Daily Archives: October 20, 2014

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Living Triumphantly

Leave a comment

Charles Stanley

Read | Matthew 4:18-20

The man who stepped forward to preach at Pentecost was flawed and known to be impetuous. Peter had not only disagreed with Jesus but had even denied knowing Him. Yet he’d developed into a man whose impact for the kingdom surpassed his impulsiveness.

When studying Peter’s life, believers often focus on his negative actions—the doubt that nearly drowned him when he walked on water, and his aforementioned rebuke and denial of Jesus. But Peter is also an example of triumphant living. An uneducated fisherman who likely had few other skills, Peter put down his nets and followed Jesus the instant he was asked. He was the first to acknowledge Christ as the Son of God (Matt. 16:16). And after the Lord’s resurrection, Peter’s spontaneous nature led him to leap into the water and swim for shore when he noticed his Savior waiting there (John 21:7). The disciple’s devotion cannot be questioned.

Peter is an inspiration for us today. God does not choose servants who are solid rocks with no cracks or crevices. Instead, He selects people who have weaknesses, failures, and a need to be forgiven repeatedly. The Lord looks for believers who are teachable, willing to repent, and prepared to surrender to God’s greater will—folks who are a lot like Peter.

Too many Christians have already decided how much the Lord can do with them, based on education, personality, or talent. But God isn’t interested in qualifications. He seeks willing followers who echo Isaiah’s call, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isa. 6:8). That’s triumphant living.

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — A War Of Words

Leave a comment

Our Daily Bread

Proverbs 15:1-23

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. —Proverbs 15:1

On July 28, 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia in response to the assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie. Within 90 days, other European countries had taken sides to honor their military alliances and pursue their own ambitions. A single event escalated into World War I, one of the most destructive military conflicts of modern time.

The tragedy of war is staggering, yet our relationships and families can begin to fracture with only a few hateful words. James wrote, “See how great a forest a little fire kindles!” (James 3:5). A key to avoiding verbal conflict is found in Proverbs: “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (15:1).

A small comment can start a large fight. When we, by God’s grace, choose not to retaliate with our words, we honor Jesus our Savior. When He was abused and insulted, He fulfilled the prophetic words of Isaiah, “He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth” (Isa. 53:7).

Proverbs urges us to speak the truth and seek peace through our words. “A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, . . . and a word spoken in due season, how good it is!” (15:4,23). —David McCasland

A careless word may kindle strife,

A cruel word may wreck a life;

A timely word may lessen stress,

A loving word may heal and bless. —Anon.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

Bible in a year: Isaiah 59-61; 2 Thessalonians 3

Insight

A major theme in Proverbs concerns the use of our tongues (10:19-21; 12:18, 13:3; 17:27-28; 18:6-8; 25:11; 26:18-22). Proverbs 15 warns of the consequences of using wrong words and the benefits of using right words. A wise person is carefully restrained and judicious when speaking (vv.2,7,28).

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Telling Stories

Leave a comment

Ravi Z

At once an analogy I appreciate and find troubling, it has been said that life is like entering a very long movie that has already started and then learning that you have to leave it before it ends. As a Christian, it is the story I profess: “My days are like the evening shadow; I wither away like grass. But you, O LORD, sit enthroned forever; your renown endures through all generations.”(1) Even so, entering a movie already started and leaving before it ends also means that I could entirely miss the point.

Every time I read St. Augustine’s Confessions I seem to come eerily face to face with myself, and with it, the thought that someone has already told my story—or at least very real parts of it. It is a shock of recognition that suggests an ugly narcissism and makes real the danger of missing the point. In a world where setting oneself apart seems the highest virtue and being “liked” can literally be measured on social medial, seeing yourself in an unoriginal light will either cast a tormenting shadow or offer a freeing vista. In Augustine, as in countless others who have wrestled with God long before me, I’m reminded that I am a small character in a much greater story. I have entered a movie that has already started, and surprisingly, it’s not all about me.

What if there is a vast stage full of lives who have wrestled with questions or struggled with thorns quite similar to your own? Would it be a comforting suggestion that people long before you and long after you may well live with the same sorrow or struggle or doubt? Many have lived aware, often more than we are, of life as it existed before them and time that would march beyond them. Many have lived thinking it a gift to “tell the old, old story” as their own. For they saw with the writer of Ecclesiastes that it is important to realize there is “nothing new under the sun,” lest we miss the sun entirely by focusing only on the shadows we watch it cast. They saw the momentaryness of our lives not as undermining but as dignifying, specifically because there is a permanence to life itself, a story with an end and a beginning.

Jesus once turned to his disciples and said, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”(2) The disciples were seeing in the present all that kings and prophets looked for at a distance. Yet even those who walked intimately with Christ were not always aware of all there was to see. Chances are good we are missing him too even as there is a uniqueness to this moment.

