Daily Archives: September 19, 2015

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Godly Quality of Generosity

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Proverbs 11:24-25

When I was a child, I lived with my mother in a single-room home. She made just enough money for food, clothing, and rent. Most Saturdays, this one boy would come to the door and ask, “Do y’all have anything to eat?” I’d look in the icebox and see perhaps a piece of fruit or a few eggs and a little bacon, and not much else. But my mother always found some food for that boy.

Generosity is an attitude of sharing gladly whatever we might have, regardless of wealth. Scripture reveals liberality is an attribute of God (see Deut. 28:12 and Eph. 3:20). And as part of His transformative plan for believers, the Father desires that we develop a generous spirit.

A bighearted approach to our time and material goods starts by giving ourselves to God. When we accept that He owns everything, we can hold our small share with an open hand. But the choice to nurture generosity is based on our trust. Instead of adding figures to see what little amount might safely be set aside for charity, Christians should give sacrificially by faith. Hebrews 13:16 (NIV) tells us, “Do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” The Lord responds by supplying enough to cover the gift and our own need (Luke 6:38). Only through giving do we learn that we can never outgive God.

Some believers choose selfishness and rebellion, but God promised a form of poverty—whether financial, emotional, or spiritual—to those who do. Instead, make a decision today to cultivate a generous spirit for the Lord.

Bible in One Year: Hosea 10-14

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Lessons in Suffering

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Read: 2 Corinthians 11:21-30

Bible in a Year: Ecclesiastes 1-3; 2 Corinthians 11:16-33

If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. —2 Corinthians 11:30

The close-up image on the giant screen was big and sharp, so we could see the deep cuts on the man’s body. A soldier beat him while an angry crowd laughed at the man whose face was now covered with blood. The scenes appeared so real that, in the silence of the open-air theater, I cringed and grimaced as if I could feel the pain myself. But this was only a film reenactment of Jesus’ suffering for us.

Reminding us of Jesus’ suffering, Peter wrote, “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps” (1 Peter 2:21). While suffering comes in different forms and intensity, it is to be expected. Ours may not be as intense as that experienced by Paul, who for the sake of Christ was beaten with rods, stoned, and shipwrecked. He was attacked by bandits, and he endured hunger and thirst (2 Cor. 11:24-27). Likewise, we may not suffer like those who endure severe persecution in cultures where Christianity is not welcomed.

In some form or another, however, suffering will come our way as we deny ourselves, endure harassment, bear insults, or refuse to engage in activities that do not honor the Lord. Even exercising patience, avoiding revenge, and forgiving others in order to foster good relationships are forms of following in His steps.

Whenever we encounter suffering, may we remember what Jesus endured for us. —Lawrence Darmani

What have you learned about God through your trials?

The school of suffering teaches us lessons that we could learn in no other classroom.

INSIGHT: Today’s passage lists the trials that Paul suffered in service for the gospel. Most of us have not experienced the persecution that Paul faced. But for him, suffering was a small price to pay. In fact, it was an honor for him to suffer because of the gospel (v. 30). Because Christ suffered for us, suffering for Him is a privilege. J.R. Hudberg

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Freedom

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For freedom Christ has set us free. Galatians 5:1

This “freedom” is established in heaven’s charter-the Bible. Here is a choice passage, believer: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.”1 Here is another: “The mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you.”2

These Scriptures set you free in believing. You are a welcome guest at this table of promises. Scripture is a never-failing treasury filled with boundless stores of grace. It is the bank of heaven; you may draw from it as much as you wish, without any hindrance.

Come in faith; you are welcome to all the covenant blessings. There is not a promise in the Word that will be withheld. In the deepest tribulations let this freedom comfort you; overwhelmed by waves of distress let it cheer you; when sorrows surround you let it be your solace. This is your Father’s love-token; you are free in it at all times.

You are also given free access to the throne of grace. It is the believer’s privilege to have access at all times to his heavenly Father. Whatever our desires, our difficulties, our wants, we are at liberty to spread them all before Him. It does not matter how much we may have sinned, we can ask and expect pardon. No matter how poor we are, we may plead His promise that He will provide everything we need. We have permission to approach His throne at all times-in midnight’s darkest hour or in noontide’s most burning heat.

Exercise your right, believer, and enjoy this privilege. You are set free to all that is treasured up in Christ-wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. It does not matter what your need is, for there is abundant supply in Christ, and it is there for you. What a “freedom” is yours! Freedom from condemnation, freedom to the promises, freedom to the throne of grace, and at last freedom to enter heaven!

