Monthly Archives: July 2016

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Frenemies with the World

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Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. —1 John 2:15

The word frenemy is a relatively new term in the English language. A frenemy is neither an actual friend nor an outright enemy. Thus, he or she is a frenemy. My concern is that some Christians have become frenemies with the world.

By “world” I mean a mentality, a system, a way of thinking. The Bible defines the world this way: “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world” (1 John 2:16). The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—that is the world.

I think sometimes Christians get confused about this. They think anything that is enjoyable is worldly. But the Bible says that God has given us all things to richly enjoy (see 1 Timothy 6:17). It’s great to enjoy things that are wholesome and uplifting. This is not what the Bible is referring to when it speaks of the world.

The Message says it this way: “Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father.”

Little temptations can seem almost harmless, like cute little kittens. But little kittens ultimately turn into cats. And a little temptation can become a full-scale sin. As Christians, we have three enemies we contend with every day: the world, the flesh, and the devil. The world with its allure is the external foe. The flesh with its evil desires is the internal foe. And Satan with his enticements is the infernal foe.

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Is Abundantly Good

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“They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness.” (Psalm 145:7a)

When we say that something is “good,” what do we mean?

When something is “good,” it does what it is supposed to do. Imagine that you are playing soccer, dribbling the ball down the field. You fake around one defender and then another. Now, the goalie is the only player left between you and the goal. You dribble to the right and then kick the ball high and to the left corner of the goal. It flies past the diving goalie’s outstretched hands. That was a “good” shot: it did what it was supposed to do.

Psalm 145:7a says, “They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness.” When David says that God is abundantly good, what does he mean? He means that God will always do what He is supposed to do. God never makes a mistake or a bad decision. Everything that He does is best for Him and for His creation – even when it doesn’t seem to us that things are good. We are too limited to be able to say whether something is truly good or bad, but we can trust that the God always does good.

God is not just good; his goodness is great, or abundant. When Steph was a kid, she used to save up her money to buy small bags of M&M’s. She would go home and lie on her bed and read a book while eating them one at a time, trying to make them last for a looooong time. But they always ran out way too soon! When something is “abundant,” it means that there is more than enough of it. Abundant M&M’s would be a bag that never ran out. That is how God’s goodness is to all people: it will never run out!

God is always good, and His goodness is abundant.

My Response:

» The verse says, “They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness.” When was the last time I got excited and told someone how good God is to me? Who can I tell today about God’s goodness to me

 

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – Sin for Sin

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Today’s Scripture: Romans 8:13

“If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”

We’ll never reach the place where we don’t have to contend against the flesh. But the life of a Christian should be characterized by an earnest desire and sincere effort to put to death (mortify) the sins of the body.

Although mortification is our responsibility, it can be done only through the enabling power of the Holy Spirit. Paul said, “But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Romans 8:13). John Owen wrote, “all other ways of discipline are in vain. All other helps leave us helpless. Mortification is accomplished only ‘through the Spirit’ . . . no other power can accomplish it.”

Although the Scriptures emphasize both human discipline and dependence on the Holy Spirit, we tend to emphasize one to the neglect of the other. To some, it seems more spiritual to “just turn it all over to God” and trust him to do the mortifying. Any mention of our responsibility is dismissed as being only “a work of the flesh.”

To other people who stress discipline, it seems more responsible to “just do it.” But mortification attempted only by human willpower always ends in self-righteousness or frustration. The more naturally disciplined person tends toward self-righteousness and wonders why everyone else can’t be as successful in mortification as he or she is. But all that person has done is exchanged one sin for another. The problem of impure thoughts, for example, is exchanged for pride and self-righteousness. Another person who tries to mortify some particular sin by his or her own willpower fails and becomes frustrated and guilty. So pride or frustration is always the result of attempts to mortify sin that are carried on apart from utter dependence on the Spirit. (Excerpt taken from The Discipline of Grace)

 

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – The Lost Sheep

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Today’s Scripture: Amos 1-2

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. – Matthew 9:36

How do we get a burden for the lost? We must be in contact with people who need Christ; we must feel their anguish and spiritual need. But we must also pray that God will burden our hearts for these people.

