Monthly Archives: June 2016

Girlfriends in God

Girlfriends in God – Choose Peace Over Worry

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Give all your worries to Him, because He cares about you.

1 Peter 5:7

Friend to Friend

My husband often says there are two kinds of people in the world. Some people have ulcers, and some people give them. Can you relate? I certainly can.

Sandpaper people are definitely ulcer giving people unless we learn to choose peace over worry when dealing with them. Getting along with people who rub you the wrong way is difficult at best and can sometimes make peace seem impossible to find. That is only true if peace is dependent on outer circumstances.

It isn’t.

Peace is an inside job and comes only from God. Nothing can take the place of peace, and it is impossible to counterfeit.

Sandpaper people are not peaceful people. One of the very reasons they are rough around the edges is because they are not at rest – with God, with themselves or with others. They may not know God. If they do have a personal relationship with Him, they may not understand who they are in Him and who He wants to be to them.

Sandpaper people continually arrange the circumstances of their lives to set themselves up for failure, proving to everyone, including God and even their own heart, that what everyone believes about them is true – they are worthless. We must not be fooled by their temper tantrums, their boisterous antics, or their brooding silences – all traps of their own making that sooner or later will imprison them in disappointment and defeat. Worry is their jailor … and can imprison each one of us unless we learn to deal with worry and anxiety.

Continue reading Girlfriends in God – Choose Peace Over Worry →

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Everything You Do

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“But if anyone keeps looking steadily into God’s law for free men, he will not only remember it but he will do what it says, and God will greatly bless him in everything he does” (James 1:25).

Jim expressed his displeasure with the Epistle of James.

“I agree with Martin Luther,” he said. Bothered by the apparent contradiction between James and Paul, Luther for a long time rejected the Epistle of James. Later, however, he had become satisfied that it was a part of the inspired Scripture.

“I am no longer under law, but under grace,” Jim continued. “I feel free to do whatever I want to do, knowing that I have already found favor in God’s sight through what Christ has accomplished for me on the cross.”

Having been reared in a very legalistic church, he was now liberated. And, he said, the rest of his life he would emphasize the importance of grace and faith.

I endeavored to explain to him that he was allowing the pendulum of his life to swing to the other extreme. There had to be balance. “Faith without works is dead.” The extreme of either view leads to heresy. Trying to please God and earn salvation through works alone is impossible; it is an insult to God and leads nowhere.

But believing that Christ’s death on the cross had paid the penalty for all of our sins and that now we are free to live any way we like and do anything we want to do without any thought of obedience is also heretical. Throughout the Scriptures, from Genesis through Revelation, obedience is important. Our Lord emphasized that fact in John 14:21, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me” (KJV).

We prove that we love Him by our actions, by our obedience. In this verse for today we have the promise, “God will greatly bless him [the believer] in everything he does,” when he obeys God’s commands.

Bible Reading: I Peter 2:9-12

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Since the supernatural life of the Christian is a life of good works, I will demonstrate my faith by my good works, for faith without works is dead. I will share this truth with someone who is living in the bondage of legalism.

 

http://www.cru.org

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – Prayer’s Delays

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Read: Habakkuk 1:1-3:19

I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint. Hab. 2:1

When you face a problem in your life where you do not understand what God is doing, do not do what so many do, and say, Oh, I’ve tried faith and it doesn’t work, or, I’ve tried God but that doesn’t work, or, I’ve tried prayer and it doesn’t work. People who say those things really don’t understand what they are saying, because what they are saying is, God is a liar. There is no real God. What they are saying is, The Word of God is not true, the Bible is a fraud. They are declaring that God is faithless to his own promises. But God cannot ever be faithless to his word. The problem is not God, the problem is us. We are so ignorant, we see so little, we understand such a minute fraction of the scope of any problem. We ought to do as Habakkuk did — get out on the watchtower and wait to see what God is going to say. If we ask him, God will help us to understand something of what we are going through. That is what Habakkuk did, because he expected an answer.

