Daily Archives: January 22, 2016

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – God’s Greatness—A Source of Comfort

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Psalms 89:1-10

David’s cries for help fill the pages of the Psalms. His prayers are a blend of requests and worship recalling God’s greatness, love, power, and protection. Praying with recognition of God’s amazing attributes reminds us He has the wisdom, strength, and compassion to meet all our needs. Here are examples of this type of prayer:

  • “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?” (Ps. 139:7). God is everywhere. He’s not limited by time or space—we are never away from His awareness for a single moment. So, even when we feel isolated or friendless, we’re not alone.
  • “Great is our Lord and abundant in strength; His understanding is infinite” (Ps. 147:5). God knows everything. When we bend our knees to pray to Him, He’s already aware of the feelings and needs we’re about to mention. So we can be certain that when we ask for direction, He’ll provide clear guidance if we’re submitted to His will.
  • “As for me, I shall call upon God … the one who sits enthroned from of old … with whom there is no change” (Ps. 55:16, 19). God’s character is constant. Since we can always trust He’ll be faithful, reliable, and merciful, we can place our confidence in Him no matter the situation.

When believers recall an attribute of God that meets their needs, they place the focus of their prayers on the Lord rather than on the request. By mixing praise into our prayers, we end up asking for less, worshipping better, and receiving more because our emphasis is in the right place.

Bible in One Year: Exodus 19-21

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — A Prisoner No More

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Read: Romans 7:15-25

Bible in a Year: Exodus 4-6; Matthew 14:22-36

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. —Romans 7:15

A middle-aged man approached me after I led a workshop at his place of employment and asked this question: “I’ve been a Christian nearly my whole life, but I’m constantly disappointed in myself. Why is it that I always seem to keep doing the things I wish I didn’t do and never seem to do the things I know I should? Isn’t God getting tired of me?” Two men standing next to me also seemed eager to hear the response.

Continue reading Our Daily Bread — A Prisoner No More →

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – The Undeception of the Story

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The well-read collection of essays written by C.S. Lewis and compiled posthumously in the book God in the Dock was originally published in England under a different title. The book was titled Undeceptions.

“Undeception” was the word Lewis used to describe a startling experience of awareness—moments when deception is uncovered and the cause is seen clearly from within, moments when blind spots are replaced with reality. He was taken with these awakenings or undeceptions in many of the characters of Jane Austen. In much of Austen’s work, he observes, “[T]he undeception…is the very pivot or watershed of the story.”(1)

Lewis would unquestionably state the same of our own stories. “Undeception” was no doubt a word that fittingly described his startling experience of being brought into the kingdom of God kicking and screaming, making him “the most reluctant convert in all England.” It was this experience through which he saw himself, the world, and its creator for the rest of his life.

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John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Christ’s Patient Example

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

Jesus is our greatest example of patience in all that He endured to purchase our redemption.

Paul tells us here that the worthy walk is one of patience, and once again we see that Jesus modeled it for us. Throughout the Gospels, He repeatedly demonstrated the three aspects of patience we explored in the last lesson.

First, He endured negative circumstances. Before He came into the world, He was with the Father in the glory of Heaven, where the angels praised and worshiped Him continually. He left a place of total perfection and love and went to a place where He was mocked, hated, rejected, blasphemed, and crucified. He “endured the cross” (Heb. 12:2) even though He had the power to escape it.

Jesus also coped with difficult people. The night before His crucifixion, after three years of teaching about love and servanthood, His disciples were arguing about which of them was the greatest (Luke 22:24). Jesus didn’t give up on them, however. More than that, He prayed for those who spit on Him and mocked Him at the cross: “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (23:34). He wanted His murderers to be forgiven so they could be with Him in Heaven forever.

Continue reading John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Christ’s Patient Example →

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Emotional Intimacy 

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That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. Genesis 2:24

Growing relationships require regular investments of emotional energy. Because humans have the capacity for emotional engagement, there is a level of feeling and understanding that machines or animals can never attain. God’s creation—created in His image—is able to engage in intimate encounters. Emotions are meant to move people toward the eternal.

