John MacArthur – Are You Avoiding Persecution?

April 27, 2015 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness” (Matt. 5:10).

If you don’t experience persecution, people probably don’t know you’re a Christian.

I heard of a man who was fearful because he was starting a new job with a group of unbelievers whom he thought might give him a bad time if they found out he was a Christian. After his first day at work his wife asked him how he got along with them. “We got along just fine,” he said. “They never found out I’m a Christian.”

Silence is one way to avoid persecution. Some other ways are to approve of the world’s standards, laugh at its jokes, enjoy its entertainment, and smile when it mocks God. If you never confront sin or tell people Jesus is the only way to heaven, or if your behavior is so worldly no one can distinguish you from unbelievers, you will probably be accepted and won’t feel the heat of persecution. But beware!

Jesus said, “Woe to you when all men speak well of you. . . . Whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when He comes in His glory” (Luke 6:26; 9:26). The last thing anyone should want is for Christ to pronounce a curse on them or be ashamed of them. That’s an enormous price to pay for popularity!

If you take a stand for Christ and manifest Beatitude attitudes, you will be in direct opposition to Satan and the evil world system. Eventually you will experience some form of persecution. That has been true from the very beginning of human history, when Abel was murdered by his brother Cain because Cain couldn’t tolerate his righteousness.

You should never fear persecution. God will grant you grace and will never test you beyond what He enables you to endure (1 Cor. 10:13). Nor should you ever compromise biblical truth to avoid persecution. In Philippians 1:29 Paul says that persecution is as much a gift of God as salvation itself. Both identify you as a true believer!

Suggestions for Prayer; Memorize 1 Peter 2:20-21. Ask God to continually grant you the grace to follow Christ’s example when difficulties come your way.

For Further Study; Read 2 Corinthians 11:23-33, noting the severe persecution Paul endured for Christ’s sake.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Uncommon Wisdom

April 27, 2015 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him. James 1:5

Surprisingly, many sophisticated and intelligent people lack wisdom and common sense. Wisdom and common sense are closely linked—wisdom discerns truth in a situation, while common sense provides good judgment regarding what to do about the truth. Wisdom is supernatural—it isn’t taught by men; it is a gift from God.

It is amazing how many people seem to think that common sense is incompatible with being “spiritual.” Spiritual people don’t float around all day on clouds of glory, seeing angels and hearing disembodied voices. You live in a real world with real issues and need real answers. You do the seeking and He does the speaking, but He is the Spirit of Wisdom and will not tell you to do things that are unwise. If you need answers in your life, Wisdom is yours for the asking.

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Cleansed From Sin

April 27, 2015 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“But if we are living in the light of God’s presence, just as Christ does, then we have wonderful fellowship and joy with each other, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from every sin” (1 John 1:7).

A pastor I know had once delighted in studying and preaching the Word of God. In his earlier days, he had been a real soul-winner, but the time came when he no longer spent time reading and studying the Scriptures. He became critical, discouraged and pessimistic. Finally, his personal life and his family fell apart.

At one point, he told me, he was thinking about committing suicide. He could have been spared all of this heartache, tragedy and sorrow if only he had continued to study the Word of God, to meditate on its truths and to obey its commands.

As someone wisely said, “Sin will keep you from God’s Word, or God’s Word will keep you from sin.”

Many of the problems we experience in the Christian life are self-imposed. They are the result of carelessness in the way we walk. The promises of God are true; you can stake your life on them. The way to supernatural living is to walk with God in the light of His presence.

“God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. So if we say we are His friends, but go on living in spiritual darkness and sin, we are lying. But if we are living in the light of God’s presence…then we have wonderful fellowship and joy…” (1 John 1:5-7, LB).

Bible Reading: I John 2:1-6

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Claiming the power of the Holy Spirit, I will continue to live in the light of God’s presence and explain to those who walk in darkness how they too can walk in the light of God’s presence and in joyful fellowship with our risen Savior.