A few years ago, we were living in a condominium where the walls were so thin I could hear the alarm clock of the people next to us. And sadly, those people were in constant conflict. I think their dog was the only thing holding them together.

And it made me mad. I told Virginia I was about ready to go over there and tell them to shut up. Virginia said, “Well, it’s sure evident that they need the Lord.” You see, we were both exposed to people who needed Christ. But I got mad at them while Virginia prayed for them.

One of the most important elements in being an effective witness for Christ is to have a burden for people who don’t know Him. We see it in Amos 1-2, and even in the prophet’s name, which in Hebrew is related to a verb meaning “to bear a load, to be burdened.”

It takes exposure plus the compassion of Christ to produce a burden for the lost. Christian, where are you in this process today? Are you getting mad at the lost or getting burdened for them? May God give each of us a burden, like Amos, to share His word with the people around us who so desperately need Him.

Prayer

Lord, give me eyes of compassion to see the lost as You see them. Amen.

To Ponder

A burdened heart is the beginning of a burning witness.

 

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BreakPoint

BreakPoint – Remembering Elie Wiesel

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The world lost its conscience over the Fourth of July weekend. Elie Wiesel, the holocaust survivor who spent the sixty-seven years after the fall of the Third Reich striving to make sure that history wouldn’t repeat itself, died in his Manhattan home at the age of 87.

I was privileged to meet Wiesel once. We spoke about Bonhoeffer, with whom he was, of course, very familiar.

Wiesel was born in 1928 in the Romanian town of Sighet. For most of World War II, the town was administered by Hungary. When Wiesel was 15, the Third Reich occupied Hungary and began the extermination of the last substantial Jewish population under its direct control. In just eight weeks, 424,000 out of an estimated 800,000 Jews living in Hungary were deported to Auschwitz, ninety percent of whom were exterminated upon arrival.

Elie Wiesel, along with his parents and his youngest sister, were among the deportees. While his mother and sister were killed immediately upon arrival, Wiesel and his father were put to work. Just before Auschwitz fell to the Soviets later that year, he and his father were sent to Buchenwald, another notorious concentration camp.

Wiesel’s father died only a few weeks before Buchenwald was liberated by Patton’s Third Army in April, 1945. He and his two sisters, who had emigrated to North America prior to the war, were all that was left of his family. By the standards of what is called the “Shoah” in Hebrew, they were more fortunate than most.

Of course, in the face of monstrous evil, “fortunate” is a relative term. Very relative.

Continue reading BreakPoint – Remembering Elie Wiesel →

Moody Global Ministries

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – THE TOWER OF BABEL

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Read GENESIS 11

Through Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, many are finding it easier and easier to make themselves known to friends and strangers alike. And with the rise of gated communities and TSA checkpoints at airports, people are desperately seeking to find safety in an uncertain world. Notoriety and security: two things many people seek in life.

The ancient world was no exception. Recall that after the Flood, Noah and his sons were told to multiply and fill the earth. Earlier, Genesis 10 described the partial fulfillment of that command through the genealogies of Noah’s sons. This record shows how the ancient nations came about through the descendants of Japheth, Ham, and Shem. Would these increasing numbers of humanity remain faithful to God?

Unfortunately, as Genesis 11 tells us, they would not. The descendants of Noah settled in one place and then attempted to build a city with a great tower that reached the heavens. Their two-fold reason: “So that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth” (11:4). They sought for themselves notoriety in the world, and security from the uncertainty of migration. Rather than being content with God’s provision in the world, this post-Flood humanity, like Adam and Eve, attempted to take control of their own lives.

As a result, God put a stop to their designs by confusing their language and scattering them throughout the earth. It would appear that this new generation of mankind would be just as resistant to God’s commands as they were before the Flood. Nevertheless, God did not give up on humanity, for the genealogy at the end of Genesis 11 introduces for us a flicker of hope in a man God would use for His own purposes: Abram.

APPLY THE WORD

How many of us have followed the way of Babel in trying to make a name for ourselves through the way we use social media? For today, decide not to post any photos or updates on these sites, and turn instead to prayer and Scripture memorization. Let the words of 1 Peter 2:9 become the day’s theme, thanking God that your worth depends on belonging to Him.

