Daily Archives: January 21, 2016

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – How to Serve God

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Titus 3:5-8

When we encounter opportunities to serve God, we don’t always respond in the way He desires. Perhaps we think we can’t because our schedule is too busy or we don’t feel qualified.

Those knee-jerk reactions slam a door closed before we’ve discovered whether or not the Lord wants us to go through it. You’ve probably never thought of a refusal to serve God as a type of idolatry, but that’s what it is—bowing down to self instead of submitting to Him.

The Lord desires that His servants be willing to do anything—and that they will seek His specific plan for them. He uniquely gifts followers to serve according to His will. But when we’ve already decided what we can’t do, won’t do, or are ill-equipped to do, then we’re acting by our own will. That doesn’t work.

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Welcome Home!

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Read: Luke 15:11-24

Bible in a Year: Exodus 1-3; Matthew 14:1-21

While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him. —Luke 15:20

When we were going through a particularly challenging time with our son, a friend pulled me aside after a church meeting. “I want you to know that I pray for you and your son every day,” he said. Then he added: “I feel so guilty.”

“Why?” I asked. “Because I’ve never had to deal with prodigal children,” he said. “My kids pretty much played by the rules. But it wasn’t because of anything I did or didn’t do. Kids,” he shrugged, “make their own choices.”

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Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Defining Atheism

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A popular tendency among some atheists these days is to define atheism, not as the positive thesis that God does not exist, but as the neutral claim that an atheist is one who simply lacks belief in God. If we could scan the mind of the atheist and catalogue all the beliefs the atheist holds, we would not find a belief of the form, “God exists.” Those who insist on defining atheism in this manner want to avoid the implications of having to defend the claim that God does not exist. They demand justification for faith in God while insisting that they bear no rational burdens in the debate since they are not making any positive claims on the question of God’s existence.

This strategy is mistaken on several levels. To begin with, there is no logical connection between a lack of belief about God in someone’s mind and the conclusion that God does not exist. At best, this definition leads us to agnosticism, roughly the view that we do not know whether or not God exists. For example, there are millions of people on this planet who hold no belief about the Los Angeles Lakers. But it would be quite a stretch to conclude from that empirical fact that the Lakers therefore do not exist.

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John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Biblical Patience

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“Walk . . . with patience” (Ephesians 4:1-2).

Patient Christians endure negative circumstances, cope with difficult people, and accept God’s plan for everything.

In our instant, microwave, drive-through, “I want it now” culture, patience is hard to come by. We get upset if we have to wait too long in the supermarket line or get stuck behind the guy driving ten miles per hour under the speed limit.

But today’s Scripture tells us that our lives need to be marked by patience. The Greek word translated “patience” literally means “long-tempered.” A patient person doesn’t have a short fuse or lose his temper.

There are three aspects to biblical patience. First, patience never gives in to negative circumstances, no matter how difficult. God told Abraham He would make him into a great nation and give Canaan to his descendants (Gen. 12:2, 7). When God made this promise, Abraham and Sarah had no children. They had to wait far past their childbearing years before God gave them a son. But Hebrews 6:15 says, “Having patiently waited, [Abraham] obtained the promise.” “He did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God” (Rom. 4:20). He trusted God and patiently waited for Him to fulfill His promise.

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Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – The Purpose of Beauty 

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The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. Psalm 19:1-4

As I write this, I am looking out onto the beauty of the Gulf coast. Trees sway effortlessly in the sea breeze. Wave after wave gently crashes upon the sandy beach. In many ways the beauty is simply more than anyone can possibly take in, and yet we as human beings are all deeply drawn to beauty. Why is this?

Beauty is a peculiar thing. It doesn’t produce any tangible goods. It can’t be bought or sold, and it is hard to even objectively define. Yet it is universally valued and pursued. We seek it out in the wonder of nature, in art and architecture, and in the eyes of a lover. Beauty, wonder, and glory are all interrelated themes that are central to the story of Scripture and part of a life of faithful discipleship.