Habakkuk says he is going to wait. God usually answers in one of three ways: Most commonly, he answers us through his Word. This is what is so valuable about reading the Word of God, especially when you are confused or troubled about how he is acting. Often light will come suddenly out of a verse which seemed obscure; you will see a new aspect of what you are facing. Perhaps an answer will come when you are listening to a message, or a verse will come to your mind, and it will deal with your situation. God has given us his Word so that we might understand how he acts.

Then sometimes God answers directly in our spirit. We sense a kind of pressure within which drives us in a certain direction; some conviction comes and settles and we cannot shake it off. We have to be careful here, because at this point the enemy can counterfeit the voice and mind of God. But the voice of the enemy is always nagging (to make you feel guilty) while God’s Spirit speaks quietly but persistently. If this leading is in line with what the Word of God says, then that is the Spirit of God leading us. Paul says that those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God (Romans 8:14). We can expect to be led along that line.

Continue reading Ray Stedman – Prayer’s Delays →

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – A Journey of Generosity—Your Choice

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Read: Psalm 37:16-26

The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives. (v. 21)

Albert Lexie was not a wealthy man. Yet he scraped together a $730 donation to the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. This was in 1981. Since then he has given more than $90,000. So where did he come up with all the money? He saved over the course of many years from the tips he collected polishing shoes at the hospital and at local businesses. Meanwhile, on average, the richest one percent own more than half of the world’s wealth. On average they donate just two percent to charities.

As we travel through life it’s easy to make the mistake of envying those who have larger incomes than we and more leisure time as well. Jesus and the apostles warned against such a mistake. Outward prosperity doesn’t last while the gifts of faith, love and generosity last forever (1 Cor. 13).

Likewise, the apostle Paul reminds us we will always have enough to be generous. “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work” (2 Cor. 9:8). It helps to give yourself a little test now and then. How much do I really need to happily serve God? Whatever your answer, I invite you to join me in making Paul’s commitment your own: “If we have food and clothing, with these we will be content” (1 Tim. 6:8).

Prayer:

Generous God, guide me on the path to greater generosity. I will begin today.

Author: Chic Broersma

 

https://woh.org/

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – The Hard Truth

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“I declare today that I have been faithful. If anyone suffers eternal death, it’s not my fault, for I didn’t shrink from declaring all that God wants you to know.”—Acts 20:26–27

It is difficult sometimes to tell the truth. I think of doctors who run a series of tests and find a spot or a lump or something else. They want to tell their patients that everything is okay. But they have to tell the truth so they can prescribe a course of treatment.

In the Old Testament book of Daniel, we read of a time when Daniel had to reveal the hard truth to King Nebuchadnezzar. He said, “King Nebuchadnezzar, please accept my advice. Stop sinning and do what is right. Break from your wicked past and be merciful to the poor. Perhaps then you will continue to prosper” (4:27). In other words, “Judgment is coming, but there is still hope if you will repent.”

In the same way, as Christians we have to declare the whole counsel of God. Paul told the elders of the Ephesian church, “I declare today that I have been faithful. If anyone suffers eternal death, it’s not my fault, for I didn’t shrink from declaring all that God wants you to know” (Acts 20:26–27). Yet sometimes we edit out things we are uncomfortable with, like hell or judgment. We’ll say something like, “Believe in Jesus, and He will make you a happier person and bring you fulfillment. There will be joy and contentment in your life.”

“I don’t want to believe in Jesus,” the other person replies. “What happens if I don’t believe in Jesus?”

We need to give them the truth. However, we don’t say it with smiles on our faces; we say it with tears in our eyes. It isn’t easy to tell someone, “The Bible says there is a judgment, and if we don’t believe in Jesus Christ, there actually is a place called hell.” We must tell the truth.

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Is Trustworthy

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“O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.” (Psalm 84:12)

“Come on, Danny. Jump in! I’ll catch you!”