If life is like entering a movie that has already started and leaving before it ends, it is important to look both behind us and ahead of us in order to see what is right in front of us. There is only one place in Scripture where God is referred to as the “Ancient of Days” but it significantly comes from one who justifiably could have been overwhelmed by the present. “As I looked,” says Daniel describing a dream, “thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze” (7:9). This one addressing God as sovereign over days long before his own is someone who could have been consumed with the picture of life before him. Jerusalem was in ruins; God’s people were scattered. Daniel could have easily viewed his situation as being stuck somewhere in the middle of a movie he wasn’t happy with, yet he chose to see the difficult scene in which he was living as a part of something bigger. He saw the “Ancient of Days” in the midst of the days he was given.

Having a sense of entering a story that has already started and leaving before it ends is a very different vision than the story that begins and ends with me. The freeing vision that comes from standing beside the vicariously human Christ is one that can look back at lives of faith and God in history, forward at all that God has promised, and presently at all God has placed before us. There is a story and a storyteller, far more creative, far more redemptive, than even our best material.

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

(1) Psalm 102:11-12.

(2) Luke 10:22-23.

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Do Not Withhold

Leave a comment

Alistair Begg

Do not withhold.  Isaiah 43:6

Although this message was sent to the south and referred to the offspring of Israel, it may profitably be a summons to ourselves. We are naturally backward to all good things, and it is a lesson of grace to learn to go forward in the ways of God. Reader, are you unconverted, but do you desire to trust in the Lord Jesus? Then do not withhold. Love invites you; the promises assure you of success; the precious blood prepares the way. Do not let sin or fear hinder you, but come to Jesus just as you are. Do you long to pray? Would you like to pour out your heart before the Lord? Do not withhold. The mercy-seat is prepared for all who need mercy; a sinner’s cries will prevail with God. You are invited—in fact, you are commanded—to pray; come therefore with boldness to the throne of grace.

Dear friend, are you already saved? Then do not withhold from union with the Lord’s people. Do not neglect the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. You may be of a timid disposition, but you must fight against it, for fear that it will lead you into disobedience. There is a sweet promise made to those who confess Christ—do not miss it, in case you should come under the condemnation of those who deny Him. If you have talents, do not withhold from using them. Do not hoard your wealth; do not waste your time; do not let your abilities rust or your influence be unfelt. Jesus did not withhold; imitate Him by being head of the line in self-denials and self-sacrifices.

Do not withhold from close communion with God, from boldly appropriating covenant blessings, from advancing in the divine life, from searching out the precious mysteries of the love of Christ. Do not, beloved friend, be guilty of keeping others back by your coldness, harshness, or suspicions. For Jesus’ sake go forward yourself, and encourage others to do the same. Hell and the united bands of superstition and infidelity are ready for the fight. Soldiers of the cross, do not withhold!

________________________________________

The family reading plan for October 20, 2014 * Daniel 5 * Psalm 110, 111

________________________________________

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

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – Christ’s estimate of his people

Leave a comment

CharlesSpurgeon

“How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all spices! Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb; honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon.” Solomon’s Song 4:10,11

Suggested Further Reading: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

When he comes and begins to praise you, and tells you, “That your lips drop as the honeycomb, that all your actions smell of myrrh, and that your love is better than wine, and that the thoughts under your tongue are better to him than wine and milk,” what will you say? “Oh, Lord, I cannot say thou art mistaken, for thou art infallible; but if I dared so think thou art mistaken, I should say, “Thou art mistaken in me;” but Lord I cannot think thou art mistaken, it must be true. Still, Lord, I do not deserve it; I am conscious I do not and I never can deserve it; still if thou wilt help me, I will strive to be worthy of thy praise in some feeble measure. I will seek to live up to those high praises which thou hast passed upon me. If thou sayest, “My love is better than wine;” Lord, I will seek to love thee better, that the wine may be richer and stronger. If thou sayest, “My graces are like the smell of ointment,” Lord, I will try to increase them, so as to have many great pots filled with them; and if my words drop as the honeycomb, Lord, there shall be more of them, and I will try to make them better, so that thou mayest think more of such honey; and if thou declarest that the thoughts under my tongue are to thee like honey and milk, then, Lord, I will seek to have more of those divine thoughts; and if my daily actions are to thee as the smell of Lebanon, Lord, I will seek to be more holy, to live nearer to thee; I will ask for grace, that my actions may be really what thou sayest they are.”

For meditation: Do you serve God because you feel you ought to, out of a sense of duty? Or because you want to, out of a sense of his love and acceptance of you in Christ? God’s grace should motivate us to obey him even more than God’s law does (Romans 6:15).

