Charles Stanley – Fighting the Battle Against Sin

February 25, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Read | 1 Corinthians 10:1-13

God established protective boundaries for His children because He knows the dangers of disobedience—for both the transgressor and others affected by the sin. His Word warns us not to give in to temptation but to follow Jesus Christ in a life of sacrifice, which is the only way to true contentment.

In contrast, the world says satisfaction is found in acquiring goods, wealth, status, and friends. Satan whispers the lie that gratification comes from self-indulgence. His goal of turning us away from God started with his temptation of Adam and Eve. The Creator had given them access to every tree in the Garden of Eden except one. The first man and woman stepped outside the limit set by the Lord, ate the forbidden fruit, and became separated from Him. Satan used doubt (“Has God said?”), deceit (“You surely will not die”), and self-delusion (“You will be like God”) to achieve his aim (Gen. 3:1-5). He made rebellion against God—which is the root of all sin—seem very attractive. And the enemy’s methods are the same today.

Continue reading Charles Stanley – Fighting the Battle Against Sin →

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Go Fever

February 25, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Read: Numbers 14:39-45

Bible in a Year: Numbers 12-14; Mark 5:21-43

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him. —Psalm 37:7

On January 28, 1986, after five weather-related delays, the space shuttle Challenger lumbered heavenward amid a thunderous overture of noise and flame. A mere 73 seconds later, system failure tore the shuttle apart, and all seven crewmembers perished.

The disaster was attributed to an O-ring seal known to have vulnerabilities. Insiders referred to the fatal mistake as “go fever”—the tendency to ignore vital precautions in the rush to a grand goal.

Continue reading Our Daily Bread — Go Fever →

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Behold, the Crucified

February 25, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Even modern English Bible versions often end up retaining the rather un-modern term “behold” in their translations of the Hebrew word hinneh and the Greek word idou. This is because there is no other equivalent English word that quite does the job that behold does. All the three terms—Hebrew, Greek, and English—have a certain gravitas, and, whenever used, command us to pay careful attention to what follows.

In John’s narrative of the trial and the crucifixion of Jesus, there are five occurrences of the term—three coming from the mouth of the unwitting prophet, Pilate, and twice from the mouth of our Lord Jesus. Each occurrence summons us to a facet of the person and work of Christ.

In John 19:4, “Pilate came out again and said to them, ‘Behold, I am bringing Him out to you so that you may know that I find no guilt in Him.’” We may render Pilate’s words as: “Behold, the Guiltless One!” Christians have always claimed, and will always claim, that Jesus, the Innocent, bore the sins of a guilty world. When his executioners twisted together a crown of thorns and thrust it upon his head, little did they know that they were enacting a prophetic truth! For in that single image—the crown of thorns on his head—is encapsulated the central Christian claim: that this guiltless-but-crucified one bore upon himself the guilt and curse of the whole of creation. Remember: “Cursed is the ground because of you… Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you.”(1)

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John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – God Is Faithful to Care for Us

February 25, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:9).

God is completely faithful to do what He has promised.

We live in a day of unfaithfulness, don’t we? Some husbands and wives are unfaithful to their marriage vows. Children are often unfaithful to the principles taught by their parents. Parents are often unfaithful to meet the needs of their children. And all too frequently we are unfaithful to God.

Only God is always faithful, a fact often celebrated in Scripture: “Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God” (Deut. 7:9). “Thy lovingkindness, O Lord, extends to the heavens, Thy faithfulness reaches to the skies” (Ps. 36:5). “Great is Thy faithfulness” (Lam. 3:23).

Let’s look at several areas in which God is faithful to us. First, He’s faithful in taking care of us. Peter says, “Let those also who suffer according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right” (1 Peter 4:19). The word translated “entrust” is a banking term that speaks of a deposit for safekeeping. We’re to give our lives to our “faithful Creator,” who is best able to care for us because He created us. “My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19).

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Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Should You Be Passionate?

February 25, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Galatians 5:24

“Passion” often gets mixed reviews. On the one hand, we have many verses in Scripture that tell us to put to death the passions and desires of the flesh. In fact, we’re told to flee worldly passions! Yet, on the other hand, Scripture seems to encourage in us passionate living. In the Psalms we see passion on great display, with the psalmist longing for the Lord “more than sentries long for the dawn” (Ps. 130:6).

