Monthly Archives: October 2014

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – More Than You Need

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dr_bright“God is able to make it up to you by giving you everything you need and more, so that there will not only be enough for your own needs, but plenty left over to give joyfully to others” (2 Corinthians 9:8).

One of the greatest discoveries that I have ever made in the Christian life is the law of sowing and reaping. Paul explains, beginning in his second letter to the Corinthians with the sixth verse of Chapter 9, “If you give little, you’ll get little. A farmer who plants just a few seeds will harvest only a small crop, but if he plants much, he will reap much. Everyone must make up his own mind as to how much he should give. Don’t force anyone to give more than he really wants to, for cheerful givers are the ones God prizes” (2 Corinthians 9:6,7).

I have several friends and colleagues who have joined with me in claiming this marvelous promise of God and in every case the blessings are abundant. People with modest incomes are able not only to give large sums of money, but also enjoy a life-style that one could hardly expect even from individuals whose salaries were much more than theirs. It is a “loaves and fishes” kind of demonstration of God’s faithfulness. You cannot outgive God. As someone put it, “I give to God by the spoonsful and He returns to me shovelsful.”

Most believers have never discovered the joy and excitement of Christian stewardship. Always remember that God’s graces are bestowed upon us, not that we may hoard them, but that we may pass them on to others.

The same principle of giving also applies to the giving of our time and our talent to the proclamation of the gospel. The more we give, the more we receive. Was God giving you an extra portion of love today, of joy, of patience, of encouragement, or peace? Pass it on. Has something happened to you? He may have given that extra supply for you to pass it on to others in need. By the same token, if your supply in any of these things is lacking, you need only ask. With your motivation of wanting to share with others, God will not delay in responding to your request.

Bible Reading: II Corinthians 9:6-11

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: In order to be a faithful steward of that which God has entrusted to me, I shall seek to share with others a generous portion of all that He gives to me, with special emphasis on the good news concerning our Lord Jesus Christ and the supernatural life which He gives.

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; G.C. – Lines and Signs

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You’re driving home at dusk and you notice a sign in your neighbor’s yard. You can barely make it out in the waning light, but you do see the familiar stars and stripes of a campaign placard. At first you believe it’s mostly red – for a Republican candidate. Then you think it looks more like the blue of the Democratic Party. You blink. No…maybe it’s green for an environmentally-focused politician.

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

Galatians 5:6

During His time on Earth, Jesus’ presence evoked anxiety among the most religious and politically savvy. What was He trying to prove by challenging their strict lines of social order? Did He not understand that walking among those on the fringes of culture would mark Him, also? At times, even His own disciples struggled to understand that His mission was not to establish a new political regime, but something far more significant.

As the signs of another election season appear, how are you handling the fine lines of disagreement? Are you tempted to judge your friends or loved ones on their political leanings? Earnestly pray today that God’s people in America will take Jesus’ example and be fearless in extending compassion to people of all political color.

Recommended Reading: Mark 2:3-17

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Just Waiting on Him  

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His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” —John 2:5

When David was called by God to be king, he was out watching sheep, just being faithful. The day David killed Goliath, he didn’t wake up that morning and hear God say, “David, today you are going to the valley of Elah. There will be a giant Philistine named Goliath, and you will kill him with a stone.” No, at his dad’s request, David was taking some cheese sandwiches to his brothers out on the front line . . . just being faithful on an errand for his dad.

What was Gideon doing when God called him? He was hiding from his enemies. He was terrified. But God saw his potential, and the next thing Gideon knew, he was leading troops into battle.

And what was Elisha doing when Elijah called him to carry on the work? He was out plowing in the field. Moses was watching a bunch of sheep in the desert when God called him to deliver the Israelites. Then there was Daniel, who was so faithful to the Lord that his enemies couldn’t find one thing wrong with him. They had to make up lies about him so that he would be sentenced to death. And how about that teenage girl in Nazareth who had a visit from one of God’s most powerful angels, with a message about a Child who would be called the Son of the Most High?

My point is this: They were faithfully doing what God had set before them. They weren’t running around, looking for big, important things to accomplish. They didn’t have public relations consultants or agents. They were simply doing the little things, waiting on God.

Sometimes we have great ideas of what God will do. But we have to wait on Him. What are your dreams right now? Maybe you want to do something for God, but you think it will never happen. Then again . . . maybe it will. Maybe it even will surpass your wildest dreams. Just be faithful to do what God has set before you right now. Your future is safe in His hands.