Danny listened as his dad called him to jump into the pool. It was a hot summer day, and Danny and his dad were spending an afternoon at the swimming pool. The only problem was that Danny didn’t know how to swim. And even though his father promised to catch him, Danny was afraid to jump into the water.

Danny had a wonderful dad. His dad always made sure that he had clothes to wear and good food to eat. He played ball with Danny every day after school and helped him with his homework. He made sure Danny was warm enough when the weather turned cold and took him swimming in the summer when it was hot. Once when Danny was playing in the street, his dad saved his life by running and snatching Danny from the road just before a car hit him. But even though Danny’s father loved him very much and was always there to take care of him, Danny did not trust his dad to catch him when he jumped into the water.

You might be just like Danny. Your Heavenly Father sacrificed His only Son so that you could have eternal life. He provides for all your needs, He blesses you everyday, and He answers your prayers. He’s done all this for you, and yet you still might struggle with trusting Him with your daily problems and needs. When you go through difficult situations, God wants you to trust Him. You can trust Him because He is God: He knows all and rules over all. He is your strength and refuge. Psalm 62:8 says, “Trust in him at all times, ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us.”

Trust God with all your problems because He is trustworthy.

My Response:

» Am I looking at my circumstances rather than looking at God?

» Am I trusting in myself or someone else when I should be trusting God?

 

http://kids4truth.com/home.aspx

The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – The Stark Contrast

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Today’s Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17

“The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Probably no other passage suggests more starkly the contrast between living by grace and living by works than Romans 7:6: “But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the spirit and not in the old way of the written code.”

The new way of the Spirit is not a less rigorous ethic than the old way of the written code. The difference doesn’t lie in the content of God’s moral will. Since that’s a reflection of the holy character of God, it cannot change. Rather, the difference lies in the reason for obeying and the ability to obey.

Are you seeking to build and maintain your relationship with God on the basis of “keeping the law”—on the basis of your personal performance—or on the basis of the merit of Jesus Christ? Do you view God’s moral precepts as a source of bondage and condemnation for failure to obey them, or do you sense the Spirit producing within you an inclination and desire to obey out of gratitude and love? Do you try to obey by your own sheer will and determination, or do you rely on the Spirit daily for his power to enable your obedience?

Do you feel God has set before you an impossible code of conduct you cannot keep, or do you view him as your divine heavenly Father who has accepted you and loves you on the basis of the merit of Christ? For acceptance with God, are you willing to rely solely on the finished perfect work of Jesus instead of your own pitifully imperfect performance?

 

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – A Contented Life

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Today’s Scripture: Philippians 4:11-13

But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” -Romans 9:20

The year my son Randy and his wife installed a wood-burning stove in their home, they were afraid their two-year-old boy might burn himself. So they spent a lot of time warning him about the dangers of the stove. One day Randy fired it up and let the lad feel the heat. He not only wanted his little boy to know what not to do, but also why he shouldn’t get too close to the stove.

That is what the Lord does with you and me. He not only warns us to keep away from various dangers that can hurt us spiritually and damage our daily walk of discipleship, but He also tells us why. Take, for instance, the problem of greed and covetousness. This is one of the Ten Commandments God gave to Moses: “You shall not set your desire on…anything that belongs to your neighbor” (Deuteronomy 5:21).

Why shouldn’t I covet what someone else has? The overriding reason is that when I inwardly complain that my neighbor has a new lawnmower and I have to use an old one, I am accusing God of mismanagement of His resources. He owns everything; if He has seen fit to give something to my neighbor and overlooks me in the process, that’s His business.

So it’s not only an accusation of mismanagement, it’s a lack of faith in the wisdom of God! I am actually telling the Lord that I have a better plan for my life than He does. I am proclaiming myself smarter than God and more loving than God. Let’s learn to keep things in proper perspective.

Prayer

Lord, create in me a grateful heart for my life and all it comprises. Amen.

To Ponder

How long is your list of God’s blessings?