The secret to understanding passion in Scripture is to focus on the object of our desire. Desire in and of itself is not a bad thing! When we’re told to put to death the desires of the flesh, this doesn’t mean we’re meant to live passionless and emotionless lives! The Christian life is never simply the turning away from sin and death, but is always at the same time the call to turn towards that which is good, holy, and true.

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Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – Spiritual Power

February 25, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Do not quench the Spirit.

1 Thessalonians 5:19

Joyce Meyer – Get Alone With God

February 25, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

But when you pray, go into your [most] private room, and, closing the door, pray to your Father, Who is in secret; and your Father, Who sees in secret, will reward you in the open. —Matthew 6:6

Jesus rose early to be alone with God, but Peter pursued Him to let Him know that everyone was looking for Him (see Mark 1:35-36). When you get alone to pray, it may seem that everybody tries to hunt you down. But Jesus sought time alone with God so He could focus on His purpose.

We see the scenario of Jesus praying alone and then meeting the needs of others again and again. Jesus went throughout Galilee preaching and driving out demons. When a leper begged to be clean, Jesus touched him, and the leprosy completely left him (see Mark 1:39-42). If Jesus needed to be alone with the Father before He ministered to others, so do we.

From the book Starting Your Day Right by Joyce Meyer.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Girlfriends in God

Girlfriends in God – When Worry Weakens Your Soul

February 25, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:34

Friend to Friend

My husband, Steve, and I sat anxiously in our seats. I wondered if I was going to be able to endure the ride, especially knowing my propensity for motion sickness. But we began nonetheless.

The guide strapped all passengers into the tiny boats and gave last minute instructions. Of course there were life preservers, but what good would they do in the fierce rapids that threatened to suck its prey below the surface?

The crew boarded and began the journey down the mysterious Amazon. The calm meandering waters quickly gave way to fierce torrents, rushing rapids, and rocky crags protruding from the foaming waters. Alternating between plunging into the water and flying into the air, the boat made its way through the first set of rapids. My body relaxed, thankful that was over. Several times along the journey calm gave way to chaos as passengers maneuvered to keep the boats afloat. Often, I closed my eyes and waited for the turbulence to pass.

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Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Anything You Ask

February 25, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“You can get anything – anything you ask for in prayer – if you believe” (Matthew 21:22).

God’s Word reminds us that we have not because we ask not (James 4:2). Jesus said, “If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7, KJV).

A godly widow with six children was facing great stress. The family had eaten their last loaf of bread at the evening meal. The next morning, with no food in the house, the trusting mother set seven plates on the table.

“Now, children,” she said, gathering them around her, “we must ask God to supply our need.”

Just as she finished her prayer, one of the children shouted, “There’s the baker at the door.”

Continue reading Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Anything You Ask →

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – An Astonishing Impact

February 25, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Read: Isaiah 52:13-15

Behold, my servant shall prosper, he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high. As many were astonished at him—his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the sons of men—so shall he startle many nations… (Isaiah 52:13-15a RSV)

This section, which describes the remarkable impact that the Messiah would make upon mankind, opens with a declaration that he would be successful in all that he did: Behold, my servant shall prosper. That success would be accomplished in three specific stages, described here: He shall be exalted; he shall be lifted up; he shall be very high.

First, in the words, He shall be exalted, there is a reference to the resurrection. Jesus was brought back from the dead, stepping into a condition of life that no man had ever entered before. Lazarus had been resurrected, in a sense, but he merely returned to this earthly life. Jesus, however, became the firstborn from the dead, (Colossians 1:18). He was thus exalted to a higher dimension of existence.

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Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – The Riddler

February 25, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Read: Judges 13:3-5, 14:1-19

Let me now put a riddle to you. (14:12)

The story of Samson not only contains riddles, it is a riddle. Although some think of him as a Hebrew folk hero, I prefer the words of one commentator who called Samson “an oversexed buffoon.” His story is the longest in the Book of Judges, and he is the final judge mentioned in the book. Rather than being the wonderful culmination of the story, he is more of a puzzling disappointment. Samson’s life was chaotic, and chaos follows for Israel throughout the rest of Judges.