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

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Prayer Wimps Anonymous

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Max Lucado

I’m a card carrying member of the PWA: Prayer Wimps Anonymous. Can you relate? We pray–we pray to stay sober, centered, solvent. We pray when the lump is deemed malignant. When the money runs out before the month does. We all pray—some.

But wouldn’t we like to pray more? Like the disciples when they asked Jesus, “Teach us to pray!” Teach us to find strength in prayer. To banish fear in prayer.

Prayer is simply a heartfelt conversation between God and you!  A prayer as simple as this one:

Father, You are good. I need help. Heal me and forgive me.

They need help. Thank you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Pray for 4 weeks, 4 minutes every day. Sign on at BeforeAmen.com and get ready to connect with God like never before!

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Lord’s Financial Best

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Charles Stanley

Malachi 3:8-12

The most basic step in a wise financial plan is biblical giving. If you present the church with a sum that feels comfortable but falls short of what the Lord would have you offer, it amounts to robbing God (Mal. 3:8). The Old Testament tithe, which remains a principle for giving, was instituted for three reasons:

  1. Providing. Christians’ combined 10 percent helps kingdom work continue. Without regular funding, programs for aid and evangelism diminish, church doors close indefinitely, and full-time staff must seek other employment.
  2. Testing. God invites believers to test His faithfulness (v. 10). Through giving, we discover an important principle of faith: The Lord can make our remaining nine-tenths go farther than our hoarded ten-tenths. We may have to sacrifice some things, but our needs will never go unmet. Offerings that amount to less than 10 percent lack the convicting evidence of His reliability to provide for us.
  3. Honoring. By tithing, believers honor the Lord as the source of all they possess. What we own, whether little or much, comes to us through Him. If an important official came for dinner, we wouldn’t dare to serve yesterday’s leftovers, but that is precisely what we do to God by holding back our finances. Spending as we see fit, stinginess, and reluctant giving prevent the Lord from proving His faithfulness.

God’s children should desire to please the Father by acting on their faith in Him. When we give biblically to the Lord, He promises to care for our every need and abundantly bless us as well.

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — New To The Family

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Our Daily Bread

Luke 15:3-7

There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance. —Luke 15:7

While on a ministry trip with a Christian high school chorale to Jamaica, we witnessed an illustration of God’s love in action. On the day we visited an orphanage for disabled children and teens, we learned that Donald, one of the boys our kids had interacted with—a teen with cerebral palsy—was going to be adopted.

When the adopting couple arrived at the “base” where we were staying, it was a joy to talk to them about Donald. But what was even better was what happened later. We were at the base when Donald and his new parents arrived just after they had picked him up at the orphanage. As the brand-new mom embraced her son, our students gathered around her and sang praise songs. Tears flowed. Tears of joy. And Donald was beaming!

Later, one of the students said to me, “This reminds me of what it must be like in heaven when someone is saved. The angels rejoice because someone has been adopted into God’s family.” Indeed, it was a picture of the joy of heaven when someone new joins God’s forever family by faith in Christ. Jesus spoke of that grand moment when He said, “There will be . . . joy in heaven over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:7).

Praise God that He has adopted us into His family. No wonder the angels rejoice! —Dave Branon

The One who made the heavens,

Who died on Calvary,

Rejoices with His angels

When one soul is set free. —Fasick

Angels rejoice when we repent.

Bible in a year: Jeremiah 12-14; 2 Timothy 1

Insight

In Luke 15, Jesus delivers a trilogy of parables to describe the pursuing love of God for the lost. The first, seen here in verses 3-7, displays the shepherd desperately pursuing his lost sheep. The second, in verses 8-10, pictures a woman tenaciously searching for a lost coin. The third, in verses 11-32, tells of a father’s compassion for a wayward child and of his grace and forgiveness when that prodigal returns home. In each parable, the result of finding the lost is a celebration (vv.6,9,22-24) that depicts the great joy experienced in heaven when the lost return to their heavenly Father.

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry –    Defining Faith

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Ravi Z

Whether we merely dip into its surface or stretch out our arms attempting to reach its depths, language is a deep well. With words, there is often more than meets the eye. And there is something about the study of words that reminds us that if we dig deep enough, hidden treasures can be found.