1) Isaiah 43:2

2) Isaiah 54:10

The Family Bible Reading Plan

  • 2 Samuel 15
  • 2 Corinthians 8

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

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – His name — Wonderful

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“His name shall be called Wonderful.” Isaiah 9:6

Suggested Further Reading: Luke 1:26-35

It is just the simple name that he deserves. They that know him best will say that the word does not overstrain his merits, but rather falls infinitely short of his glorious deserving. His name is called Wonderful. And mark, it does not merely say, that God has given him the name of Wonderful—though that is implied; but “his name shall be called” so. It shall be; it is at this time called Wonderful by all his believing people, and it shall be. As long as the moon endures, there shall be found men, and angels, and glorified spirits, who shall always call him by his right name. “His name shall be called Wonderful.” I find that this name may bear two or three interpretations. The word is sometimes in Scripture translated “marvellous.” Jesus Christ may be called marvellous; and a learned German interpreter says, that without doubt, the meaning of miraculous is also wrapt up in it. Christ is the marvel of marvels, the miracle of miracles. “His name shall be called Miraculous,” for he is more than a man, he is God’s highest miracle. “Great is the mystery of godliness; God was manifest in the flesh.” It may also mean separated, or distinguished. And Jesus Christ may well be called this; for as Saul was distinguished from all men, being head and shoulders taller than they, so is Christ distinguished above all men; he is anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows, and in his character, and in his acts, he is infinitely separated from all comparison with any of the sons of men. “Thou art fairer than the children of men; grace is poured into thy lips.” He is “the chief among ten thousand and altogether lovely.” “His name shall be called the Separated One,” the distinguished one, the noble one, set apart from the common race of mankind.

For meditation: It is not possible to exaggerate when we speak of the Lord Jesus Christ—the one who is to be called Saviour, Son and Sinless (Luke 1:31-35)—no less than “God with us” (Matthew 1:21-23).

Sermon no. 214

19 September (1858)

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Extinguishing Satan’s Fiery Darts

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“In addition to all, [take] up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one” (Eph. 6:16).

Don’t elevate Satan’s will above God’s will in your life.

In Ephesians 6:13 Paul characterizes Satan as “the evil one” who attacks believers with flaming missiles. The Greek word translated “evil one” literally means “bad,” “vile,” or “wretched.” All are apt descriptions of the archenemy of our souls, who seeks to maim and destroy us spiritually.

The term “flaming missiles” pictures one of the Roman weapons of Paul’s day: arrows that had pitch-soaked cotton material affixed to their tips. In battle they were set on fire and shot at the enemy. As the arrow hit its target, flaming pitch spread onto clothing and other flammable surfaces. Under such attacks a Roman soldier without a shield was in a perilous situation indeed.

Satan’s flaming arrows come in many forms: solicitations to impurity, selfishness, doubt, fear, disappointment, greed, vanity, covetousness, and the like. But whatever the specific form, all are seducing temptations aimed at eliciting ungodly responses.

Your faith protects you from such attacks when you elevate God’s will above Satan’s in your life. When tempted by Satan, Jesus responded by saying in effect, “I will not violate my Father’s will by yielding to your devious schemes. In His own time He will feed Me, anoint Me as Messiah, and give Me the kingdoms of the world. I will not elevate your will and timing above His” (Matt. 4:1-11).

Jesus could have created food. He is the Messiah and the sovereign Lord over the kingdoms of the world. But He trusted the Father and yielded to His will, even though it meant personal discomfort and, eventually, the cross. When Satan saw that Jesus’ trust in the Father was unshakable, he left Him (v. 11). That’s the power of faith.

I pray you will show similar strength in times of testing. Satan will flee from you if you “resist him, firm in your faith” (1 Pet. 5:9).

Suggestions for Prayer

Praise Jesus for His sinless character and His example of how to triumph over temptation.

For Further Study

Memorize James 4:7 as a reminder of the importance of resisting Satan.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Spirit-Led Persistence

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Then what am I to do? I will pray with my spirit [by the Holy Spirit that is within me], but I will also pray [intelligently] with my mind and understanding. – 1 Corinthians 14:15

I really want to encourage you to pray persistent, persevering prayers by the leading of the Holy Spirit—not mere repetitious prayers that do not come from your heart, but prayers that refuse to give up. It is possible to use your mouth to speak words of prayer that have no meaning behind them at all, and those prayers are nothing but dead works. I could quote the entire Lord’s Prayer while I am thinking about something else, and that would not bless God or do me any good, but if I am sincere and pray from my heart, God hears and works in my behalf.