 

http://www.todayintheword.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – The FBI and Hillary Clinton: my analysis

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I was reading about the spaceship orbiting Jupiter yesterday morning when something decidedly more down-to-earth hit my Twitter feed: the FBI director had just announced that he would not recommend criminal charges against Hillary Clinton for her handling of classified information when she was secretary of state.

I knew this would dominate the news cycle, so I wrote a white paper for our website: The Clinton email scandal: what you need to know. There I survey the history of the controversy, issues raised by the debate, practical questions, and ways Christians should respond. For today’s Cultural Commentary, I’d like to focus on a theme I didn’t address in the white paper.

When you heard the news, what was your immediate response? If you’re a Clinton advocate, you probably saw the announcement as vindicating your support. No criminal charges were recommended, so her campaign believes that the matter is now resolved.

If you’re a Clinton critic, you probably saw the announcement as vindicating your opposition. The FBI director strongly criticized Mrs. Clinton and her colleagues for being “extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive, highly classified information.”

Two sides, reacting to the same report, are defending two completely different positions. Such is the state of our political culture today.

According to a recent survey, ninety-two percent of Republicans are to the right of the median Democrat, while ninety-four percent of Democrats are to the left of the median Republican. The percentage in each party with a highly negative view of the other party has more than doubled since 1994.

Continue reading Denison Forum – The FBI and Hillary Clinton: my analysis →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Role of Our Conscience

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1 Timothy 1:18-19

The Lord gives every person a conscience, which is like a radar system meant to send warnings when a behavior or decision might be harmful. This makes it possible for people to distinguish between what is morally right and morally wrong, especially as it applies to their own life. We ignore the conscience at our own peril.

In a believer, the conscience is a tool of the Holy Spirit; He programs it with principles from God’s Word and sharpens it to respond quickly. Even so, our radar’s sole purpose is to send a signal. What happens next is up to us. Either we ignore the warning, or we stop to hear what the Spirit has to say about the situation. The Holy Spirit reveals God’s will or reminds us of His principles so we can make a wise decision about the warning bell ringing in our conscience.

Paul’s letter to Timothy mentions people who’d rejected God’s leadership and guidance in their lives—they had paid no attention to the alarm of their conscience (1 Tim. 1:19), and the result was shipwrecked faith. When something appears on the radar that speaks of disobedience to God, we have to reject that action. Otherwise, the detection device becomes impaired and won’t work right. If we keep ignoring the alarm, it will eventually go silent.

We all know people who have “run aground” in life. A shipwrecked faith is inevitable when believers ignore their conscience and rationalize or defend disobedience. It’s far better to turn yourself over to the great captain of your soul, Jesus Christ. His Holy Spirit will guide you correctly.

Bible in a Year: Psalms 132-138

 

 

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Coming Alongside

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Read: Exodus 17:8–16 | Bible in a Year: Job 30–31; Acts 13:26–52

Aaron and Hur held [Moses’s] hands up—one on one side, one on the other. Exodus 17:12

Her thirty classmates and their parents watched as Mi’Asya nervously walked to the podium to speak at her fifth grade graduation ceremony. When the principal adjusted the microphone to Mi’Asya’s height, she turned her back to the microphone and the audience. The crowd whispered words of encouragement: “Come on, honey, you can do it.” But she didn’t budge. Then a classmate walked to the front and stood by her side. With the principal on one side of Mi’Asya and her friend on the other, the three read her speech together. What a beautiful example of support!

Moses needed help and support in the middle of a battle with the Amalekites (Ex. 17:10–16). “As long as Moses held up his hands [with the staff of God in his hands], the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning” (v. 11). When Aaron and Hur saw what was happening, they stood beside Moses, “one on one side, one on the other,” and supported his arms when he grew tired. With their support, victory came by sunset.

We all need the support of one another on our shared journey of faith.

We all need the support of one another. As brothers and sisters in the family of God, we have so many opportunities to encourage one another on our shared journey of faith. And God is right here in our midst giving us His grace to do that.

Who could you help today? Or do you need support yourself? Who could you ask?

Share with us at odb.org

Hope can be ignited by a spark of encouragement.