By way of introduction to the word “faith,” the book of Hebrews speaks of men and women, people of history exhibiting faith themselves, following hard after God in trust and obedience. These names are not listed to makes us feel diminutive by comparison, but are presented as something of a definition, a definition which establishes that faith continues to be about seeking one who has been found. Abraham and Moses, Enoch and Noah and Rahab, all are commended for walking in faith and hoping in what was yet unseen. We are given the image of men and women who have been moved by God as they moved toward God, some in ways more conspicuous than others, seeking in light and shadow the one who is pleased by faith.

This is encouraging, even while imagining the magnificent faith of Moses and the sustaining hope of Abraham. For what seems to set them apart in the eyes of God is a God who is faithful though they were not; one who is a firm foundation though they were often indecisive in their certainty. It is the same today. We seek a God who does not grow weary of pursuing us though we often grow weary of pursuing God.

The writer imparts a definition of faith fairly countercultural to modern assumptions of what faith is. Faith in God is more than believing God exists; faith is not mere abstraction, a lifeless notion of preference or insufficient fact. Faith is seeking the God who finds us, which is the detail of utmost importance. The Greek word that is usually translated “seek” in this passage is actually a compound word meaning to “seek out.” The word “seek” (zeteo) here is written ekzeteo. Though most English translations denote the two different words identically, the later is deliberately more intense. The added word re-emphasizes the first so that it is understood with all the force and certainty the author intended. It is not merely “seeking;” it is seeking actively something that will be found. It is the difference between seeking something like happiness or world peace and the seeking of a child who counts to twenty and runs off to find her hiding mother. The child actively seeks even as the parent makes sure she’ll be found.

The careful words of the writer of Hebrews remind us not only that we are able to seek one who can and wants to be found but that we are able to seek one who has found us. We seek the one who came among us, willing that none would be lost. That God is pleased by those who seek the Father’s arms exemplifies his longing to gather his children together, the care with which God seeks each one. Jesus likened it to a hen longing to gather her chicks, a shepherd seeking every last sheep in his flock.

God’s desire to seek you is not abstract, and faith’s seeking of God is no abstraction. Consider the depths of these words: “Thus says the Lord God: I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out.’”(1) Our seeking after the one who can be found might be similarly earnest, believing not only that God exists but that Father, Son, and Spirit have been near all along.

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

(1) Ezekiel 34:11.

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Changeless in a Changing World

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Alistair Begg

We have all become like one who is unclean.    Isaiah 64:6

The believer is a new creature; he belongs to a holy generation and a peculiar people. The Spirit of God is in him, and in every respect he is far removed from the natural man. But for all that the Christian is still a sinner. He is so because of the imperfection of his nature, and he will continue as such to the end of his earthly life. The dirty fingers of sin leave marks on our cleanest clothes. Sin spoils our repentance, before the great Potter has finished it upon the wheel. Selfishness defiles our tears, and unbelief tampers with our faith.

The best thing we ever did apart from the merit of Jesus only added to the number of our sins; for when we have been most pure in our own sight, still, like the heavens, we were not pure in God’s sight; and as He charged His angels with folly, so He must charge us with it, even in our most angelic frames of mind. The song that seeks to emulate the angels’ melodies has human discords in it. The prayer that moves the arm of God is still a bruised and battered prayer, and only moves that arm because the sinless One, the great Mediator, Jesus, has stepped in to take away the sin of our supplication. The most golden faith or the purest degree of sanctification to which a Christian ever attained on earth has still so much dross in it as to be only worthy of the flames.

Every night we look in the mirror we see a sinner and need to confess, “We have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.” How precious then is the blood of Christ to hearts like ours! How priceless a gift is His perfect righteousness! And how bright is the hope of perfect holiness in heaven! Even now, though sin dwells in us, its power is broken. It remains, but it no longer reigns; we are in bitter conflict with it, but we are dealing with a vanquished foe. In a little while we will enter victoriously into the city where nothing defiles.