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; J.R. – Focus Fix

April 27, 2015 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Suppose, for a moment, you are the president, and you have made the decision to respond to all your critics. You’ve determined that to protect your character, an immediate rebuttal is required for every lie, allegation and disparaging word. Here is what you are up against: there are 1,700 television stations in the United States; about 14,000 radio stations, and 1,000-plus daily newspapers. If each of them publishes just one criticism of you per week, you would need to address thousands of criticisms every single day…and that’s before you begin tackling the criticism on hundreds of thousands of websites.

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

Colossians 3:2

It can’t be done, and any good president would not waste his time on it – there are more important things to do. So why do you waste time responding to criticism, trying to get even, or wallowing in the misery others would foist upon you? There are more important things to do…heavenly-focused things.

Today, ask God to help you look beyond the earthly and unimportant to the eternal and the extraordinary. That’s the way you’ll make a difference in your neighborhood, and your nation, today!

Recommended Reading: II Corinthians 4:7-18

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – The Greatest Stories Ever Told

April 27, 2015 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.—2 Timothy 3:16

Martin Luther said, “The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold of me.”

The Bible is the most amazing book ever written. It is literally God’s message to us. Technically speaking, the Bible is not one book, but it is actually sixty-six books, written over a 1,500-year span by forty different authors. From kings to peasants, from philosophers to fisherman, from poets to statesmen, each of them were inspired to write down its words.

In fact, the apostle Peter wrote, “Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God” (2 Peter 1:20–21). And 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” A better translation of “inspired by God” would be “breathed by God.”

In the pages of the Scriptures, we find the greatest stories ever told. I don’t mean the once-upon-a-time variety, and I don’t mean fairy tales or fables or myths. These stories in the Scriptures are documented historical events. However, the Bible is not merely a historical book, although it is that. The Bible is not just history; it is His story. And you know what? It is your story, too. Because as you look at some of the Bible’s stories, you will find yourself in them.

We read the Bible to know God, and we also read it to get a better understanding of God’s plan for our lives.

Our Daily Bread

Max Lucado – Bring Focus to Your Life

April 27, 2015 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Want to bring focus to your life? Do what Jesus did. Go home, love your family, and take care of business! Your first mission field is under your roof. What makes you think they’ll believe you overseas if they don’t believe you across the hall?

But Max, I’m ready to do great things for God. Good, do them at work. Be a good employee. Show up on time with a good attitude. Don’t complain or grumble. Do as Colossians 3:23 says, “Work as if you were doing it for the Lord, not for people.”

Why don’t you take a few moments and evaluate your direction? Ask yourself, “Am I serving God now?” Regardless of what has controlled you in the past—it’s never too late to get your life on course!

From Just Like Jesus

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Getting to Know God

April 26, 2015 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Does your time with the Lord revitalize you, or does it feel more like a ritualistic experience? Discover six ways you can deepen your relationship with the Father and remain devoted to Him.

Did you know God wants to show you more of Himself every day? Does your time with the Lord revitalize you, or does it feel more like a ritualistic experience? In Hosea 6:6, God is clear: “I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, and in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”

In order to deepen your relationship with the Father and remain devoted to Him, you must:

Come to Him honestly. Confessing your sins and inviting Jesus Christ into your heart requires you to be vulnerable. Although such humility and repentance may seem intimidating, accepting Christ is the best decision anyone can ever make.
Understand your reliance upon Him. Throughout the Bible, there are people who understood their only hope was to trust the Lord to help them and deliver them from their troubles. Hannah, one such biblical character, saw God as her only source of comfort and power: “She, greatly distressed, prayed to the LORD” (1 Sam. 1:10). And because she did, He looked upon her with compassion and grace, answering her prayers (1 Sam. 1:19-20).

Your knowledge of the Father grows as you recognize His love for you.