Lip service doesn’t do anything for God or accomplish anything in our lives, so even when we pray about the same thing over and over again, we need to be careful not to fall into meaningless repetition. Instead, we need to allow the Holy Spirit to lead us in a fresh way, even when we are addressing a subject about which we have prayed for a long time. Sometimes He will lead us to be diligent and persistent about a matter, but there is a difference between Spirit-led persistence and repetition.

Words spoken in prayer that are not connected to our hearts are words without power. When we pray we should focus and concentrate on what we are saying. We should never merely verbalize things we have memorized while our hearts are far from God. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man avails much and makes tremendous power available (see James 5:16).

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – How to Find Your Life

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“For anyone who keeps his life for himself shall lose it; and anyone who loses his life for Me shall find it again” (Matthew 16:25).

From all outward appearances Tom and Mary were the ideal couple. They lived in a beautiful mansion. They possessed several fine cars – more than they needed. Both of them dressed elegantly and they entertained lavishly. They were the life of the party and everything seemed too good to be true. And it was.

Beneath the facade they were miserable creatures, though outwardly they seemed to be loving and considerate of each other. I soon learned that they had great resentments and deep-seated antagonisms toward each other. Their quarrels had become more frequent, sometimes exploding into temper tantrums, and sometimes resulting in physical abuse. They had tried in a number of ways to find happiness and fulfillment, including several around-the-world trips. But the harder they had tried, the more miserable they had become.

It was in this context that I shared with them the importance of surrendering their lives to Christ and inviting Him to be their Savior. I counseled them to lose themselves, as His representatives, in bringing happiness into the lives of others.

Receiving Christ was not so hard for them to do . They both realized they were sinners and needed as Savior. But they had lived such selfish lives for so long that it was not easy for them to begin to consider others as the Scripture admonishes. After a time they did begin to work with elderly people in convalescent homes and with prisoners through the ministry of the local church. On occasion, they gave their testimony at the skid row mission.

With the passing of time, the miracle happened and that illusive goal of happiness, fulfillment and satisfaction became a reality. In losing their lives they truly found them in service to others in the name of Christ. They found the abundant life which He promised and for which they had sought so long.

God’s loyalty has been proven over and over again. In reviewing my own experiences, and in observing the lives of many others, I have become aware that the individual who seeks happiness never finds it, but the one who is committed to taking happiness to others always finds it. And he also finds meaning, purpose, joy and peace in the process.

Bible Reading: Matthew 16:24-27

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I am determined to experience the reality of this promise by surrendering the control of my life to Him and demonstrating my commitment through serving others.

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; H.L.M. – All of You

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Actress Candace Cameron Bure, known best for playing D.J. in the television series Full House, has never tried to hide her faith in Hollywood. “For me, my faith is who I am and I carry that with me wherever I go,” she says. “I don’t think of it in terms of ‘I have to live it out, or act this way or that.’ I’m just myself.”

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing.

Romans 15:13

When Bure appeared on Dancing with the Stars, she found parallels between performing on the show and her faith. Bure’s partner, Mark Ballas, asked her to give 100 percent all of the time, even during rehearsals. For an actress who was used to doing that only when the camera was filming, the request proved a challenge. Bure said, “I thought, ‘Wow, isn’t that like our Christian walk?’ It’s so easy to say, ‘God, I’m giving you 50 to 80 percent,’ and that’s pretty good. But the Bible says God wants all of you, 100 percent of the time – the good stuff and bad stuff, too.”

As you spend time with the Lord, remember to thank Him for those who are shining lights for Him in American culture. Pray also for boldness and courage for those Christian leaders serving in Washington D.C.

Recommended Reading: Colossians 1:1-8

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – The Clock of Life Is Ticking

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“So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”—Psalm 90:12

It seems the older you get, the faster time goes.

When I was in elementary school, time seemed to crawl at a snail’s pace. Now, not only do years go by quickly, but so do entire decades!

I read an interesting thing about what “time” it is in your life, depending on your age.

If you are 15, the time is 10:25 A.M.

20, the time is 11:34 A.M.

25, the time is 12:42 P.M.

30, the time is 1:51 P.M.

35, the time is 3:00 P.M.

40, the time is 4:08 P.M.

45, the time is 5:15 P.M.

50, the time is 6:25 P.M.

55, the time is 7:34 P.M.

60, the time is 8:42 P.M.

65, the time is 9:51 P.M.

70, the time is 11:00 P.M.