 

https://www.navigators.org/Home

BreakPoint

BreakPoint – A License to Discriminate: California’s Assault on Christian Colleges

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Earlier this year my BreakPoint colleague, John Stonestreet, told you that the U. S. Department of Education, under pressure from LGBT groups such as the Human Rights Campaign, agreed to create a public, searchable database of Christian colleges and universities that obtained Title IX waivers based on claims of religious freedom.

John and others called it a “Christian college hit list” because it will allow LGBT activists to target Christian colleges for harassment and possible legal challenges. Sen. Ron Wyden and several other Democrats in the Senate say the waivers “allow for discrimination under the guise of religious liberty.”

Christian colleges, for their part, say the exemptions are nothing new and allow religious schools, for example, to provide male-only or female-only dorms. They fear the database will make them easy targets for those who hate them.

You think those fears are overblown? Well, fast-forward to today.

The California state Senate has passed a bill that would make it harder for Christian institutions to obtain religious exemptions from anti-discrimination laws protecting LGBT individuals, and make state grant money more difficult to obtain while making it easier for students and staff to sue them.

California, by the way, is the nation’s largest state and home to more than 30 higher education institutions that possess religious exemptions to federal or state anti-discrimination laws—at least for now.

Continue reading BreakPoint – A License to Discriminate: California’s Assault on Christian Colleges →

Moody Global Ministries

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – HEALING FROM FAMILY DYSFUNCTION

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Read Ephesians 2:1–10

A quick perusal of the history of the British royal family in the 18th century reveals some interesting patterns. The heir to the throne was usually married in an arranged union with a German princess. He would have one or more mistresses with whom he’d father children. At least one son, sometimes the heir to the throne, would rebel against the king’s authority. For example, King George II had parents whose marriage dissolved due to their multiple affairs, he himself had several mistresses, and he had a disastrous relationship with both his father and his eldest son.

Children of divorce are more likely to divorce. Children with alcoholic parents are more likely to become addicted to alcohol. Those who have been abused sometimes become abusers. Is there any way out?

The good news is that those who belong to Christ are members of two families. In addition to their natural family, they have been adopted into God’s family. This family is also a kingdom, and those who are joined to Christ come under His dominion. Our passage today vividly describes His power. We have been brought out of death into life! His power is stronger than the power of family dysfunction. We have been freed from guilt and will be an object lesson of God’s kindness for all eternity. All this comes to us as a gift of grace, not determined by our past or our performance.

The New Testament term translated “handiwork” in verse 10 means God is intimately, personally involved in this activity. The word is used elsewhere to refer to a work of art or masterpiece. What does this mean for those of us who come from a dysfunctional home? We are more than the product of our family background. We are the handiwork of God.

APPLY THE WORD

Think of Ephesians 2:1–10 as your adoption papers. They provide written proof that you belong to the family of God. You might also think of these verses as a snapshot. They show who you really are. When you feel haunted by your past, turn to these words to remember your true identity. You are the redeemed child of God.

http://www.todayintheword.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – THE SIMPLE EXPLANATION FOR BREXIT ISN’T SO SIMPLE

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Brexit continues to shake the world. Markets lost more than $2 trillion last Friday, the worst single day for the global economy in history. In the aftermath of what one expert called “the biggest global monetary shock since 2008,” two facts seem clear.

One: There is a simple explanation for this shocking event.

CNN’s Nic Robertson interpreted Brexit this way: “The message from the shires of England is that they no longer trust their leadership.” As a result, many in the U.K. “see a rich upper class that has grown ridiculously rich, intertwined with a political elite in their pocket and their thrall.”

Chris Patten, Chancellor of the University of Oxford, agreed: “Growing social inequality has contributed to a revolt against a perceived metropolitan elite. Old industrial England . . . voted against better-off London. Globalization, these voters were told, benefits only those at the top—comfortable working with the rest of the world—at the expense of everyone else.”

Nationalist movements are gaining popularity in Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Austria, France, Switzerland, Slovakia, Italy, and Greece. Radical Islam continues to gain adherents around the world. Brazilians recently voted to impeach their president. Anger against the establishment is growing in scope and severity. Brexit is just the first of many dominoes that will fall in coming months and years.

