Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – No Other Savior

November 7, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“There is salvation in no one else! Under all heaven there is no other name for men to call upon to save them” (Acts 4:12).

As a young sceptic, I had difficulty believing in the resurrection, for I could not believe in the supernatural. But as I became aware of the uniqueness of Jesus and of the different quality of life that was His, I was forced to reconsider the biblical claim to His resurrection.

Since it is a matter of historical fact that the tomb in which His dead body was placed was empty three days later, I set out to discover if the tomb could have been empty on any other basis than the biblical claim that He had been raised from the dead. In my research, I learned that there were three different theories explaining the empty tomb.

First, it was proposed that He was not really dead but had fainted from the loss of blood on the cross, and that He recovered in the cool of the tomb (this notion is today expounded by certain skeptics under the name of the “swoon theory”). Second, it was conceivable that Jesus’ body was stolen by His enemies; or third, that it was stolen by the disciples.

Experience and logic have forced me to discount all three of these theories as impossibilities. First, Jesus could never have moved the stone or escaped from the guards in His weakened condition. Second, Jesus’ enemies had no reason to steal His body since they did not want to give credence to a belief in His resurrection. Even if they had stolen the body, they could simply have produced it to discount the resurrection.

Third, the disciples who deserted Jesus at His trial and crucifixion were the same men who, having seen Him after His resurrection, spent the rest of their lives telling everyone who would listen, even at the cost of their own lives, that Jesus was alive. Ask yourself this question, “Would the disciples be willing to die as martyrs propagating a lie?”

Christianity alone has a living Savior; in Him alone is salvation.

Bible Reading: Romans 10:9-13

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Several times today, as the Holy Spirit prompts me, I will remember to thank God for the gift of His Son as my personal Savior and will tell someone else that Jesus is alive and wants to be his Savior, too

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; G.C. – Biography

November 7, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Socrates wrote, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Benjamin Franklin, American author, scientist and diplomat, must have been thinking along those lines as he penned his own eulogy: “The body of Benjamin Franklin, like the cover of an old book, its contents torn out and stripped of its lettering and gilding, lies here, food for worms. Yet the work itself shall not be lost; for it will, as he believed, appear once more in a new and more beautiful edition, corrected and amended by the Author.”

Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

I Corinthians 11:28

Biographies about American public servants are abundant. Many leaders today chronicle more than their own eulogy, some attempting to rewrite themselves as they would prefer to be perceived. However, today’s verse compels people to consider their days not in the light of history, but in the light of the Creator.

As you pray today for America’s leaders, give thanks for the men and women of the nation’s past that lived public lives of faith and dignity. Pray for those currently holding the governmental reins to humbly consider themselves with respect to that great heritage and in the light of the all-powerful God, the Author of all things.

Recommended Reading: Lamentations 3:31-41

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Completing the Work in You

November 7, 2014 broboinhawaii 1 Comment

When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who watch over my way. . . . I cry to you, Lord; I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.” —Psalm 142:3,5

Are you afraid of an uncertain future right now? Are you discouraged, feeling like you have failed in various areas of your life? If you have invited Jesus to be your Savior and Lord, then He is with you. And He will complete the work He has begun in your life. The Bible says, “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns” (Philippians 1:6 NLT).

There are many reasons I’m glad that I am not God, one of them being that I’m the kind of person who starts projects and forgets them. I will be cleaning my desk and almost have it finished when I say, “I’ll do this a little bit later. I want to do something else right now.”

Aren’t you glad that God isn’t that way? He would be working with me, suddenly lose interest, and say, “I’m just a little tired of Greg. I think I’ll move on to someone else. I don’t feel like finishing Greg right now. Maybe I’ll come back later.” How terrible that would be if He left me hanging.

But He won’t. God will complete the work He has begun in our lives. He will complete the work of making us more and more like Jesus. It isn’t over, even if you have failed, even if you’ve made a mistake. You can still learn from that mistake and, with God’s supernatural help, get out of the situation you’re in and move on. Even if you’re in the hospital. Even if you’re in prison. God knows where you are at this very moment, and He knows what you are experiencing. He is saying to you, “Be of good courage” because He is with you. He knows there is a brighter tomorrow for you.