Become interested in what interests Him. Do you have a desire for spiritual insight and godly wisdom? If so, the Lord wants to satisfy that yearning within you. Ask Him to fulfill your longing to know Him better and to help you be interested in the things that concern Him.
Know His Word. By reading the Bible, you open your heart to Him. He has given you the Holy Spirit to help you understand His Word, and He wants you to meditate on it so you can apply it to your life.
Observe His characteristics and ways. Read the promises God makes in His Word. Ask Him to remind you of how He has already worked in your life—with all the wisdom, love, and power you will ever need for any challenge you will ever face.
Accept His invitation and follow His commands. God is constantly inviting you to walk with Him. Give the Lord total control of your decisions, time, talents, and possessions—walking in complete submission to Him. Your obedience will certainly bring great blessing.

Your knowledge of the Father grows as you recognize His love for you. God delights in your joyful praise and worship of Him. Psalm 46:10 says, “Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” As your knowledge of Him deepens, your ability to trust and obey Him will increase. You will find your life’s fulfillment when you come to know and exalt the Lord of all creation.

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — The Book Behind The Story

April 26, 2015 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Read: Psalm 119:105-112
Bible in a Year: 2 Samuel 23-24; Luke 19:1-27

Your testimonies I have taken as a heritage forever, for they are the rejoicing of my heart. —Psalm 119:111

Millions of people around the world have seen Gone with the Wind, which premiered in the United States on December 15, 1939. It won 10 Academy Awards and remains one of Hollywood’s most commercially successful films. It was based on Margaret Mitchell’s 1936 novel, which sold one million copies within 6 months, received a Pulitzer Prize, and has been translated into more than 40 languages. An epic movie often has its source in a powerful and timeless book.

The book that’s the basis for the Christian faith is the Bible. From Genesis to Revelation, it is infused with God’s plan for His creation, including us. Psalm 119 celebrates the power and necessity of God’s Word in our lives. It lights our path (v.105), revives our souls (v.107), and guards our steps (v.110). Through the Scriptures we find wisdom, guidance, life, and joy. “Your testimonies I have taken as a heritage forever, for they are the rejoicing of my heart” (v.111).

Jesus our Lord calls us to base our lives on His Word and share the joy of knowing Him with people who are longing to find life. “I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes forever, to the very end” (v.112).

What a book! What a Savior! —David McCasland

Dear Lord, Your Word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. Your laws are my treasure; they are my heart’s delight. I am determined to keep Your decrees to the very end.

The Bible, God’s eternal truth, can be trusted today.

INSIGHT: Psalm 119 is the psalmist’s response to God’s Word. Although he was scorned for trusting it (vv. 23-24), the psalmist vowed to remain committed to knowing and obeying God’s Word (vv. 106-110). In the midst of life’s troubles and difficulties (v. 107), he affirmed that God’s law is indeed a lamp that illuminates his ways and a light that provides guidance in responding to life (vv. 105,130). The psalmist believed that God’s Word would renew him and keep him strong (v. 107). It was his heritage and his joy (v. 111).

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Remember Me

April 26, 2015 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Do this in remembrance of me.

1 Corinthians 11:24

It appears that Christians may forget Christ! There would be no need for this loving exhortation if there were not a fearful possibility that our memories might prove treacherous. Nor is this an empty notion: It is, sadly too well confirmed in our experience, not as a possibility, but as a lamentable fact. It appears almost impossible that those who have been redeemed by the blood of the dying Lamb and loved with an everlasting love by the eternal Son of God could forget that gracious Savior; but if startling to the ear, sadly it is too apparent to the eye to allow us to deny the crime. Forget Him who never forgot us! Forget Him who poured His blood out for our sins! Forget Him who loved us even to death! Can it be possible? Yes, it is not only possible, but conscience confesses that it is too sadly a fault with all of us that we treat Him as a stranger, like an overnight guest. Instead of Him being a permanent resident in our memories, we treat Him as a visitor. The cross where one would expect that memory would linger and disinterest would be an unknown intruder is desecrated by the feet of forgetfulness.