Sermon no. 282

20 October (Preached 23 January 1859)

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Living a Joyous Life

Leave a comment

John MacArthur

“The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart” (Ps. 19:8).

Knowing your life is on the right track is a source of great joy.

What brings you joy? Your answer will reveal much about your priorities and the direction your life is heading spiritually.

The psalmist wrote, “How blessed [happy] is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers” (Ps. 1:1-3).

That psalmist knew that true joy and happiness come from knowing God and abiding in His Word. That was David’s confidence when he wrote, “The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart” (Ps. 19:8).

“Precepts” in that verse speaks of divine principles and guidelines for character and conduct. God created you and knows how you must live to give glory to Him. And He revealed in His Word every precept you must know to do so.

Every divine precept is “right.” It shows you the path that is right and true. What a wonderful confidence that is! While many around you may be discouraged or despondent because of their lack of direction and purpose, God’s Word is a lamp to your feet and a light to your path (Ps. 119:105). It guides you through the difficult mazes of life and gives your life eternal significance. Don’t live simply for your own pleasures. Your life has a high and holy purpose, and each day can be filled with joy as you see that purpose unfold.

Suggestions for Prayer

  • Ask God to help you be mindful of your eternal purpose today and every day.
  • Ask Him to direct you to someone who needs Christ and is sensing a lack of purpose in his or her life.

For Further Study

Read Colossians 3:1-4.

  • How did Paul describe Christ?
  • What should be the focus of your thinking?
  • Are you heeding Paul’s exhortation?
Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – “I” Problems

Leave a comment

Joyce meyer

Now Miriam and Aaron talked against Moses [their brother] because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite woman. And they said, Has the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? Has he not spoken also by us?—Numbers 12:1-2

Moses’ sister, Miriam, and his brother, Aaron, complained to God about the Ethiopian woman their brother had married during his forty years of exile. But that was not the real issue. The real problem was revealed when they asked, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? Has he not spoken also by us?”

That’s the big “I” problem-also known as the issue of pride. That’s one way Satan gets into our lives, divides us, confuses us, and causes us to fight among ourselves. In the incident cited above, the issue wasn’t whether God spoke through them or only through Moses. It was their way of calling attention to themselves and yearning for recognition. But their plan backfired on them. If you read the entire account, you will find that God punished Miriam with leprosy and she had to stay outside the camp for a week.

There’s another interesting note: She held them back from moving forward. “So Miriam was shut up without the camp for seven days, and the people did not journey on until Miriam was brought in again” (v. 15).

What we need to recognize about pride-one of Satan’s most powerful tools-is that while it may actually attack only one or two of us, it affects everyone. When someone stands up and says, “I am special,” the unspoken message is: “But you-you’re not special like me.” That’s when jealousies and anger erupt-and the devil is the only one who is happy.

Here’s another example. A few months ago, I saw a brief review of a college football game on the evening news. The running back stood just over the goal line, jumping up and down and screaming, “I’m the best! I’m the best!”

I’m sure he was excited because he had won the game. Or had he? What he didn’t seem to grasp was that he had only carried the ball over the line, scoring the winning points. His teammates, however, had thrown him the ball and blocked other players from tackling him. His statement would have been more accurate had he said, “We’re the best!”

This illustrates a dangerous attitude. Much of the time, we are only too eager to take all the credit. Too many people act as if they are solely responsible for their gifts and abilities (see 1 Corinthians 4:7). What they-and all of us-need to realize and focus on is that God alone gives us all of the talents, abilities, and gifts that we need to succeed in life. He is the giver we are just the recipients.

Whenever we excel in any area, it is because God has equipped us with the necessary abilities. God expects us to utilize our gifts and become better at the things we do, but we must never forget that He is the one who gives the talent. If we’re high-minded or think more highly of ourselves than we should, we tend to look down on others. This is the sin of pride, and no one appreciates it. We all back away from proud people because they not only elevate themselves, but they arouse negative feelings in the rest of us, especially if we have any issues of insecurity or inferiority.

To win over the big “I” problem, we must remind ourselves of this simple fact: Everything we are and everything we have comes as a gift from God. If we stay focused on that fact, pride will find no place in our hearts.

Patient and loving God, forgive me when I’ve taken credit for my talents and my abilities. Help me now and every day to thank You for the gifts and abilities that You have so generously placed in me. I ask this in the name of my Savior, Jesus. Amen.

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Life’s Greatest Investment

Leave a comment

dr_bright

“And anyone who gives up his home, brothers, sisters, father, mother, wife, children, or property, to follow Me, shall receive a hundred times as much in return [in this life], and shall have eternal life” (Matthew 19:29).