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The family reading plan for October 27, 2014 * Daniel 12 * Psalm 119:49-72

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

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – None but Jesus

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“He that believeth on him is not condemned.” John 3:18

Suggested Further Reading: Hebrews 12:5-11

You are never liable as a believer to punishment for your sins. You will be chastised on account of them, as a father chastises his child; that is part of the gospel dispensation; but you will not be smitten for your sins as the lawgiver smites the criminal. Your Father may often punish you as he punished the wicked, but never for the same reason. The ungodly stand on the ground of their own demerits; their sufferings are awarded as their due deserts. But your sorrows do not come to you as a matter of desert; they come to you as a matter of love. God knows that in one sense your sorrows are such a privilege that you may account of them as a boon you do not deserve. I have often thought of that when I have had a sore trouble. I know some people say, “You deserved the trouble.” Yes, my dear brethren, but there is not enough merit in all the Christians put together, to deserve such a good thing as the loving rebuke of our heavenly Father. Perhaps you cannot see that; you cannot think that a trouble can come to you as a real blessing in the covenant. But I know that the rod of the covenant is as much the gift of grace as the blood of the covenant. It is not a matter of merit; it is given to us because we need it. But I question whether we were ever so good as to deserve it. We were never able to get up to so high a standard as to deserve so rich, so gracious a providence as this covenant blessing—the rod of our chastening God.

For meditation: When disciplined by his heavenly Father, the Christian is experiencing a beatitude (Job 5:17; Psalm 94:12)!

Sermon no. 362

27 October (Preached 17 February 1861)

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Learning Truth

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John MacArthur

“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16).

Scripture is a manual of divine truth.

This month we’ve considered many benefits of Scripture. Second Timothy 3:16 lists four more that will be the focus of our studies as we draw this month to a close: teaching truth, reproving sin and error, correcting behavior, and training in righteousness. We’ve touched on each of those to some extent in our past studies, but they warrant additional discussion from this verse, which is Scriptures most concise statement on its own power and purpose.

First, the Bible is profitable for teaching. The Greek word translated “teaching” refers more to content than to the process of teaching. Scripture is God’s manual of divine truth for patterning your thoughts and actions.

As a believer, you have the capacity to understand and respond to Scripture. That’s because the Holy Spirit indwells you and imparts spiritual discernment, wisdom, and understanding (1 John 2:27). You have “the mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:16).

But having the ability to understand spiritual truth doesn’t guarantee you’ll exercise that ability. God said to the Israelites through the prophet Hosea, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (4:6). His truth was available to them, but they ignored it and lived in disobedience.

I’ve heard many people lament that they could have avoided much grief if only they had known the Bible more thoroughly—if only they had taken the time to learn what God expected of them in a particular situation. Perhaps you’ve felt that way. The best way to avoid making that mistake in the future is to faithfully, prayerfully, patiently, and thoroughly saturate your mind with biblical truth, then discipline yourself to live according to its principles. Now that’s the challenge of a lifetime, but it’s the only way to profit from biblical teaching and avoid unnecessary heartaches.

I pray you will be encouraged today as you study God’s Word and diligently apply it to your life.

Suggestions for Prayer; Ask God to use the circumstances you face today to draw you closer to Him and motivate you to dig deeper into His Word.

For Further Study; Read Exodus 24:1-8. What was the Israelites’ response to God’s Word? What is yours?

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – peak Positively

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Behold, You desire truth in the inner being; make me therefore to know wisdom in my inmost heart. —Psalm 51:6

Focus on speaking words in faith today; keep your confession truthful but positive. Don’t deny the existence of your circumstances, but confess what God’s Word has to say about your situation.

For example, if you are sneezing, coughing, and finding it difficult to breathe, it isn’t truthful to say you aren’t sick. But you can learn to present a negative situation in a positive way. You can say, “I believe.”

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – You Will Rejoice

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“You have sorrow now, but I will see you again and then you will rejoice; and no one can rob you of that joy” (John 16:22).

Once you and I truly experience the joy of the Lord, no one can rob us of that joy!

That does not mean that we will never experience disappointment, sorrow or grief; but it does mean that deeps down underneath it all is the joy that comes as a gift from God, the fruit of the Spirit. And that is the kind of joy that no one can take away.

Underneath the tears, the heartache, lies the calm, sweet peace that God gives to those who walk in faith and obedience. And that is a part of the joy that He promises.

Jesus’ promise to see His disciples again, of course, refers to after the resurrection. “You will be so firmly persuaded that I have risen,” He says to them, “and that I am the Messiah, that neither the threats nor the persecutions of men will ever be able to shake your faith, or produce doubt or unbelief and thus take away your joy.”