Samson was consecrated by his mother to be a Nazirite, someone set apart to serve God. The rules for Nazirites are spelled out in Numbers 6, all of which have to do with ceremonial cleanliness. Usually someone kept a Nazirite vow for a short period of time. Samson was supposed to be a Nazirite for life.

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Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; H.L.M. – Rainbow Promise

February 25, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Tyler Perry, an American actor, producer and director, was spending time in prayer with the Lord on New Year’s Day. Then Perry looked up and saw a rainbow in the sky, reminding him of God’s promise to Noah in Genesis 9:13. He took a photo and posted it online. “I had just finished praying and thanking God for all that He had done for me over all these years. I was so full as I came out of the room,” Perry said. “I was thanking Him and praying for a great 2016, and then I saw this right off the balcony!”

To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens!

Psalm 123:1

Continue reading Presidential Prayer Team; H.L.M. – Rainbow Promise →

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Unforgiveness and Unanswered Prayer

February 25, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”—Mark 11:25–26

Prayer is a wonderful privilege. We can pray anytime or anywhere. Daniel prayed in a cave filled with hungry lions. The apostle Paul prayed when he was in a dungeon in chains. Peter prayed on the surface of the water. And Jonah prayed under the water. So wherever you are, you can pray.

I hope that you are praying for Harvest America. It has the potential to be the largest evangelistic outreach in American history! No matter where you are, you can be a part of this historic event through prayer.

But maybe you have you been praying about something for a long time, and nothing has happened. Maybe it is a legitimate request—you are asking God for His wisdom or provision—yet it seems your prayer is going unanswered.

Continue reading Greg Laurie – Unforgiveness and Unanswered Prayer →

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Is Omnipresent

February 25, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? Or whither shall I fell from thy presence?” (Psalm 139:7)

Did you ever want to be in two places at once? Well, it is actually possible to say you have been in two places at once. You could travel to Colorado and stop at the Colorado and Wyoming state line. You could put your left foot on the Colorado state side and your right foot on the Wyoming state side. Then you would be standing in two places at once!

OK, so technically that is cheating a little. Truly, it is impossible for us human beings to be in more than two places at once. We have only one body, and only two feet! Being everywhere at once would be even more difficult for us than being only two places at once. What truly is amazing is that God has no problem being two places at once, or five, or thirty, or thirty-five thousand places at once. Why? Because God is God, it is more than possible for Him to be present in every possible place at once. He is everywhere!

The dictionary defines “omnipresent” as “present everywhere simultaneously.” That means God is everywhere, all the time, at the same time. He is with you when you are sleeping, when you are at school, and when you are outside playing. How can that be? Because He is everywhere, all at once. At the same time that He is with you at your house, He is also present in your best friend’s home.

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – God Is Omnipresent →

The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional –Work or Trust?

February 25, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Today’s Scripture: Psalm 62:8

“Trust in him at all times.”

We often speak of “letting the Lord live his life through me.” I’m personally uncomfortable with this expression because it suggests a passivity on our part. He doesn’t live his life through me. Rather, as I depend on him, he enables me to live a life pleasing to him.

Some years ago when I was following this more passive approach, which seemed more spiritual to me at the time, I was struggling to love a Christian brother. One evening God really dealt with me about my lack of love, and I sensed God saying to me, “If I love him, can you?” I responded, “Lord, I can’t, but I’m willing for you to love him through me.”

Continue reading The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional –Work or Trust? →

The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – A Heart After God

February 25, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Today’s Scripture: 1 Samuel 16-19

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. – 2 Corinthians 4:16

Most of us put a lot of stock in outward appearance. While there’s nothing wrong with combing our hair and smelling good, it says a lot about our basic orientation to life. We are most concerned with how other people see us.

Not so with God. When the Lord sent Samuel to the house of Jesse in Bethlehem to anoint one of his sons as king, Samuel was impressed with Eliab, but God said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

Does that mean that a big, good-looking guy cannot be a spiritual leader? No, of course not. It just means that God looks for something deeper than that: a heart that is given to Him.