Doesn’t your conscience say that this is true? Don’t you find yourselves forgetful of Jesus? Some other love steals away your heart, and you are unmindful of Him upon whom your affection ought to be set. Some earthly business engrosses your attention when you ought to be fixed steadily upon the cross. It is the incessant turmoil of the world, the constant attraction of earthly things, that takes the soul away from Christ. While memory works to preserve a poisonous weed, it allows the rose of Sharon to wither. Let us charge ourselves to tie a heavenly forget-me-not around our hearts for Jesus our Beloved, and whatever else we let slip, let us hold tight to Him.

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

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – David’s dying prayer

April 26, 2015 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“Let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen.” Psalm 72:19

John MacArthur – Paying the Price of Righteousness

April 26, 2015 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness” (Matt. 5:10).

There is a price to pay for being a Kingdom citizen.

Unlike many today who try to make the gospel palatable for reluctant sinners, Jesus made it clear that following Him had its price. Rather than acceptance, fame, prestige, and prosperity, you can expect rejection and persecution. That’s not a popular approach to evangelism, but it’s honest. Also it insures that no one will try to enter the kingdom on the wrong basis.

Jesus wanted His hearers to count the cost of discipleship. He knew that many of them would be disowned by their families and excommunicated from the Jewish synagogues. Many would suffer persecution or martyrdom at the hands of the Roman government. They needed to count the cost!

Persecution did come to those early Christians. The Emperor Nero smeared many of them with pitch, crucified them, and then burned them to light his garden parties. He condemned Christians for refusing to worship him as a god, and blamed them for the burning of Rome in [sc]A.D. 64. Christians were accused of cannibalism because Jesus said, “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him” (John 6:56). They were said to be revolutionaries because they believed that God would one day destroy the earth.

The world’s animosity toward Christians hasn’t changed. You might not face the severe persecutions the first-century believers faced, but you will be persecuted (Phil. 1:29). Even new Christians often face difficulties. If they refuse to join their former friends in sinful activities, they might be rejected. If they work for a dishonest boss who expects them to participate in or condone his evil practices, they might be fired or have to quit their jobs. That might bring extreme financial hardship to their families.

God won’t always shield you from persecution, but He will honor your integrity and give you strength to endure any trial that comes your way. Praise Him for His all-sufficient grace!

Suggestions for Prayer

Pray for those you know who are suffering hardship for Christ’s sake.
Ask God for the wisdom and strength to face persecution with integrity and unwavering faith.

For Further Study

Read James 1:2-4 and 1 Peter 5:10.

What purpose does suffering serve?
How should you respond to suffering?

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – No Darkness in Him

April 26, 2015 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“This is the message God has given us to pass on to you: That God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. So if we say we are His friends, but go on living in spiritual darkness and sin, we are lying. But if we are living in the light of God’s presence, just as Christ does, then we have wonderful fellowship and joy with each other, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from every sin” (1 John 1:5-7).

One of the first passages of Scripture that I memorized as a new Christian was the first chapter of 1 John. This passage has been a beacon to me through the years as a simple reminder that in God is light and the only reason that I do not live perpetually in that light is because at times I deliberately sin.

Steve had lost his joy and enthusiasm for Christ, and as a new Christian was perplexed. He could not understand what had happened to him. As we counseled together, it became apparent that he had allowed some of his old natural habit patterns to creep back into his life.

I suggested that he make a list of all the things that were wrong in his life and confess them to the Lord in accordance with 1 John 1:9. A few days later, with joyful enthusiasm he came to share with me how his heart had been kindled afresh with the love of God as he was now walking in the light as God is in the light, having wonderful fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

How does one walk in the light? Do not tolerate unconfessed sin. Meditate upon the Word of God. Spend time in prayer talking to God and letting Him talk to you. Share your faith in Christ with others. Obey the commandments of God.

Are you walking in the light as God is in the light? Are you experiencing the joy of the Lord? Are you constrained by the love of Christ to share Him with others?