Jesus’ prediction, as we know, was remarkably fulfilled, for after He revealed Himself to them following the resurrection, not one of the apostles ever doubted for a moment that He has risen from the dead. No trial or persecution was able to shake their faith – so that their joy remained.

You and I have certainties of faith that are unshakable, and thus they produce joy – joy that will remain forever and ever.

Bible Reading: John 16:20-24

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will remember to praise and thank God for the unshakable joy that He alone gives.

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; J.R. – Cliché Killer

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How many ways are there to say it? From the frying pan into the fire…from bad to worse…it went downhill from there…the light at the end of the tunnel turned out to be an oncoming train. These common expressions all convey the seemingly universal belief that things are going to get worse, not better.

And the Lord answered gracious and comforting words to the angel who talked with me.

Zechariah 1:13

The prophet Zechariah could have been forgiven for thinking such thoughts. God had been angry with his country for 70 years. The nation of Judah had been defeated – thoroughly dismantled, enslaved and shipped away. Now they had been allowed to return to Jerusalem, but only under the thumb of their conquerors. In a vision, an angel accompanying Zechariah asked a question on his behalf. “O Lord…how long will you have no mercy on Jerusalem?” But with repentance and humility, things were about to get better, not worse. The Lord was about to pour out grace and comfort to those who had known only fear and defeat for a generation.

As you intercede for America and her leaders today, don’t believe the clichés. Better days are ahead – if the nation will turn back to God. It starts with your prayers!

Recommended Reading: Psalm 31:19-24

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Daily Deposit           

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Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. —Psalm 39:4

Let’s say that your phone rings tomorrow morning, and it’s a call from the manager of your bank. He tells you, “I received a very unusual call the other day. Someone who loves you very much and is quite wealthy has given you a large sum of money. This anonymous donor will be depositing 86,400 cents into your account every single day.”

“How’s that again?” you ask.

“Every single day, this person will deposit 86,400 cents into your account.”

Is that much money? you wonder at first. Then you get out your calculator and figure out that it amounts to $864 every day. That’s pretty good, you’re thinking.

“But there is one condition,” the banker continues. “You have to spend it every single day. You can’t save it up. You can’t add it to the next day’s balance. Every day, you must spend that money. What is not spent will be taken away. This person will do this each and every day, but the condition is that you must spend the money.”

So you go back to your calculator and figure out that $864 times 7 equals $6,048 per week. That amount, multiplied by 52, comes to $314,496 per year. That’s a pretty good deal. And that is also a fantasy.

So let’s deal with reality. Someone who really does love you very much deposits into your bank of time 86,400 seconds every single day. That someone is God. And the condition is that you must spend it. You can’t save up time today and apply it toward tomorrow—there’s no such thing as a twenty-seven-hour day. Each and every day, you have the opportunity to invest your precious commodity of time.

I like the way Paul wrote about this in Ephesians 5:15-17: “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is” (NIV).

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

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – A Father to the Fatherless

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Max Lucado

Psalm 34:8 says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” A glimpse of God’s goodness changes us. If He is only slightly stronger than us, why pray? If He has limitations, questions, and hesitations, then you might as well pray to the Wizard of Oz.

Psalm 68:5-6 says God is “a father to the fatherless. He sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity.”

Pray with me: Dear God. Today remind me that you protect me. Be my father and defender. Defend those who are weak and afraid and feel forgotten. Show up in their lives today. Thank you for giving me a spiritual family that can never be taken away. I pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.

At any point, you are only a prayer away from help!

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Choosing to Pursue Wisdom

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Charles Stanley

Do you ever find yourself stunned by the circumstances of your life? Perhaps you’ve been genuinely surprised by the negative consequences you experience as the result of unwise decisions. When things go wrong, it’s common to wonder, What happened and what did I do to deserve this?

Many times, people don’t ask the Lord to reveal wisdom on a matter before they act. Or they fail to take positive, precautionary measures. Still others choose to associate with individuals who are an influence for evil rather than good.

Foolish choices often lead to a snowballing effect of worsening circumstances. One bad decision leads to another, and the end result is costly. The sad news is that we suffer the consequences of our unwise actions whether we recognize our foolishness or not.

The apostle Paul wrote this challenge to the Ephesians:

Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is (Eph. 5:15-17).

In these two verses, God makes three things clear:

We must choose to pursue wisdom. It’s up to each of us to determine how we will walk through this life. Wisdom is not something a person stumbles into or acquires automatically. It must be sought out and pursued.