Two: Simple explanations are usually too simple.

Many who voted to leave the EU are now expressing regret on Twitter with the #Regrexit hashtag. A petition to force another referendum is gathering momentum with more than three million signatures.

Brexit was widely seen as a repudiation of establishment figures such as President Obama, who openly urged British voters to remain in the European Union. However, the president’s approval rating is at its highest level since the death of Osama bin Laden in May 2011.

Continue reading Denison Forum – THE SIMPLE EXPLANATION FOR BREXIT ISN’T SO SIMPLE →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Blessing of Loving Others

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1 Peter 1:22

If we responded simply out of natural impulses, we would probably be nice when people were kind to us. At other times, though, we’d likely be vengeful, angry, or hurtful.

Yet Jesus clearly teaches us to love even when those around us seem unlovable. And He lived out what He taught: Jesus Christ loved us enough to die on the cross for us while we were still sinners (Rom. 5:8). Surely, out of gratitude for what He did and in reliance on the Lord’s strength, we—His followers—can love others (1 John 3:14).

While it’s hard to respond to unkindness with love, such godly behavior can lead to great blessing. First, God is pleased with us; this realization should bring His children joy, peace, and a sense of accomplishment. Next, believers ought to feel anticipation to see how the Lord will move in the relationship. Finally, there will be an awareness that the Holy Spirit is working from within, enabling divine love to flow through human lives yielded to Him.

John 13:35 tells of another important benefit: Jesus said, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” Since unconditional godly love is not the norm in our world, people will take notice when they see it demonstrated.

Treating others as we want to be treated is what builds the deep, satisfying connections all people desire. Without significant relationships, life lacks purpose and meaning no matter how many possessions or acquaintances we have. So think about the people you come in contact with throughout the week. Are you treating them the way Jesus modeled—with love?

Bible in a Year: Psalms 79-84

 

 

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Shocking Honesty

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Read: 1 Peter 3:7–12 | Bible in a Year: Job 5–7; Acts 8:1–25

Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered. 1 Peter 3:7 nlt

When the minister asked one of his elders to lead the congregation in prayer, the man shocked everyone. “I’m sorry, Pastor,” he said, “but I’ve been arguing with my wife all the way to church, and I’m in no condition to pray.” The next moment was awkward. The minister prayed. The service moved on. Later, the pastor vowed never to ask anyone to pray publicly without first asking privately.

That man demonstrated astonishing honesty in a place where hypocrisy would have been easier. But there is a larger lesson about prayer here. God is a loving Father. If I as a husband do not respect and honor my wife—a cherished daughter of God—why would her heavenly Father hear my prayers?

Our relationships affect our prayer life.

The apostle Peter made an interesting observation about this. He instructed husbands to treat their wives with respect and as equal heirs in Christ “so that nothing will hinder your prayers” (1 Peter 3:7). The underlying principle is that our relationships affect our prayer life.

What would happen if we exchanged the Sunday smiles and the façade of religiosity for refreshing honesty with our brothers and sisters? What might God do through us when we pray and learn to love each other as we love ourselves?

Father, You love all of Your children, but so often we fight and disagree. Help us learn to interact with love and respect in all our relationships so the world will see the difference You make. Teach us to pray.

Prayer is simply an honest conversation with God.

INSIGHT:

Husbands are instructed to “be considerate . . . and treat [their wives] with respect” (1 Peter 3:7). Fellowship with God is hindered if a man does not give honor to his wife (v. 7). The apostle Paul instructed husbands not to be harsh with their wives (Col. 3:19), but to love them “just as Christ loved the church,” sacrificing their own interests for their wife’s growth, maturity, and holiness (Eph. 5:25–27). The husband is to “love his wife as he loves himself” (v. 33).