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

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Your Suffering is Your Sermon

November 7, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Sickness and sin still stalk our planet. But here’s the difference: neither sin nor sickness will have dominion over God’s people. He is in charge! So if you are sick, cry out to Jesus! Talk to him about your stomach, your skin, your headaches. After all, he owns you. Scripture says your body was “bought at a price.”

Do the same with your emotions. Did someone molest you? Did you abort a baby or abandon a child? If so, you likely need inner healing. He will heal you—instantly or gradually. Our highest hope, however, is in our ultimate healing. 1 John 3:2 promises that “when He is revealed, we shall be like him.”

In the meantime, before amen—comes the power of a simple prayer! Your suffering is your sermon.

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Called to Serve

November 6, 2014 broboinhawaii 1 Comment

Matthew 20:20-28

Christians are identified by a variety of names in the Bible—such as believers, brothers, and saints—but one title we seldom call ourselves is “servants of Christ.” However, that is exactly what the Lord tells us to be. After His disciples wrangled about who was the greatest, Jesus turned their worldly thinking upside down with a call to become great in the kingdom by being a servant of all.

Christ is not just our Savior but also our Lord and Master, and we are to follow His example. Just as He served His Father by caring for people, so we serve our God by lovingly meeting the temporal and spiritual needs of those around us.

Service is essential for spiritual growth. God is always at work in the believer’s life, transforming his character into the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29). A major hindrance in this process is self-centeredness. Serving others is one of the tools that the Lord uses to set us free from the slavery of selfishness.

Service is required to achieve God’s purpose for our lives. The Lord has designed specific works for each of us to accomplish in our lifetime (Eph. 2:10). If we only take in and never give out, we will miss much of what He has planned for us.

Never forget that you have a high calling, which is realized only by lowering yourself to the level of a servant. Look for the opportunities that the Lord will give you today to serve someone. Take your place alongside Christ, who was the ultimate servant of all.

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Horse Power

November 6, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Job 39:19-25

I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. —Psalm 139:14

Think for a moment of the power, beauty, and majesty of a galloping horse—his head held high, his mane flying in the wind, and his legs working in unison to provide speed, power, and abandon.

What a wonderful example of God’s magnificent creation is the horse! God created it not just for our amazement and enjoyment but also as a complement to the human race (Job 39). Properly trained, the horse is fearless when we need a courageous companion. The horse was used to carry the soldier faithfully into conflict with speed (v.24) and anticipation (v.25).

Although God was using creation to teach Job about His sovereignty, we can also be reminded through this passage about our own value in God’s world. We are created not simply as a beautiful creature with a job to do but also as a creature made in God’s image. The power of the horse is amazing, but the value of each human transcends all other creatures.

God created us uniquely to have a relationship with Him and to live with Him forever. While we praise God for the magnificence of the creatures of nature, we also stand in awe that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Ps. 139:14). —Dave Branon

Thank You, our Almighty God and Father, for Your

creation. You have provided so many majestic

creatures for us to enjoy, but help us to recognize with

thankfulness the special place we have in creation.

Of all God’s creation, only humans can experience re-creation.

Bible in a year: Jeremiah 37-39; Hebrews 3

Insight

In the midst of his pain (Job 1–3), Job seeks to understand why he has to suffer so much. Instead of explaining why He allowed evil to exist or human beings to suffer (chs. 4–37), God confronted and confounded Job with more questions concerning His creation. Job 38–42 is not an explanation of why man has to suffer, but a revelation of who God is! God reveals Himself as Creator (ch. 38), Sustainer (ch. 39), and Controller of all creation (chs. 40–42). Job didn’t need to fully understand cosmology, meteorology, zoology, hippology, or God’s immutable ways (Isa. 55:8-9). He only needed to trust the omnipotent and transcendent Creator God who is “very compassionate and merciful” (James 5:11; see Job 42:2-3).