INSIGHT:

Today’s reading starts with what may seem to be two insignificant details: “The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim.” The Amalekites were distant cousins—the descendants of Abraham and Isaac through Esau (Gen. 25:23; 36:12, 16). And Rephidim was the place where the Israelites grumbled against Moses and regretted their decision to leave Egypt (Ex. 17:1–7). This circumstance—between slavery and inheritance—forced the Israelites to face their doubts and questions. Is God with us? Can God deliver us? As the battle raged, it became apparent that they were victorious when Moses held high the staff of God—the object representing God’s power and presence. God had not abandoned them and He was able to give them victory.

 

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Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Why Can’t Skeptics Hear My Arguments? 

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Though we often note the radical disparity between secularism and Christianity, that doesn’t stop many of us from tacitly assuming that our secular interlocutors will at least recognize the plausibility of our rational arguments for the faith. But they frequently don’t. Why? Is it because they’re less rational than they fancy themselves to be? Are they just stubborn? Is it because they don’t want there to be a god?

Though each of these questions might shed some light on the situation, I don’t think they go to the heart of the matter. Furthermore, I think they often serve as a pretext for dismissing our secular friend’s outlook, and patting ourselves on the back for having given it our best shot. (Sadly, I’m speaking from experience here.) I think a better question is: What am I missing? Why am I not being heard?

Consider the historical evidence for Jesus’s resurrection. Despite its illustrious track record with skeptics, many non-believers simply dismiss it out of hand. Why? It turns out that there’s a brilliant thinker behind the scenes, and we need to make his acquaintance.

The Scottish philosopher David Hume devoted an entire section of his seminal essay, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, to the subject of miracles. Unabashed in his ambitions, Hume’s stated aim was to provide an “everlasting check to all kinds of superstitious delusion,” and to mount an argument against miracles that would prove “useful as long as the world endures.”[1]

Since the world is still enduring, it may prove useful for us to re-examine Hume’s thesis regarding miracles: “A miracle is a violation of the laws of nature; and as a firm and unalterable experience has established these laws, the proof against a miracle, from the very nature of the fact, is as entire as any argument from experience can possibly be imagined.”[2] Let’s temporarily bracket the question of whether this sentence is accurate or fair, and pause to admire its rhetorical finesse. Who would want to defend anything that constitutes a “violation of the laws of nature”? Who would want to argue against scientific evidence? What kind of person makes a habit of attacking the testimony of “unalterable experience”? More significantly, what sane person would want to trespass beyond the bounds of reason?

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Why Can’t Skeptics Hear My Arguments?  →

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Hope of Glory

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“We exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint” (Romans 5:2-5).

God promises all believers that one day they will receive Christ’s glory.

The security that every believer desires in his or her salvation is founded on the very fact that God is the author of salvation—every aspect of it is solely His work, and thus it cannot be lost. The final piece of God’s great work is the ultimate glorification of every Christian: “Whom [God] foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren; and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified” (Rom. 8:29-30).

This third link in the chain that eternally binds believers to Christ completes the three aspects of salvation. Paul already established that salvation is anchored in the past because Christ made peace with God. It is anchored in the present because Christ continually intercedes for every believer and establishes our standing in grace. Here Paul proclaims that salvation is also anchored in the future because God promises His children that one day they will be clothed with the glory of His Son.

The Greek word for “exult” in Romans 5:2 refers to jubilation and rejoicing. Every believer ought to rejoice in the future rather than fearing it, because Jesus Christ secured the hope that his ultimate destiny is to share in the very glory of God. Christ is the guarantee of our hope because He Himself is our hope (1 Tim. 1:1).

Continue reading John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Hope of Glory →

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Are You in An In-Between Place?

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For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:8

One afternoon many years ago as I walked through the front doors of my favorite grocery store in Colorado Springs, my heart was heavy. I feel so alone, I thought. My friend, Judi, had died unexpectedly days before from a brain aneurysm and my friend, Gene, had died the month before. When I reached the checkout, I made small talk with the woman in front of me. “This weather is really great, huh?” I scanned the beautiful Rocky Mountains out the large picture windows. “Yes, it’s awesome. I moved here last year, and I love it.” She smiled and rolled away her cart. I found a seat where I could quietly eat my lunch. Loneliness engulfed me.