 

http://www.odb.org

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Integrity Enjoys Divine Resources

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“Then they approached and spoke before the king about the king’s injunction, ‘Did you not sign an injunction that any man who makes a petition to any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty days, is to be cast into the lions’ den?’ The king answered and said, ‘The statement is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be revoked.’ Then they answered and spoke before the king, ‘Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the injunction which you signed, but keeps making his petition three times a day.’ Then, as soon as the king heard this statement, he was deeply distressed and set his mind on delivering Daniel; and even until sunset he kept exerting himself to rescue him. Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, ‘Recognize, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or statute which the king establishes may be changed.’ Then the king gave orders, and Daniel was brought in and cast into the lions’ den. The king spoke and said to Daniel, ‘Your God whom you constantly serve will Himself deliver you.’ And a stone was brought and laid over the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet rings of his nobles, so that nothing might be changed in regard to Daniel” (Daniel 6:12-17).

When human resources have been exhausted, God has only begun to work.

The ink had barely dried on Darius’ decree when Daniel’s enemies reappeared to accuse him of disregarding the order. Only then did Darius realize the grave consequences of his actions.

In his deep distress the king exhausted every legal effort to save Daniel, but to no avail. Even he could not revoke the death sentence he had unwittingly placed on his loyal and trusted servant. In his grief and humility he confessed that God Himself would deliver Daniel. He was right!

Suggestions for Prayer

What are you praying for that only God can do, so that when He does it, He alone will get the glory?

For Further Study

Read 2 Corinthians 12:9-10. What was the apostle Paul’s attitude toward his own weaknesses?

 

http://www.gty.org

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Responsible Grace 

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What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?  Romans 6:1-2

Grace is a gift from God, one that requires responsible and wise stewardship. Grace is not a license to sin but permission to live. Grace is all about living for God and walking with Him. It engages with eternity by approaching God’s throne of grace with gratitude, awe, and boldness. God’s grace is a guarantee of eternal life. It is absolutely amazing because Christ collateralizes it. There has never been a shortage of your Savior’s grace.No group or individual has ever made a run on heaven’s grace account. You can go to the bank with God’s grace. It is as everlasting as the Lord.

However, though unlimited in supply, it may be the most underused resource available. People miss grace when they thrash and stumble about in their own strength. They apply bad theology. They believe in salvation by grace through faith, but drift into living on their own strength. Demons must chuckle when they observe Christians applying dead works.Working to earn God’s favor after receiving salvation is as futile as it was before salvation. Do not fall into the trap of graceless living for grace is God’s remedy for the self-indulgent. Grace values community with people and communicating with Christ. There is a spirit of acceptance and peace with those who receive and apply God’s grace often.

Learn to use grace responsibly. Grace is not a safety net for your fall into sin, for sin still has its consequences. Grace is not an excuse to sin and is not your pass for disobedience. Judgment, both harsh and extreme, is the natural outcome for graceless Christians. Grace is, more than anything, an honorable motivation for your attitude and actions. Without grace, you gravitate toward pride for not sinning. Yes, grace is a governor on your behavior, while never promoting pride.

Grace means you have a stewardship of wise choices to manage for the Lord. It gives you permission to be free in Christ, but your freedom is for Him. His kingdom agenda is what drives grace. Grace integrates all of life around faith. Christ does not compartmentalize the sacred from the secular. Grace includes, it doesn’t exclude. It discloses rather than hides. Sin is subservient to your Savior’s grace.

Grace gives you the perspective and power for forgiveness and honesty. It is the delivery channel of truth. Grace is your excuse for extending forgiveness and second and third chances—and more—to culprits. Use grace to remove sin’s stain from the fiber of your faith. Indeed, as you extend grace, you are more likely to receive grace. Be responsible with grace and you will be trusted with more. Grace saved you from sin; so don’t go back to your pre-grace condition. Because of grace, you are free from sin, not free to sin. Therefore, be a responsible and gracious follower of Christ.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your amazing grace, I pray I apply it responsibility.