Continue reading The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – A Heart After God →

BreakPoint

BreakPoint – A New Kind of Apologist: Wholeness in a World of Brokenness

February 25, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

If you’re even a semi-regular listener to BreakPoint, you know that John Stonestreet and I talk a lot about the sexual revolution and its consequences. Divorce rates up, marriage rates down. Fatherless homes, sexually transmitted diseases, the pervasiveness of pornography. A revolution that promised sexual liberation has instead brought slavery and left a trail of victims, not the least of which are the 50 plus million babies who lost their lives in their mothers’ wombs.

Trust me, it’s tough to talk about these kinds of things. Especially since the last thing John and I want to do is obscure another message that we try to articulate again and again: Yes, the cultural moment we live in is difficult. But the cultural moment is just that: a moment.

History, the story of creation and its redemption, belongs to God. As we read in 1 Peter, God has given us “a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade.”

And even though, as Peter writes, we may “for a little while” have to “suffer grief in all kinds of trials,” we must never say, “It’s over, we’ve lost.” The Truth is always, “It is finished. Jesus has won.”

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Moody Global Ministries

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – ELIJAH’S MUCH-NEEDED REST

February 25, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Read 1 Kings 19:1-18

We are sleeping less than ever before. One study showed that over the past five decades average sleep duration on work nights has decreased by an hour and a half, down from eight and a half to just under seven. Thirty-one percent of us sleep fewer than six hours a night, and 69 percent report insufficient sleep.

The Bible has a theology of sleep. According to the psalms, sleep is God’s gift (Ps. 3:5; 4:8; 127:2). In today’s passage, sleep was part of God’s prescription for Elijah’s exhaustion and depression. After his confrontation with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, Jezebel swore to kill Elijah. The prophet fled for his life, running 120 miles to Beersheba. After leaving his servant behind, he traveled another day’s journey into the wilderness and asked God to let him die.

Instead of dealing with Elijah’s discouragement immediately, the Lord prescribed a regimen of rest and diet. Strengthened by this, Elijah traveled forty more days to Mount Sinai (referred to as Horeb in v. 8). After he was rested, refreshed, and relocated, he was ready to hear God’s perspective on his situation and receive instructions on what to do next.

Continue reading Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – ELIJAH’S MUCH-NEEDED REST →

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – THE BACHELOR IS A STRONG CHRISTIAN—WHY NOT ON THE SHOW?

February 25, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Ben Higgins is the most famous software salesman in America. The six-foot-five graduate of Indiana University loves children and the Chicago Cubs. He also stars on this season’s The Bachelor. And he is a strong evangelical Christian.

You wouldn’t know the last fact from watching the show, however.

According to Slate’s Ruth Graham, Higgins makes his faith clear—he blogs about Jesus, quotes Christians on his Instagram, and wears a tattoo of Proverbs 16:3. But the show’s producers blur or minimize his commitment to Christ, so viewers get only a glimpse of generic religion as they follow his story. And they don’t know that Ben plans to abstain from sex until he is married.

Why is his faith so secret on the show? I could not find any information about the personal faith of Mike Fleiss, the show’s producer. But his goal for The Bachelor is clear: to attract as many viewers as possible. Fleiss says the average Bachelor sleeps with three women each season. This is clearly part of the show’s allure.

Continue reading Denison Forum – THE BACHELOR IS A STRONG CHRISTIAN—WHY NOT ON THE SHOW? →

DAILY DEVOTIONS, NEWS AND INFORMATION

Daily Archives: February 25, 2016

Charles Stanley – Fighting the Battle Against Sin

Our Daily Bread — Go Fever

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Behold, the Crucified

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – God Is Faithful to Care for Us

Wisdom Hunters – Should You Be Passionate?

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – Spiritual Power

Joyce Meyer – Get Alone With God

Girlfriends in God – When Worry Weakens Your Soul

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Anything You Ask

Ray Stedman – An Astonishing Impact

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – The Riddler

Presidential Prayer Team; H.L.M. – Rainbow Promise

Greg Laurie – Unforgiveness and Unanswered Prayer

Kids 4 Truth International – God Is Omnipresent

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional –Work or Trust?

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – A Heart After God

BreakPoint – A New Kind of Apologist: Wholeness in a World of Brokenness

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – ELIJAH’S MUCH-NEEDED REST

Denison Forum – THE BACHELOR IS A STRONG CHRISTIAN—WHY NOT ON THE SHOW?

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