As I stood to put away my plate, the woman from the checkout approached me. “You were really nice to talk to me, but the Lord wants me to tell you something.” She gently placed her hands on my shoulders and turned me to face her. “He wants you to know that you are not alone and that He hears you.” Tears of relief and gratitude rolled down my cheeks. What a gracious and kind Lord we have! He was giving me His love through a stranger. She went on. “I believe He also wants you to know He is going to put your feet on a new foundation. I don’t know what that means, but be open to change.” We hugged, I cried some more, and she walked away.

“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns’” (Isaiah 52:7)!

As I drove home, I pondered these things in my heart. It seemed God was confirming what I had been sensing for several months. God is going to do something new.  If change meant emotional and spiritual relief, I was ready because I was in an in-between place brought on the deaths of my friends and other life changes. As it turned out, within a matter of months, I had moved away from Colorado Springs and within a year, I met my husband. How faithful the Lord is!

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – Are You in An In-Between Place? →

Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – Double Blessings

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But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

2 Corinthians 9:6

Recommended Reading

1 Thessalonians 3:11-13

When it comes to stewardship, our giving to God is like a farmer sowing seed in a field. If we sow abundantly we reap abundantly; if we sow sparingly we reap sparingly. But can that principle be applied to other areas of life besides financial stewardship?

Paul suggests it can. Before he wrote the words of 2 Corinthians 9:6 to the Corinthians he wrote to the Galatians: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7). The context of that verse was not finances but the moral life: Sow to the flesh and reap destruction; sow to the Spirit and reap life. In other words, sowing and reaping is a general principle of God’s economy that applies to all areas of life. Take love and compassion, for example. If we sow compassion toward others, we will reap compassion from God and others. Being a compassionate person (or a kind, loving, generous, patient person) is a path to a double blessing for the receiver as well as the giver.

If you need compassion today, sow compassion toward others. Bless them and yourself!

Biblical orthodoxy without compassion is surely the ugliest thing in the world.

Francis Schaeffer

Read-Thru-the-Bible

Proverbs 18 – 20

http://www.davidjeremiah.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Focus Forward

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Not that I have now attained [this ideal], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own. I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward. —Philippians 3:12-14

If you have been miserable because of the things that have happened in your past, I encourage you to do as I did and set your focus in a new direction. Determine to be what God wants you to be, to have what God wants you to have, and to receive what Jesus died to give you.

When you feel discouraged, say, “I am not going to live in bondage anymore. I cannot do anything about what I have done in the past, but I can do something about my future. I am going to enjoy my life and have what Jesus died for me to have. I am going to let go of the past and go on pursuing God from this day forth!”

From the book New Day, New You by Joyce Meyer.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Girlfriends in God

Girlfriends in God – The Picture of Repentance

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Today’s Truth

He (God) is so rich in kindness that He purchased our freedom through the blood of His Son, and our sins are forgiven

Ephesians 1:7

Friend to Friend

It had been a rough afternoon for Hudson, our four-year-old grandson. Dan and I were keeping him and his brother Justus for a few days while our daughter and son-in-law were out of town. I know. It’s a rough job, but somebody has to do it.

I had spent a week getting ready for their visit. The checklist was complete!

The refrigerator, pantry, and snack drawer were filled with their favorite foods.

The toys were assembled and ready for action.

The bed in our guestroom was piled high with extra pillows, blankets, and stuffed animals waiting to be hugged.

Favorite books were stacked beside their bed for naps and bedtime imaginations.

Now all we needed were the boys! When we went to pick them up, they squealed and jumped into our arms. At this point, I’m not sure who was more excited. But it didn’t matter. The adventure had begun!

We had a total blast!

Continue reading Girlfriends in God – The Picture of Repentance →

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Rescue from Temptation

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“So also the Lord can rescue you and me from the temptations that surround us, and continue to punish the ungodly until the day of final judgement comes” (2 Peter 2:9).

Charles G. Finney was one of America’s most outstanding evangelists. One day while he was still a young lawyer, he sat in his village law office in the state of New York. It was early in the day, and the Lord began to deal with him.

“Finney,” an inner voice asked, “what are you going to do when you finish your course?”
“Put out a shingle and practice law.”
“Then what?” the voice persisted.
“Get rich.”
“Then what?”
“Retire.”
“Then what?”
“Die.”
“Then what?”
This time the words came tremblingly, “The judgement.”