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Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Nothing But Christ

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For I resolved to know nothing (to be acquainted with nothing, to make a display of the knowledge of nothing, and to be conscious of nothing) among you except Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and Him crucified. And I was in (passed into a state of) weakness and fear (dread) and great trembling [after I had come] among you. And my language and my message were not set forth in persuasive (enticing and plausible) words of wisdom, but they were in demonstration of the [Holy] Spirit and power. —1 Corinthians 2:2-4

I’ve tried to imagine what it would have been like to go to Corinth or other Greek cities at the time of Paul and try to speak to those wise, brilliant thinkers. After studying every parchment given to me, and gaining knowledge of all their arguments, I would have prayed for God to help me overcome their objections.

We don’t know what Paul did, but his answer is astounding. Instead of going after them with great reasoning and sharp logic, he went in exactly the opposite direction. He stayed in Corinth a year and a half, and many came to Christ because of him. Later, when he wrote 1 Corinthians, he said, “For I resolved to know nothing . . . among you except Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and Him crucified” (2:2). That’s amazing. If any man had the ability to reason with those Greeks and could show them the fallacies of their logic, surely that man was Paul. But, being led by the Holy Spirit, he chose a defenseless presentation—to let God speak through him and touch the hearts of the people.

Now, centuries later, I appreciate his approach—although I didn’t always feel this way. For a long time I wanted to explain and reason out everything, but when that didn’t work, I ended up feeling miserable.

I’ve always been curious, always wanted to know, and always wanted to figure out the answer. Then God began to work in my life. He showed me that my constant drive to figure it out caused me confusion and prevented me from receiving many of the things He wanted me to have. He said, You must lay aside carnal reasoning if you expect to have discernment.

I didn’t like loose ends, so I felt more secure when I figured things out. I wanted to be in control of every detail of every situation. When I didn’t understand or was unable to figure things out, I felt out of control. And that was frightening to me. Something was wrong—I was troubled and had no peace of mind. Sometimes, frustrated and exhausted, I would just give up.

Continue reading Joyce Meyer – Nothing But Christ →

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Knowledge and Wisdom

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“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure and full of quiet gentleness. Then it is peace-loving and courteous. It allows discussion and is willing to yield to others; it is full of mercy and good deeds. It is wholehearted and straightforward and sincere” (James 3:17).

“Donkeys laden with books,” a phrase in rabbinical literature, is descriptive of those who know much but still remain fools.

Another expression says that “knowledge is power.” True, but how is the knowledge used – beneficially or malevolently? That is a vitally important question. We have more knowledge than ever before, but a few would claim that we have more wisdom.

Going faster and faster, we may be still going astray. Just as grapes are not picked from a bramble bush, neither can the good life be harvested from sowing wild oats.

For a nation of people, many of whom are “educated beyond their intelligence,” as an anonymous wit once observed, America sorely lacks a sufficiency of men with real wisdom – that which is given by the Lord Himself.

In our modern education, we seem to be preoccupied with the accumulation of knowledge, to the neglect of that wisdom which alone can save us from the misuse of knowledge.

William Lyon Phelps, famous English professor at Yale University and a godly statesman, once said, “If I could choose between a knowledge of the Bible and a college education, I would readily choose the knowledge of the Bible.”

If we lack wisdom, God’s wisdom, we need only ask of Him and He will grant it when we ask in faith, according to His promise in James 1:5.

Bible Reading: James 3:13-18

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: In order to live a supernatural life I’ll look for divine wisdom from the proper source – God, His Word, and His indwelling Holy Spirit.

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – Prayer’s Resources

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Read: 2 Chronicles 14:2-16:12

Then Asa called to the Lord his God and said, Lord, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. Lord, you are our God; do not let mere mortals prevail against you. 2 Chron 14:11

Have you ever felt like King Asa felt? Have you ever thought you were secure, with plenty of money in the bank, with good health and a future that looked bright and rosy, and then suddenly, Wham! Bam! — disaster looms? You realize you are outnumbered, outgunned and outclassed, up against a circumstance too big for you to handle. I’m sure there are some facing that very kind of thing.