I don’t know where that puts you, but for me it’s about 8:45 P.M.

That’s sad, because I go to bed around 10:00!

Seriously, time is passing by so quickly. Let’s take the counsel of Scripture: “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

What “time” is it for you, and what would you like to do before “midnight”?

Night Light - James & Shirley Dobson

Night Light for Couples – Unsung Heroes

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“Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom…. Wealth and honor come from you.” 1 Chronicles 29:11–12

As a society, we are inclined to honor heroes and high achievers. We award a Purple Heart to soldiers wounded in action. We admire All‐Americans who excel in college football, basketball, or baseball. We celebrate winners of the Nobel Peace Prize. We applaud students who graduate magna cum laude. We fawn over movie stars at the Academy Awards. But who takes time to honor the wives and husbands who diligently fulfill their responsibilities each day? Who cares about these unsung heroes who give of themselves, sacrificing for their children or caring for each other? Most often, the only cheering section for such couples is themselves—but when one partner doesn’t seem to notice, it’s pretty tough for the other to feel valued or motivated.

Scripture is clear regarding this matter. The apostle Paul says, “Honor one another above yourselves” (Romans 12:10). There’s no better place to apply this verse than in your home—with the husband or wife sitting next to you.

Just between us…

  • What do you think honoring each other means in the context of marriage?
  • Do you feel “honored” by me?
  • Do you know, without a doubt, that I hold you in highest esteem?

When in our marriage have you most felt this way? When have you not?

Dear Lord, in our rush to admire and celebrate the achievements of others, help us to remember the loving life partner right beside us who most deserves our appreciation and respect. Open our eyes to simple but meaningful ways we can show honor. Amen.

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

C.S. Lewis

C.S. Lewis Daily – Today’s Reading

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When I attempted . . . . to describe our spiritual longings, I was omitting one of their most curious characteristics. We usually notice it just as the moment of vision dies away, as the music ends, or as the land- scape loses the celestial light. . . . . For a few minutes we have had the illusion of belonging to that world. Now we wake to find that it is no such thing. We have been mere spectators. Beauty has smiled, but not to welcome us; her face was turned in our direction, but not to see us. We have not been accepted, welcomed, or taken into the dance. We may go when we please, we may stay if we can: “Nobody marks us.” A scientist may reply that since most of the things we call beautiful are inanimate, it is not very surprising that they take no notice of us. That, of course, is true. It is not the physical objects that I am speaking of, but that indescribable something of which they become for a moment the messengers. And part of the bitterness which mixes with the sweetness of that message is due to the fact that it so seldom seems to be a message intended for us, but rather something we have overheard. By bitterness I mean pain, not resentment. We should hardly dare to ask that any notice be taken of ourselves. But we pine. The sense that in this universe we are treated as strangers, the longing to be acknowledged, to meet with some response, to bridge some chasm that yawns between us and reality, is part of our inconsolable secret. And surely, from this point of view, the promise of glory, in the sense described, becomes highly relevant to our deep desire. For glory means good report with God, acceptance by God, response, acknowledgement, and welcome into the heart of things. The door on which we have been knocking all our lives will open at last.

From The Weight of Glory

Compiled in a Year with C.S. Lewis

Streams in the Desert

Streams in the Desert for Kids – I Know for Sure

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Hebrews 11:1

Mark was a young boy whose grandmother told him he could ask for one thing for his birthday from a catalogue. Mark spent the next few days pouring over the catalogue, looking at all the different things he could ask for. Should he ask for a new ski coat or new running shoes? Should he ask for a new book or a DVD? Should he ask for new swimming gear for the summer or a video game?

It took a long time, but Mark finally decided. He wrote a letter to his grandmother telling her that he wanted a brand new swim suit that he could use at her cottage on the lake that summer. He went to the mailbox to mail his letter, but instead of letting it go he held onto the end of it. He stood there for quite a while, thinking, Did I really ask for what I wanted most? Should I think some more about what to ask for? Maybe I want a red swim suit instead of the green one. Did my grandmother really mean it when she told me to ask for a present?

Finally, Mark pulled the letter out of the box and put it in his pocket and went home to worry about it some more. Guess what? He didn’t get a gift from his grandmother until he finally made up his mind to let the letter go. Then soon there was a package from her with his gift inside.

Having faith in God is something like that. If we trust God completely, we tell him what we need then we let it go. We go on about our business and see what he will do for us. That is what it means to be certain about what we do not see.

Dear Lord, I’m going to ask for something I really need. Then I’m going to let go and wait to see what you will do. Amen.