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Beyond Thoughts

November 6, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

I would like to begin by telling a story about an event that took place some years ago when I was beginning my studies, an event that has had a major impact on my approach to the ministry to this day. I had a neighbor who was deeply committed to a version of the New Age movement. He and I had many conversations about God in the course of several months. He was a highly educated man with a couple of PhDs to his name, and so he provided me with an opportunity to test my training. But the training I was receiving in apologetics was good, and I soon realized that I could not only answer the questions he was asking about my faith in God, I could also poke holes in his worldview in a way that forced him to check books out of the local library to try and put his worldview back together. And I was feeling very good about myself. I was actually getting it!

Finally I decided to challenge him to consider giving his life to Christ. His reaction surprised me; he did not seem to care at all about what I was telling him. So I said to him, can you please explain to me what is going on? You don’t seem to care about what I am telling you. His answer was even more baffling to me. He said to me, “Listening to you asking me to become a Christian is like listening to a naturalist asking me to become a naturalist.”

I said to him, “What in the world do you mean. I just asked you to consider giving your life to the God who created you, and you are accusing me of being an atheist? What do you mean?”

He said to me, “All you Christians have are statements and creeds. You think that if people accept those statements and creeds, everything will be okay. When I pray, I get in touch with powers that you know nothing about.”

And that was one of the most convicting things anyone has ever said to me. Because what this man was saying to me was essentially this: “Yes, you can say a lot of very convincing things about your faith, but does your faith really rise beyond well-argued propositions?”

In his book, Beyond Opinion, Ravi Zacharias says that the greatest obstacle to the reception of the Gospel is not its inability to provide answers; it is the failure on the part of Christians to live it out. J. I. Packer writes similarly in his classic book, entitled, Knowing God: “From current Christian publications you might think that the most vital issue for any real or would-be Christian in the world today is church union, or social witness, or dialogue with other Christians and other faiths, or refuting this or that -ism, or developing a Christian philosophy and culture… it is tragic that….so many in our day seem to have been distracted from what was, is, and always will be the true priority for every human being—that is, learning to know God in Christ.”(1)

Whatever your position of faith, it is helpful to occasionally step back and ask a similar question of priority. Whatever your calling in life, what is the ultimate goal of all that you do?

The Bible addresses this question in many places, in both the Old and New Testaments, but none so much as in the person of Christ himself. If there is a message we hear loudest in his coming to earth it is this. The primary call of God is to know God, to be near God, not to serve God or to argue on God’s behalf. The end is knowing God. Even the scriptures were given to us a means to that end. For when all is said and done, when the dust settles, it is the eternally incarnate Son of God who lies behind the hauntingly inescapable question, “Who do you say that I am?” It is a question we must answer, with our words and with our lives. There is no neutral ground.

No, Christians don’t have only statements and creeds on which to stand. We stand on holy ground, before a holy God. And how wonderful it is when the curtain is pulled back, and we see God for Who God truly is, and we are able to say with Peter, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God?”

J.M. Njoroge is a member of the speaking team at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.

(1) J. I. Packer, Knowing God (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1993), 279.

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Power of Blood

November 6, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you. Hebrews 9:20

There is a strange power in the very name of blood, and the sight of it is always moving. A kind heart cannot bear to see a sparrow bleed and, unless familiarized by use, turns away with horror at the slaughter of a beast. As to the blood of men, it is a consecrated thing: It is murder to shed it in anger; it is a dreadful crime to squander it in war. Is this solemnity occasioned by the fact that the blood is the life, and the shedding of it the token of death? We think so. When we rise to contemplate the blood of the Son of God, our awe is greater yet, and we shudder as we think of the guilt of sin and the terrible penalty that the Sin-bearer endured. Blood, always precious, is priceless when it streams from Immanuel’s side.

The blood of Jesus seals the covenant of grace and makes it certain forever. Covenants of old were made by sacrifice, and the everlasting covenant was ratified in the same manner. What comfort that our salvation rests upon the sure foundation of divine commitments that cannot be dishonored! Salvation by the works of the law is a frail and broken vessel whose shipwreck is sure; but the covenant vessel fears no storms, for the blood ensures the whole. The blood of Jesus made His covenant valid. Wills are of no power unless the testators die.