Notice that the very first thing Asa does is to recognize the unique ability of God to give help — unique ability — because nobody helps like God does. The reason there is none like God to help, of course, is that God knows so much more about us than anyone else and there are a thousand and one things God can do to set us free. King Asa recognizes also that part of the uniqueness of God is that it does not make any difference whether you are mighty or weak. This phrase, to help the powerless against the mighty, reveals that human contribution to the victory is insignificant in God’s eyes. He can use armies if he wants to, or he can use a single individual.

The second thing King Asa did was to request specific aid for the present emergency. He prayed, Help us, Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. When you are confronted with a situation like that, you do not have time to pray around the world. I once heard of a man who was invited to pray for someone who was dying in a hospital. As he stood beside the bed, this man began his prayer, Bless the missionaries in China and India and Africa, etc. He continued in that vein until someone stopped him and said, I’m sorry. While you were in India the patient died. It is important to come to the point in our prayers, to deal with the specific situation, as King Asa did here. Do not tell God what to do. That is the mistake so many of us make. We have our prayer all outlined, written down even. We say, Lord, first do this. Then when that happens, do this. God’s best and most frequent answer to such a prayer is to check the square that says, None of the above. He has his own way of working. He will not give way to us. That is what makes us get so angry at God.

Continue reading Ray Stedman – Prayer’s Resources →

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Journey into Old Age

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Read: Psalm 71:1-9

Upon you I have leaned from before my birth. (v. 6)

Evelyn tells how at a health exposition she noticed a young woman standing to one side, a stack of papers in hand. She made no effort to give them out. Instead, her eyes searched the faces of the passersby. As Evelyn approached, she smiled and handed her a brochure. Evelyn was flattered at being singled out. Her smugness disappeared when she saw the literature: it advertised the services of a plastic surgeon!

You know you’re getting older when you thrill at watching a competition skater on TV do a triple axle, and then you head for the kitchen trip over a throw rug. Should I reconsider the TV ad promoting another deal? I can order exercise videos to tone up my sagging muscles. For only $19.95.

What’s going on? Commercial interests find it profitable to appeal to our desire to not get old. Yet it’s as inevitable as graying hair. At birth we begin to age.

Rather than another sales pitch this psalm shows us a better way. Knowing the Lord by faith gives us confidence, for the struggles and challenges of the middle years; and gives hope and courage for dealing with the final years. “He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers” (Ps. 1:3).

Prayer:

Lord, from birth I have relied on you. You have been my confidence since my youth. I place my hope in you for my remaining years. Amen.

Author: Chic Broersma

 

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Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Cares for Me

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“For He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust.” (Psalm 103:14)

God cares about me even though I am nothing but dust.

Dust. It’s the stuff that accumulates under your bed or on your dresser. It’s on top of the refrigerator or other places that never seem to get cleaned. It’s the stuff your mom asks you to wipe off of the furniture around the house. Most people don’t like dust. It’s just annoying. Dust is certainly something you wouldn’t try to collect and take care of. You would not love or protect or even talk to dust. Most people would think you were strange if you did any of those things. After all, it’s just dust, it’s not important; it’s not worth anything.

But do you know that God describes human beings as dust? Psalms 103:14 says, “For He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust.” The phrase “He knoweth our frame,” means that God knows what we are made of. And He should know what we are made of because He created us. Genesis 2:7 says God created man from “the dust of the ground.” You are nothing more important or significant than dust.

But even though you are dust and seemingly unimportant, God does love you, and care for you, and protect you. He does want to talk to you through His Word, and He also wants you to talk to Him through prayer. We should thank God that He cares so much about us. The whole point of Psalm 103 is that we should bless God for everything He has done for us such as forgiving and forgetting our sins, showing us mercy, healing us from sickness, and giving us strength. It’s great that we have a God that cares about us even though we are dust and don’t deserve it!

My Response:

» Do I thank God for caring about me?

» Do I remember that I’m nothing but dust and don’t deserve God’s love, or do I get proud and think more of myself more than I should?

 

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