Marriage especially demands growing emotional intelligence to thrive and not merely survive. The Lord has created an emotional vacuum within a husband and within a wife that only their spouse can fill. It is folly to seek to meet this very real need with work or the children, for false substitutes only stunt emotional maturity in marriage. One flesh means to forge an alliance and an allegiance between our mind, our will and our emotions.

“It [love] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” (1 Corinthians 13:7).

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – Emotional Intimacy  →

Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – Joy in Jesus

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I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

3 John 4

Recommended Reading

1 Thessalonians 1:2-3

Every Christian parent knows this: Nothing brings the kind of joy that comes when parents see their children walking faithfully with Christ. Why does that knowledge bring joy to a parent? Because it means everything that a parent wants for a child is happening—progress toward maturity, deep-seated contentment and joy, and a decreasing attachment to the things of this world.

Continue reading Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – Joy in Jesus →

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Be a Blessing

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So then, as occasion and opportunity open up to us, let us do good [morally] to all people [not only being useful or profitable to them, but also doing what is for their spiritual good and advantage]. Be mindful to be a blessing, especially to those of the household of faith [those who belong to God’s family with you, the believers].—Galatians 6:10

Our daughter Sandra shared that she was dreading seeing a certain individual because in the past that person had not been very pleasant to her. As she struggled with negative thoughts about the upcoming encounter, God spoke to her heart and said, You don’t need to be concerned about how others treat you; your concern should be how you treat them. This message had a strong impact on Sandra’s life as well as on mine. How true it is.

Continue reading Joyce Meyer – Be a Blessing →

Girlfriends in God

Girlfriends in God – Be My Portion, Part 1

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“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”

Lamentations 3:24

Friend to Friend

I am a lot of things, but low maintenance is not necessarily one of them. Straight up, I am a girl with some constant cravings. Though I try to savor life moments with gratitude, I fail all the time.

Many days, I find myself looking beyond my now to my next, longing in discontent. I seek God’s blessings instead of seeking God. I seek His hand instead of His heart. This frazzles my peace and messes with my joy. It tangles my heart in knots until I begin to dance through my days to the tune of, “I can’t get no satisfaction!”

Why do we desire God’s presents in our lives more than His presence?

Continue reading Girlfriends in God – Be My Portion, Part 1 →

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – When You Open the Door

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“Look! I have been standing at the door and I am constantly knocking. If anyone hears Me calling him and opens the door, I will come in and fellowship with him and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20).

“One morning I wanted to feed the birds,” a saint once said. “It was gray and cold, and the ground was covered with snow. I stepped out on the porch and flung them handfuls of crumbs and called to them. But there they sat, cold and hungry and afraid. They did not trust me.

“As I sat and watched and waited, it seemed to me I could get God’s view-point more clearly than ever before. He offers, plans, waits, hopes, longs for all things for our good. But He has to watch and wait as I did for my timid friends.”

What a simple thing it is to open a door!

Continue reading Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – When You Open the Door →

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – Breaking the Power of Sin

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Read: John 8:1-11

Then neither do I condemn you, Jesus declared. Go now and leave your life of sin. (John 8:11b)

In this passage, a woman caught in adultery was brought by the church leaders to Jesus. I do not know if we can accurately picture what was going on when this woman was brought before Jesus. I can see her being dragged in, red faced, her hair in disarray. She is angry, upset, rebellious, and bitter, perhaps striking out against her accusers. But when she sees how Jesus handles this crowd of hypocritical judges, and feels that his sympathies are with her, somewhere the mercy and love that was in his face and voice began to touch her. She realized how wrong she was, that she had sinned, and she repented. When she did, Jesus forgave her, obviously anticipating his death upon the cross for her.