Bible Reading: I John 1:6-10

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I shall always seek to walk in the light as God is in the light in order that I may experience wonderful fellowship with my Lord. When I find myself walking in darkness, I shall pause to confess my sins and by faith claim God’s forgiveness and cleansing so that I may be restored to once again walk in the light with God.

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – No Darkness in Him

April 26, 2015 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Are you walking in the light as God is in the light? Are you experiencing the joy of the Lord? Are you constrained by the love of Christ to share Him with others?

Bible Reading: I John 1:6-10

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; P.G. – Facing Tomorrow

April 26, 2015 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Her village was seized by Islamic State and she’s now living a rough life in an unfinished mall in Kurdish-protected Northern Iraq. This displaced nine-year-old Christian refugee child asked God to forgive the ISIS militants. Little Myriam said, “God provides for us. He loves us. Jesus will be with us no matter where we go.” Though a child, Myriam understands faith in Christ and the power of His resurrection in her life. Unfortunately, she may yet be forced to face untimely death at the hands of Islamic State.

That I may know him and the power of his resurrection.

Philippians 3:10

In America, some Christians are being harassed for their values or facing legal bullying for standing for biblical principles. But the persecution that faces Myriam and others like her in the Middle East has not yet arrived in this nation. Pray, indeed, that it does not!

Your charge as you face whatever tomorrow brings is to press on – to strain forward – toward the eternal citizenship in Heaven awaiting all who believe, and it takes resurrection power to do that. Avail yourself of that as you pray for America and those in authority…that they, too, might find the strength to endure through God who loves them.

Night Light for Couples – The Cost of Bitterness

April 26, 2015 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“I tell you, [forgive] not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” Matthew 18:22

Just as we must act on Scripture’s instruction to forgive, we should also consider the great cost of failing to do so. Withholding forgiveness brings on bitterness, which Neal T. Anderson says is like “battery acid in the soul.” It leads to anger, resentment, depression, health problems, isolation, struggles with addictions, and more. It continues to haunt the person until he or she comes to terms with it. People who hang on to bitterness cause more pain to themselves than to the targets of their wrath.

A second cost is equally distressing. Jesus told a parable of an unmerciful servant who, after his master forgave him a large debt, demanded payment of a small debt from another servant. The master had the first servant thrown into jail and tortured. “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you,” Jesus said, “unless you forgive your brother from your heart” (Matthew 18:35).

For couples who want to follow God’s way for marriage and who hope for His best in their relationship, forgiveness is not just a suggestion. It is a spiritual commandment!

Just between us…

Why is failing to forgive more damaging to us than to the one who wronged us?
Are either of us bitter about something today? Why?
What steps of forgiveness can we take together?
How can we avoid bitterness in the future?

Dear Lord, You have spoken plainly about the consequences of withholding forgiveness. Help us to hear You and obey. May we please You and bless each other with our quickness to forgive at all times. Amen.

From Night Light For Couples, by Dr. James & Shirley Dobson

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Staying Young and Fruitful

April 25, 2015 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Psalm 92:12-15

Our culture is obsessed with youth. Stores are flooded with products promising better health, fewer wrinkles, and a trim physique. However, these will only touch the surface of our aging problem. Unless death intervenes, growing old is inevitable. Living old, on the other hand, is a choice.

We each have to decide if we are going to flourish or dry up, grow strong or become weak. Physically, we may have no choice in the matter, but we can be young in soul and spirit, regardless of our chronological age.

When a righteous man is firmly planted in the Lord, he’ll become fruitful in things that will last into eternity. We are never to retire from bearing fruit. Rather, God wants us to abide continually in an intimate connection with Him. In that way, we can do the work He has given us to accomplish (John 15:4).

A righteous man will grow strong in the Lord like a cedar of Lebanon (Ps. 92:12). These trees can grow to a height of 120 feet with a girth of 40 feet. That is one strong tree! As we walk with Christ into our latter years, we can have the confidence and stability that come only from growing strong in faith. Each year is an opportunity to trust God more and rely wholly on His Word.