We must seek God’s plan. The person who walks in wisdom is aware of how he affects the world and how the world affects him. He recognizes that every person faces three enemies in life: the world system, the Devil, and the flesh. He seeks to know God’s plans and purpose––not only for his personal life, but also for every situation involving the people around him.

Those who love and search for wisdom have God’s promise that they will find it. Personified as a woman in the book of Proverbs, Wisdom says, “I love those who love me; and those who diligently seek me will find me” (8:17). Jesus affirmed Solomon’s counsel when He said, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” (Matt. 7:7-8).

We must take responsibility for applying wisdom to our lives. The person who walks in wisdom feels a responsibility for his actions and use of time. He knows that he has been given a limited quantity of minutes, hours, days, months, and years. He is aware that that those hours must be spent in a way that produces the largest amount of good. God has entrusted him with certain resources that must be used to further His kingdom.

The Christian who walks wisely is acutely aware of the Enemy of his soul, who seeks to ensnare him through temptations and enslave him through the world’s system. He lives with soberness and caution, saying “no” to anything that undermines God’s will.

Wisdom is something we choose to live out, not a vague entity. It is related to the concrete, material world and is applicable to every life circumstance.

God calls us to be wise in every decision of our lives. We need His wisdom in our business dealings, health choices, relationships, parenting, finances, and our walk with Him. No area of life is beyond need, ignored by God’s Word, or off-limits to His wisdom.

Not everyone can become famous, wealthy, or educated. But the good news is, anyone can become wise. No matter who you are or where you live, you can reverence God, receive Jesus Christ as Savior, and submit your life to the Lord on a daily basis. Will you accept God’s challenge to become wise and walk in His wisdom daily?

Adapted from “Walking Wisely” by Charles F. Stanley, 2002.

 

Related Resources

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Protecting Your Future

How can wise decision-making help protect your future? (Listen to Protecting Your Future.)

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — All Together

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Our Daily Bread

Psalm 98:1-9

Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth; break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises. —Psalm 98:4

For years my wife’s piano and my banjo had an uncomfortable and infrequent relationship. Then, after Janet bought me a new guitar for my birthday, she expressed an interest in learning to play my old guitar. She is a very capable musician, and soon we were, together, playing songs of praise on our guitars. I like to think that a new kind of “praise connection” has filled our home.

When the psalmist was inspired to write of worshiping God, he began with this exhortation: “Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth; break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises” (Ps. 98:4). He called for us to “sing to the LORD” with instruments such as harps and trumpets and horns (vv.5-6). He commanded all of the earth to “shout joyfully to the LORD” (v.4). In this mighty orchestration of praise, the rolling sea is to roar with exaltation, the rivers are to clap their hands, and the hills are to sing out in joy. All the human race and creation are together called to praise the Lord in “a new song” of praise, “for He has done marvelous things” (v.1).

Today let your heart connect with others and God’s creation in singing songs of praise to the mighty Creator and Redeemer. —Dennis Fisher

Let us celebrate together,

Lift our voice in one accord,

Singing of God’s grace and mercy

And the goodness of the Lord. —Sper

God can use ordinary instruments to produce a concert of praise.

Bible in a year: Jeremiah 9-11; 1 Timothy 6

Insight

Psalm 98 pictures and celebrates God the Savior (vv.1-3), God the King (vv.4-6), and God the Judge (vv.7-9). It also celebrates His mercy and faithfulness to His people (v.3). It extols God as the righteous King who will rule the whole world with justice and fairness (v.9). This call to celebrate is universal, extending to the congregation at the temple (v.1), to the nations (v.2), and to the whole earth (v.4).

 

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – The Purpose of Living

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Alistair Begg

All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again.    Ecclesiastes 1:7

Everything on earth is on the move; time knows nothing of rest. The solid earth is a rolling ball, and the great sun itself is a star obediently fulfilling its course around some greater luminary. Tides move the sea; winds stir the breezy ocean; friction wears the rock: Change and death rule everywhere. The sea is not a miser’s storehouse for a wealth of waters, for as by one force the waters flow into it, by another they are lifted from it.

Men are born to die: Everything is hurry, worry, and vexation of spirit. Friend of the unchanging Jesus, what a joy it is to reflect upon your changeless heritage, your sea of bliss that will be forever full since God Himself shall pour eternal rivers of pleasure into it. We seek an abiding city beyond the skies, and we shall not be disappointed. The passage before us should teach us to be grateful.