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Today in the Word

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – Sufficiency in Christ

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In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

Recommended Reading

Psalm 107:1, 8, 15, 21, 31

The apostle Paul had a problem that he never specifically identified (2 Corinthians 12:7). It could have been a physical ailment (Galatians 4:15; 6:11), or it could have been attacks from false apostles (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). Or it might have been something else entirely. Whatever the problem, we know it was uncomfortable. Otherwise, Paul would not have asked God three different times to remove it.

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Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Enjoy Your Everyday Life

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Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is for one to eat and drink, and to find enjoyment in all the labor in which he labors under the sun all the days which God gives him—for this is his [allotted] part. Also, every man to whom God has given riches and possessions, and the power to enjoy them and to accept his appointed lot and to rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God [to him]. —Ecclesiastes 5:18-19

I want you to notice the words allotted part and appointed lot in the above passage. What King Solomon is basically communicating here is this message: enjoy your life. Take your “appointed lot” in life and enjoy it. In other words, embrace the life—the personality, the strengths and weaknesses, the family, the resources, the opportunities, the physical qualities, the abilities, the gifts, and the uniqueness—God has given you.

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Girlfriends in God

Girlfriends in God – Listen Up!

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Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak.

James 1:19

Friend to Friend

President Franklin D. Roosevelt got tired of smiling that big smile of his and saying all the usual things at the White House receptions he was required to attend. One evening he decided to find out if anybody was really listening to what he was saying.

As each person came through the reception line to shake his hand, President Roosevelt flashed his big smile and said, “I murdered my grandmother this morning.” People automatically responded with comments such as “How lovely” or “Keep up the great work, Mr. President.”

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Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Sure Road to Faith

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“So then, faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17, KJV).

Martin Luther said he studied his Bible in the same way he gathered apples. First, he shook the whole tree, that the ripest might fall; then he shook each limb, and when he had shaken each limb, he shook each branch, and after each branch, every twig; and then he looked under every leaf. He admonishes us:

“Search the Bible as a whole, shaking the whole tree. Read it rapidly, as you would any book. Then shake every limb – study book after book.

“Then shake every branch, giving attention to the chapters when they do not break the sense. Then shake each twig, by careful study of the paragraphs and sentences. And you will be rewarded if you will look under each leaf, by searching the meaning of the words.”

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Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman -For Those Who Thirst

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Read: John 7:25-52

On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them. By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. (John 7:37-39)

John is writing this gospel after the day of Pentecost when the Spirit was given in great power and came into the hearts of believers. When Jesus was still on earth the Spirit had not yet been given in that way. The Spirit of God is always present everywhere in the world. He was present before the day of Pentecost as well as afterward. But not in this sense. He was not performing this ministry of making Jesus real. So for the first time we have our Lord’s hint of how this is all going to be accomplished. I must leave, I am going back to him who sent me, but when I do so I will send the Spirit. He goes on and teaches what that means by using a beautiful symbol.

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Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Who Is My Mother and My Brothers?

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Read: Mark 3:31-35

Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother. (v. 35 NIV)

There are lots of everyday ways to practice the presence of Jesus. Some people find it helpful to journal, noting their experiences, feelings, and thoughts, looking specifically for the presence of Jesus in their lives. Our youth group has a Facebook page called “God Sightings” on which they share with each other where they have seen the Lord at work in their lives. It helps them pay attention to the Christ who is always with them.

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Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; A.W. – Directing the Flow

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Water is a powerful force, but it changes direction very easily. Men can redirect the flow of water by building canals and dams. Even a small beaver can change the direction of a stream by piling up rocks and sticks.

The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.

Proverbs 21:1

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Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – God’s Thoughts toward Us

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“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,” says the Lord, “thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”—Jeremiah 29:11

Sometimes people will ask me to sign their Bibles. And sometimes they will ask me to include my favorite verse. That can be difficult, because I have a lot of favorites. What I choose to write down typically depends on what I’m experiencing at the time.

If I’m going through a stressful situation, I might write down Philippians 4:6–7, which says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – Our Perfect Life

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Today’s Scripture: Romans 5:19

“By the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.”

How can Jesus take our place both in obeying God’s law and in suffering the consequences of our disobeying it? How can the innocent suffer for the guilty?

Because God appointed Adam as the federal head or legal representative of the entire human race (except for Jesus, of course), we all suffered the consequences of Adam’s disobedience. In the same manner, Jesus was appointed as the legal representative of all who would ever trust in him.