The cross is always an eternal event in the mind of God. The sins of the people who lived in Old Testament days were also forgiven on the basis of the death of Jesus on the cross. There is no other way that God can forgive sin. In anticipation of that cross, Jesus forgave her sin. The proof of it is in the words he said, Go, and do not sin again.

Continue reading Ray Stedman – Breaking the Power of Sin →

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – A Quiet Place

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Read: Mark 6:30-44

Then, because so many people were coming and going that [Jesus’ disciples] did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” (v. 31 NIV)

In this part of the story of Jesus and his disciples, we find a simple but important practice that will help us focus on Jesus so we can know him better. A famous psychologist hinted at it when he said, “The three great enemies of spirituality are crowds, noise, and busyness.”

Continue reading Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – A Quiet Place →

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; G.C. – Doggies and Dilemmas

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Have you ever wondered why your dog has floppy ears? With the exception of the elephant, only domesticated animals have floppy ears. When an animal is bred selectively for one trait – like compatibility with people – often something unexpected happens; for instance, floppy ears.

Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise.

Proverbs 22:17

Genetic engineering can’t predict or control every result. Should the lessons of history cause one to pause for a moment of consideration before eagerly tinkering with the blueprints of human life? Many scientists are shouting – yes! But others don’t want to wait and are using the courts to move forward. The world has yet to see the results of these moral dilemmas being played out daily in genetic laboratories and universities.

Continue reading Presidential Prayer Team; G.C. – Doggies and Dilemmas →

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – The Courage to Try

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We all have talents and gifts that God has given us. For Esther, a young Jewish woman living in the capital of the Persian empire, that gift was extraordinary beauty. Sometimes those who are the most beautiful or the most handsome also are the shallowest. But that certainly was not the case with Esther. She had a great inner life as well. She had inner character. She took what God had given her, and she used it. She also demonstrated great courage and intelligence in the face of adversity.

Some people are talented musically (and some people think they are talented musically). Some people are talented artists. Some people are good at crunching numbers. Other people are good at building things. Some are great visionaries but may not be so adept at the practical, while others are detail-oriented but not really big on vision.

Continue reading Greg Laurie – The Courage to Try →

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God’s Way Is Perfect

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“As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler [shield] to all those that trust in him.” (Psalm 18:30)

“Sometimes I pray for things that the Lord doesn’t give me,” Shannon told her Sunday school teacher, Mrs. Collins.

“I understand,” Mrs. Collins said. “Sometimes when I pray, I feel sure that what I’m asking for is going to be good for me. God knows better, though, and we can be sure that God’s plan for us is the perfect plan for us.”

The Bible says that the word of the Lord – everything God says – is “tried.” That means that God’s words have stood the test of time. The place where God’s words for us are recorded is the Bible. The Bible has been in men’s hands for thousands of years, but not once has it ever been wrong. There’s not one place in God’s Word where God said something that wasn’t quite true.

We, on the other hand, are wrong about things all the time. We can’t see the big picture, and so sometimes we don’t understand how God’s ways fit into the grand scheme of our whole life or for eternity. Only God knows how everything fits together. His way is perfect.

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – Grace Teaches Us

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Today’s Scripture: Titus 2:11-12

“For the grace of God has appeared . . . training us.”

When I first became a Christian, I regarded the Bible largely as a rulebook. The Bible would tell me what to do or not do, and I would simply obey. It was as easy as that—so I thought.

The practical precepts of the Bible were to me no more than statements of the law of God. They commanded but gave no ability to obey. Furthermore, they condemned me for my failure to obey them as I knew I ought. It seemed the more I tried, the more I failed. I knew nothing of God’s grace in enabling me to live the Christian life. I thought it was all by sheer grit and willpower. And just as importantly, I understood little of his forgiving grace through the blood of Christ. I felt both guilty and helpless—guilty because of recurring sin patterns in my life and helpless to do anything about them.