In this light the soldier’s spear is a blessed aid to faith, since it proved our Lord to be really dead. There can be no doubt about that matter, and we may boldly appropriate the legacies that He has left for His people. Happy are they who see their title to heavenly blessings assured to them by a dying Savior. But does this blood not speak to us? Does it not bid us sanctify ourselves unto Him by whom we have been redeemed? Does it not call us to newness of life and incite us to entire consecration to the Lord? O that the power of the blood might be known and felt in us tonight!

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The family reading plan for November 6, 2014 * Hosea 12 * Psalm 135, 136

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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 – Let us pray

November 6, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“But it is good for me to draw near to God.” Psalm 73:28

John MacArthur – Leaving a Righteous Legacy

November 6, 2014 broboinhawaii 1 Comment

“By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks” (Heb 11:4).

The character of your life will determine the legacy you leave to others.

Bible scholar James Moffatt wrote, “Death is never the last word in the life of a . . . man. When a man leaves this world, be he righteous or unrighteous, he leaves something in the world. He may leave something that will grow and spread like a cancer or a poison, or he may leave something like the fragrance of perfume or a blossom of beauty that permeates the atmosphere with blessing.”

That’s illustrated in the lives of Adam and Eve’s first sons: Cain and Abel. Cain was an unrighteous man who sought to please God by his own efforts. God rejected him (Gen. 4:5). Abel was a righteous man who worshiped God in true faith. God accepted Him (v. 4).

In a jealous rage, Cain murdered Abel, becoming the first human being to take the life of another. He forever stands as a testimony to the utter tragedy of attempting to please God apart from true faith. For “without faith,” Hebrews 11:6 says, “it is impossible to please Him.” Cain tried and failed—as have millions who have followed in his footsteps.

Abel, on the other hand, was the first man of faith. Prior to the Fall, Adam and Eve had no need of faith in the same way as their descendants. They lived in the paradise of Eden and had direct contact with God. Their children were the first to have need of faith in its fullest sense.

Cain’s legacy is rebellion, heartache, and judgment. Abel’s is righteousness, justice, and saving faith. His life proclaims the central message of redemption: righteousness is by faith alone.

What legacy will you leave to those who follow? I pray they will see in you a pattern of righteousness and faithfulness that inspires them to follow suit.

Suggestions for Prayer

Praise God for righteous Abel and all who have followed his example.
Ask Him to guard you from ever rebelling against His Word.

For Further Study

Read Genesis 4:1-16 and 1 John 3:11-12.

What was God’s counsel to Cain after rejecting his offering?
Why did Cain kill Abel?
How did God punish Cain?

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Experience God’s Peace and Rest

November 6, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

The Lord . . . has given peace and rest to His people. —1 Chronicles 23:25

This declaration of David speaks of a God who has faithfully given peace and rest to His people—down through the ages, and still today.

In your busy world, your days are often filled to overflowing with all kinds of work and activities that can drain you of your physical energy and leave your mind reeling from the sheer volume.

I’m sure it was the same in David’s day. The pace may have been slower but the responsibilities were just as demanding and draining. But David knew the secret to receiving the goodness of God was thanking and praising the Lord both morning and evening.

If you feel drained from a trying day, spend some quiet time with the Lord before you go to bed. Tell Him how much you thank Him and praise Him for being with you today . . . and for the peace and rest you are about to experience as you lie down to sleep.

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – How to Obey God’s Laws

November 6, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“So now we can obey God’s laws if we follow after the Holy Spirit and no longer obey the old evil nature within us” (Romans 8:4).

Are you not glad that the Word of God make things so simple? If we really want to obey God’s laws, His resources are available to us. First and foremost, the Holy Spirit abides within to guide us. While it is true that we have all of the Holy Spirit at the time of conversion, we cannot expect the full blessing and power of God until the Holy Spirit has full control of all of us.

As we appropriate the fullness of His Holy Spirit by faith, we are supplied with supernatural power to obey God’s laws. That supernatural power, even, is contingent upon our cooperation in that we must not only commit ourselves to the Holy Spirit but we must also be familiar with the Word of God if we are indeed to obey its commands.

Obedience is a key word in the Christian life. This verse points it out quite clearly, for we either obey God’s laws or we obey the old evil nature. The choice is ours as we are controlled and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Someone has well pointed out that all of life, really, is nothing more nor less than a series of choices. The secret of the successful Christian life is in making the right choices. And even the wisdom to make the right choices is available – as a gift from God.