Staying young while growing old begins with your mind. Never stop listening to the Father or learning from His Word. Allow godly thinking to shape your attitudes. Be thankful, keep laughing, and rejoice in your Lord. Above all, keep believing and loving Him with all your heart.

Alistair Begg, Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Giving All

April 25, 2015 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Read: Romans 12:1-8
Bible in a Year: 2 Samuel 21-22; Luke 18:24-43

Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. —Romans 12:1

During his only inaugural address as the US President, John F. Kennedy issued this challenge to Americans: “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” It was a renewed call for citizens to surrender their lives in sacrifice and service to others. His words especially inspired the sons and daughters of men and women who had served their country in war.

His meaning was clear: What their parents purchased, often with their very lives, must now be protected by peaceful means. An army of volunteers arose to answer that call, and through the decades they have accomplished an immeasurable amount of humanitarian work around the globe.

Centuries earlier, the apostle Paul issued a similar call to Christians in the opening verses of Romans 12. Here he urges us to give our bodies as “living sacrifices” in service to the One who paid with His life for our sins. This spiritual sacrifice must be more than mere words; it must be an investment of our lives in the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of others.

Best of all, our serving can be done right where we are. —Randy Kilgore

Father, show me this day the many ways my life can be surrendered to You, and then give me the strength to begin to act.

Don’t always ask Jesus what He can do for you; ask Jesus what you can do for Him.

INSIGHT: In Romans 12:1 Paul encourages us to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice to God by exhibiting behavior that is pleasing to Him. However, verse 2 encourages us to have our minds renewed as well. God wants us to be totally His in both actions and thoughts.

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Come Away

April 25, 2015 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away.

Song of Solomon 2:10

I hear the voice of my Beloved! He speaks to me! Fair weather is smiling upon the face of the earth, and He does not want me to be spiritually asleep while nature is all around me awaking from her winter’s rest. He bids me “Arise,” as well He might, for I have been lying long enough among the weeds of worldliness. He is risen, and I am risen in Him; so why should I still cleave to the dust? From lower loves, desires, pursuits, and aspirations, I want to rise to Him.

He calls me by the sweet title “my love” and counts me “beautiful”; this is a good argument for my rising. If He has exalted me and thinks me fair, how can I linger in the tents of wickedness and make my friends in the wrong company? He bids me “Come away”; further and further from everything selfish, groveling, worldly, sinful, He calls me; yes, from the outwardly religious world that doesn’t know Him and has no sympathy with the mystery of godliness. “Come away” has no harsh sound to my ear, and what is there to hold me in this wilderness of vanity and sin?

My Lord, I want desperately to come away, but I am held among the thorns and cannot escape from them as I wish. I would, if it were possible, close my eyes and ears and heart to sin. You call me to Yourself by saying, “Come away,” and this is indeed a melodious call. To come to You is to come home from exile, to reach the shore out of the raging storm, to finally rest after hard labor, to reach the goal of my desires and the summit of my wishes.

But, Lord, how can a stone rise; how can a lump of clay come away from the horrible pit? Please raise me; draw me by Your grace. Send Your Holy Spirit to kindle sacred flames of love in my heart, and I will continue to rise until one day I will leave life and time behind me and come away indeed.