I can tell you on the authority of God’s Word and from personal experience and observation that this promise is true. From my own commitment – made more than 30 years ago – and after having spoken with hundreds of Christian leaders and humble servants of God around the world, and observed thousands who I have counseled, I do not know of anyone whom God is using in any significant way who would say that this spiritual law has not been true in his life.

The time to invest your time, talent and treasure for Christ and His kingdom is now. The powerful tide of secular humanism, atheism, materialism, communism and other anti-God forces us threatening to engulf the world. From the human perspective, on the basis of what I see and hear, I could be very pessimistic about the future freedom of mankind.

On the contrary, I am very optimistic, not on the basis of what I see and hear, but on the basis of what I believe God is saying to my heart and of what I am observing that He is doing throughout the world. I am constantly reminded and assured, “Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4, KJV). Satan and his demonic forces were defeated 2,000 years ago.

Do you want a safe formula for success? Then recognize and practice the following:

First, remember that everything entrusted to our care actually belongs to God. We are His stewards here on earth.

Second, God does not want us to hoard His blessings.

Third, “As you sow, you reap.”

Fourth, invest generously – above the tithe in time, talent and treasure.

Fifth, invest supernaturally – by faith.

Bible Reading: Matthew 25:35-40

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Recognizing myself as God’s steward, I will prayerfully seek to learn what He would have me to do to maximize my life for His glory through the investment of my time, talent and treasure.

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; A.W.- Don’t Let Up

1 Comment

ppt_seal01

In 1722, Nicholas Ludwig von Zinzendorf, a rich young ruler in Saxony, Germany, was troubled over Moravian Christians being exiled by the Catholic Church. He established a community on his land known as Herrnhut, meaning “Under the Lord’s Watch,” where they could live. By August 1726, 300 Moravians lived there. In August 1727, 24 men and 24 women agreed to spend an hour each day praying around the clock. Others joined and a month passed, then a year, then a decade. The prayer continued for an entire century.

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you.

Colossians 1:9

They prayed for specific needs, but also for revival and evangelism. In August 1732, they sent out their first missionaries. During the first two years, 22 missionaries perished and two were imprisoned, but others replaced them. The missionaries were fearful, but still they went. In all, 70 missionaries came from Herrnhut. Knowing they were surrounded by constant prayer, they were empowered to do God’s calling.

In today’s scripture, Paul tells the Colossians he hasn’t ceased praying for them. His prayers strengthened the church and allowed them overcome their problems. Are you facing a trial or fearful situation? Start praying now – and don’t let up. Also ask others to intercede for you and for the nation to experience revival.

Recommended Reading: Ephesians 3:14-20

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – A Steady Gaze    

Leave a comment

greglaurie

Since we have such a huge crowd of men of faith watching us from the grandstands, let us strip off anything that slows us down or holds us back, and especially those sins that wrap themselves so tightly around our feet and trip us up; and let us run with patience the particular race that God has set before us. Keep your eyes on Jesus, our leader and instructor. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterwards; and now he sits in the place of honor by the throne of God. —Hebrews 12:1–2

Holocaust survivor Corrie ten Boom once said, “Look without and be distressed. Look within and be depressed. Look at Jesus and be at rest.” Looking without, she had very good reason to be distressed. She lived in a concentration camp. She saw her sister and father—and many others—die at the hands of the Nazis. Looking within, she felt depressed as she saw the darkness of her own heart. But seeing the example of her godly sister Betsy, who saw the bright side of everything and was always trusting God, she concluded, “Look at Jesus and be at rest.”

The Bible says that Abraham “did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform” (Romans 4:20-21). The word waver used in this verse could also be translated “stagger.” It would imply that this unwavering walk of Abraham’s took place with his eyes fixed on the promise of God.

As we walk with God, people will let us down and disappoint us. Circumstances will be difficult. The Enemy will hassle us. This is when we need to remember why we started to walk with God in the first place. It was because of Jesus. So keep your eyes fixed on Him. That will keep you moving forward, because the only way we will make it as Christians is by keeping our eyes on Jesus Christ.

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

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Prayers Aren’t Graded

Leave a comment

Max Lucado

Jesus downplayed the importance of words in prayers. We tend to do the opposite. The more words the better! We emphasize the appropriate prayer language, the latest prayer trend, the holiest prayer terminology. Against all this emphasis on syllables and rituals, Jesus says in Matthew 6:7: “Don’t ramble like heathens who talk a lot.” There’s no panel of angelic judges with numbered cards.

“Wow, Lucado, that prayer was a ten. God will certainly hear you!”

“Oh, Lucado, you scored a two this morning. Go home and practice.”

Prayers aren’t graded according to style. If prayer depends on how I pray, I’m sunk. But if the power of prayer depends on the One who hears the prayer, then I have hope.