That leaves us, you and me, without excuse. We can, if we choose, through the enabling of the Holy Spirit, obey God’s laws and thus accomplish His purpose for us as believers.

Bible Reading: Galatians 5:16-26

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Drawing upon the supernatural resources of the Holy Spirit I choose to obey God’s laws rather than yield to the pull of my old evil nature

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; H.L.M. – Godly Foundation

November 6, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

The Ten Commandments are a summary of the law given to God’s people through Moses. Jesus’ summary in the book of Matthew also adds “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Yet, just like the Ten Commandments, it reflects God’s expectations for His followers: to love Him and to love people.

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

Matthew 22:37

The Pilgrims are a great example of people who embraced these biblical principles. Ninety-nine percent of the colonial population professed to be followers of the Lord. Their purpose, as stated in the Mayflower Compact, was to plant colonies “for the glory of God and advancement of the Christian faith.” In fact, the Pilgrims’ reason for coming to America was to share the gospel with the Native Americans.

As you spend time with the Lord, remember to thank Him for blessing America with a unique heritage rooted in the Bible. Remember also to look for daily opportunities to share His love through your actions and your words. Intercede for your local and national leaders to embrace a true love for God and His commandments. Pray, finally, that Americans would embrace God’s purposes for this country.

Greg Laurie – Needing a Recharge

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O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and glory. Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! —Psalm 63:1–3

When I travel, I take my laptop with me to work on my messages. But often I must work off the battery, so whenever I have the opportunity, I will plug in to the nearest electrical outlet. Why? Because my battery runs down and needs a recharge.

Sometimes that’s the way it is for us as believers. We come to church and get plugged in spiritually. Then we try to run off that energy all week long. We don’t realize we need the power of Christ at all times, in every situation, every conversation, every circumstance in which we find ourselves. In other words, we need a constant power source. We need to be plugged in all the time.

In Psalm 63, David was praying, “Lord, I want to walk with you all the time. Yes, I have seen your glory in the sanctuary, but I want that all week long.”

I can’t help but think of the prophet Elijah, who became physically, emotionally, and spiritually depleted in his warfare with the enemies of God. An angel of the Lord found him curled up under a bush in the desert, wanting to die. The angel provided him with some bread, let him rest, and then woke him up for another heavenly meal. The angel said, “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you” (1 Kings 19:7). We, too, become run down and spiritually depleted. And God has a wonderful meal waiting for us every day in the Word of God, served by the Holy Spirit Himself.

Elijah needed to plug in again, and so do we. We need to make time for God and His Word in our day. Sometimes that means just grabbing it where we can. Read some Scripture verses when you get up in the morning. Listen to some worship or a Bible study on your way to work or school. Take the moments where you can find them to plug in and stay tapped into all that God has for you.

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

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Strength in Prayer

November 6, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Jesus prayed! He would even disappear for an entire night of prayer. I’m thinking of one night in particular. The day began with the news of the death of John the Baptist. Grief-stricken, Jesus sought to retreat with His disciples, yet spent the day teaching and healing people who followed him. When it was discovered the crowd had no food, Jesus multiplied bread out of a basket and fed the entire multitude. In the span of a few hours, he battled sorrow, stress, demands and needs. He deserved to rest. Yet when evening came, he told the crowd to leave and the disciples to board their boat.

Mark 6:46 tells us, “He went up into the hills by himself to pray.” Lord, teach us to pray like that! To find strength in prayer. Teach us to experience a heart connection with God instead of settling for a prayer wish list for God!

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Pursuing Holiness

November 5, 2014 broboinhawaii 1 Comment

1 Peter 1:15-21

God’s children are called to live holy lives that are marked by a deep reverence for Him. One strong motivation for righteous living is the cross and what it represents.

