watch over me, protect and care for me so that nothing can happen to me that He does not allow for my good.

Presidential Prayer Team

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

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ppt_seal01The brevity and vanity of life was a theme throughout the Psalms, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. King David, though impatient and distressed by life or his own actions, always came back to the same thing…his hope was in God.

And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.

Psalm 39:7

Can you say the same thing? Sometimes the burdens of providing for family, raising children or struggling with illness can cause you great worry or despair. But think of it. These Old Testament characters based their faith on the God who had not yet fully revealed Himself through the gospel of the Lord Jesus. David didn’t know the reality of that, yet his only hope was in the Lord and in His Word…the foundation that is real and lasting. How he lived became much more important than how long he lived.

Recognize your hope of life in light of Christ’s life, death and resurrection. Live with eternity’s values in view. However it is possible for you, spread the word to your neighbors and to the leaders of this nation. Life has meaning when your hope is in the Lord. As missionary C.T. Studd wrote: “Only one life, ‘twill soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last.”

Recommended Reading: Psalm 116:1-9

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – The Discipline of Giving    

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On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come. —1 Corinthians 16:2

Years ago, when I was in military school, we were given five cents each week to spend at the canteen (that is where they had the candy). I tried to stretch that five cents as far as I could, but I really wanted to buy more. We also were given a dime to put in the offering every Sunday at chapel. But one Sunday when the offering came, I started thinking about how much candy a dime would buy. So I kept the dime. Then I bought a bunch of candy. I also got a stomachache, and I felt guilty all week long. Even as a small child, I understood that dime belonged to the Lord and that I had taken something that was God’s.

Giving is a personal act, and every one of us should set aside an amount of money to give. Even children ought to be taught this. It might be a few pennies, a nickel, or even a dime. But they should be taught that they should give to the Lord.

Some people might say, “I think that is legalistic. I like to just give as it comes to me. I like to give in the moment.”

Yet Paul instructed the believers to set something aside ahead of time (see 1 Corinthians

16:2). In reality, is it actually legalistic to say, “I am going to take a portion of my income and set it aside to be invested in the work of the kingdom of God”? That is not legalism, friend. That is good planning and obedience. And it is a good way to live.

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