This legal representation is the basis on which Christ’s life and death become effective for us. There would be absolutely no benefit to us if Jesus lived and died merely as a private person. His work brings us benefit only because he lived and died as our representative.

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – Standing with the Lord

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Today’s Scripture: 1 Kings 20-22

He who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit. – 1 Corinthians 6:17

In the record of 1 Kings 22, when King Ahab assembled his four hundred prophets and asked if he should go to war, the prophets all said yes and predicted victory. But Ahab’s ally, King Jehoshaphat, wanted a second opinion, and he called for Micaiah, prophet of the Lord.

The messenger who summoned Micaiah urged him to agree with the other prophets, but Micaiah said, “As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what the Lord tells me” (1 Kings 22:14). When Micaiah prophesied defeat and ruin for Israel, he was beaten and ridiculed by the other prophets, then sent to prison with nothing but bread and water. But his prophecy came true, and King Ahab was killed in battle.

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BreakPoint

BreakPoint – The 2016 Wilberforce Award Weekend: Honoring Chuck, Equipping for Service

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Back in 1987, Chuck Colson established an annual award to honor men and women who make a profound difference in the face of formidable societal problems and injustices. Chuck named the award after his hero William Wilberforce, the eighteenth-century British parliamentarian who stood against the prevailing culture and powerful economic interests in his campaign to abolish the slave trade.

Having written a biography of William Wilberforce myself, I can say without hesitation that winners of the Colson Center’s William Wilberforce Award have indeed embodied the spirit, compassion, and drive of that Christian statesmen. People like Philippine martyr Benigno S. Aquino, the Rev. Canon Andrew White, the vicar of Baghdad, and Professor Robert George of Princeton, a stalwart defender of religious freedom and the sanctity of human life.

One person who always got nominated for the Wilberforce Award was Chuck Colson. But he always refused to accept it. But this year is different. I can say in all love and in a way I hope would give Chuck a laugh, that he has no choice but to accept this year’s William Wilberforce Award.

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Today in the Word

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – MARY OF BETHANY: PROTECTION FROM SHAME

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Read Luke 10:38-42; Mark 14:3-9

Every church has prominent contributors, like teachers, leaders, organizers, servers, and givers who keep everything afloat. Without them, everyone knows the church just wouldn’t be what it is. But what about those who tend to stand in the shadows, whose contributions are not the sort to get listed in the bulletin?

Martha—outgoing, energetic, and highly gifted—embodied both the Proverbs 31 and Titus 2 woman, rolled into one. Mary was quiet, sensitive, and contemplative. How did that help anyone else? Martha’s complaint to Jesus was really intended to goad Mary into some sort of productive action. This manipulative tactic was probably not her first attempt to get Mary to fit her mold of a godly woman. Despite Martha’s good intentions, Jesus noticed its shaming effect on Mary and came to her defense.

Martha wasn’t the only person who misunderstood Mary and underrated her contribution. Jesus’ disciples scolded her harshly for wasting her expensive perfume in such a rash, unproductive manner. Their shaming response implied that she and her gifts were a waste.

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – IS JUDGE JUDY ON THE SUPREME COURT?

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A year from yesterday, a new American president will be sworn in. What will he or she face?

The stock market declined another 249 points yesterday. Militants attacked a university in Pakistan, killing at least nineteen. A car bomb in Kabul killed six. Teacher protests in Detroit closed most public schools there. A new study indicates that “no religion” is now the majority religion in Great Britain.

A new poll tells us that ten percent of college graduates think Judge Judy is on the Supreme Court. Atheist Michael Newdow has again filed a lawsuit seeking to remove “In God We Trust” from our currency. And North Korea claims to have invented hangover-free alcohol.

It gets even worse, apparently: Stephen Hawking, the best-known physicist in the world, is quoted in a Time headline as predicting that disaster on Earth is becoming a “near certainty.” However, it turns out the cosmologist is talking about “the next thousand or ten thousand years.” Within the next 100 years, he believes, we will have learned to colonize space, so our race will survive. We just need to avoid destroying our planet until we learn how to leave it. We all hope the next president is up to the challenge.

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