First, the cross is a reminder of our original position as outsiders, separated from God because of sin. Second, it points to our need for a Savior. Divine justice decrees that the penalty for sin is death (Rom. 6:23). But the only acceptable payment is a blood sacrifice from a life without defect (Lev. 17:11; Deut. 17:1). Since we’re all guilty, we can’t pay for our own sins. Third, it was on the cross that Jesus took our place and endured God’s wrath so we could be forgiven. Fourth, the crucifixion marks the time when God’s justice was satisfied and His mercy was demonstrated. Finally, it points out the way to be reconciled to the Father and adopted into His family. Only by faith in Jesus Christ can we be saved (John 14:6).

Sadly, many have forgotten about God’s requirement of holiness (v. 15). Instead of keeping to His standards of attitude and behavior, they tend to embrace some worldly values that seem more comfortable or self-satisfying. Then, secular goals like pleasure and material wealth tend to replace godly ones like obedience and servanthood. Such worldly goals are encouraged by our culture, which has little fear of God and typically ignores His warnings and commands.

To counteract the culture’s influence, keep the meaning of the cross before you. Then you’ll be motivated to pursue holiness in honor of the One who gave His life to save you.

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Less Than The Least

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Genesis 32:3-12

I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant. —Genesis 32:10

Unlike those who think highly of themselves, Jacob knew that he had been ruined by sin (Gen. 32:10). He thought himself a man unworthy of God’s grace. He had cheated his brother Esau out of his birthright (ch.27), and his brother hated him for it. Now, years later, Jacob was going to face Esau again.

“I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies,” Jacob prayed, using a word for “least” that suggests the tiniest object. “Deliver me, I pray” (32:10-11).

How odd to see those phrases side by side: I am unworthy of Your mercies . . . . Deliver me! Yet Jacob could pray for mercy because his hope lay not in his own worth, but in God’s promise to look with favor on those who throw themselves at His feet. Humility and contrition are the keys that open the heart of God. Someone has said that the best disposition for praying is being stripped of everything. It is crying out of the depths. It comes from the soul that knows its deep depravity.

Such prayers are offered by those who are thoroughly convicted of their sin and shame, but, at the same time, are convinced of God’s grace that goes out to undeserving sinners. God hears best those who cry out: “God, be merciful to me a sinner!” (Luke 18:13). —David Roper

Lord, I am like Jacob, in need of Your mercy.

I have failed You, and I bow at Your feet today.

Thank You for being a merciful God, ready

and able to forgive and restore me.

It is fitting for a great God to forgive great sinners.

Bible in a year: Jeremiah 34-36; Hebrews 2

Insight

Jacob had good reason to fear his brother Esau. With trickery and deception, Jacob had stolen both Esau’s inheritance (Gen. 25) and his blessing (Gen. 27). Esau’s last recorded words before he met Jacob again (Gen. 32) were “I will kill my brother Jacob” (27:41).

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – The Shelf Life of an Idea

November 5, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

The concept of “shelf life” has always intrigued me. It is an expression that describes exactly what it attempts to define. For instance, Twinkies have a shelf life of twenty-five days, after which, their existence on the shelf as something edible expires. But shelf life is also an expression that is metaphorically full. One might say of the American “Cabbage Patch Kids” that they were once a quite a phenomenon; shoppers were injured as the dolls were pulled off the shelves and seized by anxious crowds. But the craze was relatively short-lived; as far as fads go, the shelf life was fairly brief.

In high school chemistry we took in the ponderous thought that everything has a shelf life. In fact, in many substances this is an incredibly important number to watch. A variety of compounds, particularly those containing certain unstable elements, become more unstable as they approach their shelf life. Chemical explosives grow increasingly dangerous over time and with exposure to certain factors in the environment becoming liable to explode without warning.

There is a tendency to view ideas and thoughts as having a similar aging process. When something is deemed ancient or even slightly “behind the times” it is often accordingly considered obsolete, needing to be removed from the shelf. As if it has become out-dated like a loaf of bread or a gallon of milk, the aging thought or idea, in many minds, grows more unusable with time. And in many cases, history has shown this to be an accurate picture. Certain philosophies might come to mind as movements that rendered themselves useless over time and exposure to the world. Like compounds approaching their shelf life, their collapse was inevitable and they eventually imploded without warning.