The ocean is a great receiver, but it is also a generous distributor. What the rivers bring, it returns to the earth in the form of clouds and rain. The man who takes everything but makes no return is out of joint with the universe. To give to others is still sowing seed for ourselves. He who is so good a steward as to be willing to use his substance for his Lord shall be entrusted with more. Friend of Jesus, are you rendering to Him in proportion to the benefit you receive? Have you been given a great deal? Where is your fruit? Have you done all you might? Can you not do more?

To be selfish is to be wicked. Suppose the ocean gave up none of its watery treasure; it would bring ruin upon our race. God forbid that any of us should follow the ungenerous and destructive policy of living for ourselves. Jesus did not please Himself. All fullness dwells in Him, but from His fullness we have all received. Oh, to be like Jesus and no longer live for ourselves!

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The family reading plan for October 26, 2014 * Daniel 11 * Psalm 119:25-48

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

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – The wounds of Jesus

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CharlesSpurgeon

“He showed them his hands and his feet.” Luke 24:40

Suggested Further Reading: Isaiah 25:6-9

There are three things in Christ that death never met with before, all of which are fatal to it. There was in Christ, innocence. Now, as long as man was innocent, he could not die. Adam lived as long as he was innocent. Now, Christ was about to die; but death sucked in innocent blood; he sucked in his own poison and he died. Again, blessedness is that which takes away the sting of death. Now Christ, even when he was dying, was “God over all, blessed for ever.” All that death had ever killed before was under the curse; but this man was never by nature under the curse, because for our sakes he was not born into this world a cursed man. He was the seed of woman it is true, but still not of carnal generation. He did come under the curse when he took upon himself our sins, but not for his own sins. He was in himself blessed. Death sucked in blessed blood; he had never done that before—all others have been under the curse—and that slew death. Yet another thing. Death had never met before with any man who had life in himself. But when death drank Christ’s blood it drank life. For his blood is the life of the soul, and is the seed of life eternal. Wherever it goes, does it not give life to the dead? And death, finding that it had drunk into its own veins life in the form of Jesus’ blood, gave up the ghost; and death itself is dead, for Christ has destroyed it, by the sacrifice of himself; he has put it away; he has said, “Oh death, where is thy sting? Oh grave, where is thy victory?”

For meditation: On the cross Jesus was making the arrangements for death’s own funeral (1 Corinthians 15:26; Revelation 20:14).

Sermon no. 254

26 October (Preached 30 January 1859)

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Passing on a Godly Heritage

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John MacArthur

“From childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 3:15).

Planting and nurturing the seed of God’s Word in a child’s mind can produce an abundant spiritual harvest.

Not long ago I met with a group of Christian leaders to consider several candidates for a significant ministry position. During our meeting it dawned on me that each candidate’s father was a prominent pastor. Each candidate had grown up in a family that daily taught and exemplified biblical truth.

That illustrates the enormous impact a Christian heritage can have on a person—whether he pursues the pastorate or not. And by no means is it fathers only who influence their children toward righteousness. Quite the contrary: A godly mother usually has far more opportunity to do so.

Dr. G. Campbell Morgan had four sons—all of whom followed his example by becoming ministers. It’s reported that at a family reunion a friend asked one of the sons, “Which Morgan is the greatest preacher?” “That’s easy,” the son replied, “Mother!”

Timothy knew the benefits of a spiritual heritage like that. His mother, Eunice, and grandmother, Lois (2 Tim. 1:5) taught him the sacred writings, which give the wisdom that leads to salvation (2 Tim. 3:15). Even as a child, Timothy was being equipped for the ministry God would later call him to. The spiritual training he received as a child—and the reservoir of biblical knowledge he accumulated in those early years—were crucial elements in his adult ministry.

If you are a parent, the most precious gift you can give your child is a godly upbringing that will serve as the foundation for his or her future ministries.

Suggestions for Prayer

  • Praise God for those who have instructed you in the Word and encouraged you in righteousness.
  • If you are a parent, pray that your children will exceed you in the faith.
  • Be faithful to pray for the young people around you and set a godly example for them to follow.

For Further Study

Read 1 Samuel 1:1—2:10. What characteristics of a godly mother did Hannah display?