Continue reading The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – Grace Teaches Us →

The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – Pure Eyes

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Today’s Scripture: Job 29-31

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world–the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does–comes not from the Father but from the world. – 1 John 2:15-16

I had a Christian friend who contracted polio during the late 1950s and was confined to an iron lung. I remember visiting him when he had wasted away to nothing but skin and bones. I asked him what was the most difficult thing he faced in his ordeal, and he said, “The lust of the flesh.”

I was stunned. Here was this guy on his deathbed, still fighting the same thing you and I struggle with. You see, the lust of the flesh is a battle fought in our minds. And one of the ways the enemy launches his attacks is through what we see.

Continue reading The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – Pure Eyes →

BreakPoint

BreakPoint – J.I Packer’s Christian Journey–and Ours: Knowing God  

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One fall afternoon in 1994, as a not-new but certainly newly-serious believer, I wandered into a tiny Christian bookstore near the small Christian college I attended. One book in particular caught my eye. Actually, it was the title that caught my eye:  “Knowing God.” At the time, I’d never heard of the author, J. I. Packer.

When I looked at the dust jacket, however, every Christian leader whose name I did know (like Chuck Colson, Joni Earackson Tada, Chuck Swindoll, Elisabeth Elliot, Billy Graham, and others) said something along the lines of: “This is one of the most important books I’ve ever read other than the Bible itself.” So I picked it up, and I’ve been recommending “Knowing God” ever since.

As I wrote recently on my blog at BreakPoint.org, the book is essentially a work of “devotional theology.” For many Christians, that may sound like two incompatible words, as if diving deep into theological truth is stuff of the “head,” while our walks with God are matters of the “heart.” Packer, in a thoroughly biblical way, destroys that false dichotomy in “Knowing God.”

It was especially two statements this Oxford-trained theologian made in the second chapter that hit me like a ton of bricks. First, “One can know a great deal about God without much knowledge of Him,” and second, “One can know a great deal about godliness without much knowledge of Him.”

Continue reading BreakPoint – J.I Packer’s Christian Journey–and Ours: Knowing God   →

Moody Global Ministries

Moody Global Ministries – PETER: RESTORATION FROM SHAME

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Today in the Word – Read John 21:1-19

Sometimes we wish for a remote control with a giant rewind button. If only we could start the day, the conversation, or the relationship all over again, we would do it differently!

Peter longed for a second chance with Jesus. The unresolved shame of his denial gnawed at him. Jesus understood Peter’s shame and reconstructed the circumstances under which they had first met. The sea, the boat, the long night without fish—all were in place. Jesus called out from the shore and the nets came up overflowing. Peter got the message. Jesus was inviting him for a redo!

This second chance meant confronting the shame of his failure. Peter watched Jesus’ hands breaking bread just as they had that fateful night. The Master he had denied served him breakfast. Reliving those events must have brought all his shame to the surface.

Continue reading Moody Global Ministries – PETER: RESTORATION FROM SHAME →

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – PATRIOTS PLAYER RESCUES WOMAN TRAPPED IN CAR

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Darius Fleming is a linebacker for the New England Patriots. As his team prepares to face the Denver Broncos this Sunday for the right to play in Super Bowl 50, Fleming’s heroics off the field are making as much news as his play on it.

He was driving home from practice last week when he came upon a three-car collision. A woman was trapped in her car. “I saw her panic on her face,” Fleming said later. He kicked in the passenger side window and pulled the woman to safety, cutting his leg in the process. He needed twenty-two stitches to close the wound.

Here’s where the story takes a sad turn. The website TMZ Sports published a story claiming that officials had no record of the crash Fleming described. Critics soon began asking if he made up the story to disguise an injury or to raise his stock with the Patriots.

Then it was discovered that the local police department had, in fact, responded to an incident matching Fleming’s description. According to their report, the woman in question told an officer that a person “kicked in my window, I think he was a Patriot.” Fleming later tweeted, “People are quick to try and bring you down…so sad.”

Continue reading Denison Forum – PATRIOTS PLAYER RESCUES WOMAN TRAPPED IN CAR →