Ideas undeniably have consequences and some approach their shelf lives more dangerously than others. While some have not fully burst at the seams, signs of instability appear. Grumbles of discontent from within their own ideological camps may hint at incoherence. Even so, the noticeable shelf life of specific ideas should cause us to question the cause of their expiration, rather than assume it is time alone that moves an idea to expire.

This is no doubt well-studied in science. Factors that increase and decrease the shelf life of a product move well beyond time itself. When certain compounds are stored at decreased temperatures, their shelf life is increased significantly. Likewise, the development of preservatives dramatically set back the expiration dates on food in our pantries. Like compounds and breakfast items, all ideas do not expire equally. We are thus badly mistaken to dismiss a thought solely because it is old.

The Christian story speaks of the promising hope of Father, Son, and Spirit as something that does not expire, but rather, continues to transform generation after generation. “Your promises have been thoroughly tested, and your servant loves them,” writes the psalmist. “I have learned from your words and acts that you established them to last forever.” Personally I know how often I have lived with quite a different assumption, thinking that surely modern thought has improved this or that idea, only to find myself returning to things generations old with new intrigue. The story of one who takes creation so seriously that he joins us within it is one such idea I cannot seem to remove haphazardly from the shelf because it seems to defy the notion of shelf life. A God who can come that near and be that available, while remaining really God, is a gift that won’t be outdated. It is the sort of thing that rearranges everything else on the shelf.

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

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg -Think Highly of Christ

November 5, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Give thanks to him; bless his name. Psalm 100:4

Our Lord would have all His people rich in high and happy thoughts concerning His blessed person. Jesus is not content that His brethren should think poorly of Him; it is His pleasure that His people should be delighted with His beauty. We are not to regard Him as a bare necessity, like bread and water, but as a luxurious delicacy, as a rare and ravishing delight. To this end He has revealed Himself as the “pearl of great price” in its peerless beauty, as the “bundle of myrrh”1 in its refreshing fragrance, as the “rose of Sharon” in its lasting perfume, as the “lily” in its spotless purity.

As a help to high thoughts of Christ, remember the estimation that Christ has beyond the skies, where things are measured by the right standard. Think how God esteems the Only Begotten, His unspeakable gift to us. Consider what the angels think of Him, as they count it their highest honor to veil their faces at His feet. Consider what the blood-washed think of Him, as day without night they sing His well-deserved praises. High thoughts of Christ will enable us to act consistently in our relationship with Him. The more loftily we see Christ enthroned, and the more lowly we are when bowing before the foot of the throne, the more truly shall we be prepared to act our part toward Him.

Our Lord Jesus desires us to think well of Him, that we may submit cheerfully to His authority. High thoughts of Him increase our love. Love and esteem go together. Therefore, believer, think much of your Master’s excellencies. Study Him in His pre-incarnate glory, before He took upon Himself your nature! Think of the mighty love that drew Him from His throne to die upon the cross! Admire Him as He conquers all the powers of hell! See Him risen, crowned, glorified! Bow before Him as the Wonderful, the Counselor, the Mighty God, for only in this way will your love for Him be what it should.

1) Song of Solomon 1:13, KJV

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The family reading plan for November 5, 2014 * Hosea 11 * Psalm 132, 133, 134

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

DAILY DEVOTIONS, NEWS AND INFORMATION

Monthly Archives: November 2014

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – No Other Savior

Presidential Prayer Team; G.C. – Biography

Greg Laurie – Completing the Work in You

Max Lucado – Your Suffering is Your Sermon

Charles Stanley – Called to Serve

Our Daily Bread — Horse Power

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Beyond Thoughts

Alistair Begg – Power of Blood

Charles Spurgeon – Let us pray

John MacArthur – Leaving a Righteous Legacy

Joyce Meyer – Experience God’s Peace and Rest

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – How to Obey God’s Laws

Presidential Prayer Team; H.L.M. – Godly Foundation

Greg Laurie – Needing a Recharge

Max Lucado – Strength in Prayer

Charles Stanley – Pursuing Holiness

Our Daily Bread — Less Than The Least

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – The Shelf Life of an Idea

Alistair Begg -Think Highly of Christ

Charles Spurgeon – Fast-day service: An exposition of Daniel 9:1-19

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