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

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – The cry of the heathen

April 25, 2015 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over unto Macedonia, and help us.” Acts 16:9

Suggested Further Reading: 2 Corinthians 8:1-15

There is no fear of any one becoming improvidently liberal. You need not be frightened that anyone here will give a thousand pounds this morning. We provide ample accommodation for those who feel inclined to do so. If anyone should be overtaken with such an enormous fit of generosity, we will register and remember it. But I fear there are no people like Barnabas now. Barnabas brought all he had, and put it into the treasury. “My dear friend, do not do that; do not be so rash.” Ah! he will not do that; there is no necessity for you to advise him. But I do say again, if Christianity were truly in our hearts; if we were what we professed to be; the men of generosity whom we meet with now and hold up as very paragons and patterns would cease to be wonders, for they would be as plentiful as leaves upon the trees. We demand of no man that he should beggar himself; but we do demand of every man who makes a profession that he is a Christian, that he should give his fair proportion, and not be content with giving as much to the cause of God as his own servant. We must have it that the man who is rich must give richly. We know the widow’s mite is precious, but the widow’s mite has been an enormously great loss to us. That widow’s mite has lost Jesus Christ many a thousand pounds. It is a very good thing in itself; but people with thousands a year talk of giving a widow’s mite. What a wicked application of what never can apply to them. No; in our proportion we must serve our God.

For meditation: We are instructed to give in proportion (2 Corinthians 8:12), in pleasure (2 Corinthians 9:7) and in privacy (Matthew 6:2-4). How do you calculate how much you should be giving to God’s work each week? In prayer?

Sermon no. 189
25 April (1858)

John MacArthur

John MacArthur –Messengers of Peace

April 25, 2015 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matt. 5:9).

You are a messenger of peace!

When Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matt. 5:9), He was referring to a special group of people whom God called to restore the peace that was forfeited because of sin. They may not be politicians, statesmen, diplomats, kings, presidents, or Nobel Prize winners, but they hold the key to true and lasting peace.

As a Christian, you are among that select group of peacemakers. As such you have two primary responsibilities. The first is to help others make peace with God. There is no greater privilege. The best way to do that is to preach the gospel of peace with clarity so people understand their alienation from God and seek reconciliation. Romans 10:15 says, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings of good things!” The early church preached peace through Christ, and that is your privilege as well.

Your second responsibility is to help reconcile believers to one another. That’s a very important issue to God. He won’t accept worship from those who are at odds with each other. They must first deal with the conflict (Matt. 5:23-24). That is especially true within a family. Peter warned husbands to treat their wives properly so their prayers wouldn’t be hindered (1 Pet. 3:7).

Peacemakers don’t avoid spiritual conflicts—they speak the truth in love and allow the Spirit to minister through them to bring reconciliation. If you see someone who is alienated from God, you are to present him or her with the gospel of peace. If you see two Christians fighting, you are to do everything you can to help them resolve their differences in a righteous manner.

Of course to be an effective peacemaker you must maintain your own peace with God. Sin in your life will disrupt peace and prevent you from dispensing God’s peace to others. Therefore continually guard your heart and confess your sin so that God can use you as His peacemaker.

Suggestions for Prayer; Pray for those close to you who don’t know Christ. Take every opportunity to tell them of God’s peace.

For Further Study; Read 2 Corinthians 5:17-21.

How did Paul describe the ministry of reconciliation?
What was Christ’s role in reconciling man to God?

DAILY DEVOTIONS, NEWS AND INFORMATION

Monthly Archives: April 2015

John MacArthur – Are You Avoiding Persecution?

Joyce Meyer – Uncommon Wisdom

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Cleansed From Sin

Presidential Prayer Team; J.R. – Focus Fix

Greg Laurie – The Greatest Stories Ever Told

Max Lucado – Bring Focus to Your Life

Charles Stanley – Getting to Know God

Our Daily Bread — The Book Behind The Story

Alistair Begg – Remember Me

Charles Spurgeon – David’s dying prayer

John MacArthur – Paying the Price of Righteousness

Joyce Meyer – No Darkness in Him

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – No Darkness in Him

Presidential Prayer Team; P.G. – Facing Tomorrow

Night Light for Couples – The Cost of Bitterness

Charles Stanley – Staying Young and Fruitful

Our Daily Bread — Giving All

Alistair Begg – Come Away

Charles Spurgeon – The cry of the heathen

John MacArthur –Messengers of Peace

Scriptures, Lessons, News and Links to help you survive.