Young Finney ran for the woods half a mile away. As he prayed, he vowed that he would not leave until he had made his peace with God. After a long struggle, he discovered that he could not resist God’s call, and he came out of the woods that evening with the high purpose of living the remainder of his life to the glory of God, enjoying Him forever.

Like that great preacher and evangelist you and I can be rescued from the temptations of the world so that we will not resist any clear call from God.

Bible Reading: II Peter 2:10-17

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: When the world tries to squeeze me into its mold, I’ll not resist the clear call from our Lord Jesus Christ to follow Him.

 

http://www.cru.org

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – Betraying the Gospel

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Read: Acts 15:1-21

Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved. Acts 15:1

In the fifteenth chapter of Acts is the story of a betrayal of the gospel. Here we learn of the clear emergence of what we can only call false Christianity. You will never understand Christianity until you understand that there are always present, in any so-called Christian gathering, manifestations and representatives of both true and false Christianity. Unfortunately, false Christianity is believed by millions who think they have understood the true, and have rejected the false. Therefore their minds are closed to the truth when it comes. Here we see the first emergence of that kind of false Christianity which is unthinkingly accepted by millions of people today.

It all began with the introduction of a very plausible and attractive heresy which came disguised as Christianity. Luke says that certain Jewish brethren, who ostensibly were Christians, came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. They came among the Gentile believers there, who had just come out of raw paganism, who had been idolaters, had been devotees of the licentious and sexually immoral practices of the pagan temples. These Gentiles had been hopeless in their outlook toward the future beyond this life and were sunken in despair and darkness, but then God had saved them. They were now rejoicing in Christ.

Continue reading Ray Stedman – Betraying the Gospel →

Uncategorized

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Knowing God

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Read: 1 John 2:3-6

By this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. (vv. 3-4)

As we noted yesterday, knowing God means knowing what he has done for us in Jesus Christ. It means knowing that Jesus has died for our sins and the sins of the whole world. Through the sacrifice of his own life on the cross, Jesus has opened a way for us to have peace with God through the forgiveness of our sins. That is the great truth John wants all people to know.

But the Christian faith also has an ethical aspect to it. Knowing God means that we also “obey his commands.” Some would call it “faith in action” or “walking our talk.” No matter what you call it, the apostle James is correct when he says, “Faith apart from works is dead” (James 2:26). What we do and how we live shows the genuineness of our faith.

Our good deeds do not add anything to what God has done for us in Christ. Obedience to the commands of Christ is not a means to grace but a response to it. We “walk as Jesus did” out of gratitude to God for what he has done for us and also to witness to those around us the joy and fulfillment we can have when we truly know God.

Prayer:

Gracious God, may all that we do and say point to you.

Author: John Koedyker

 

https://woh.org/

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – The Reward in Resisting

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God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.—James 1:12

I heard about a pastor who was making a hospital visit and parked his car in a no-parking zone because he couldn’t find a parking space. He circled around multiple times, but finally he had to stop so he could go and see the person who had requested him. He decided to write a note and place it under his windshield wiper in case a police officer came along. The note said, “I have circled the block ten times. I have an appointment to keep.” Then, thinking of a Scripture verse, the pastor wrote, “Forgive us our trespasses.”

When he returned, he was surprised to find a ticket under the windshield wiper. At the bottom of the ticket, a note read, “I have circled this block for ten years. If I don’t give you a ticket, I’ll lose my job.” The note ended with a Scripture quotation as well: “Lead us not into temptation.”

Everyone gets tempted, including ministers. No one enjoys being tempted. In fact, we probably would prefer that temptation didn’t exist at all. But the Bible says there is actually a blessing in getting through temptation. James 1:12 says, “God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”

This verse tells us that temptation can be endured: “God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation.” There is no such thing as a temptation that is too hard to resist. God will allow only what you can handle (see 1 Corinthians 10:13).

It is hard to be tempted, but when you resist and get through it, that is a great victory. In fact, there is a reward waiting. There is a blessedness when you have come through times of temptation.

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Is Forever Merciful

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“O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good: for his mercy endures forever.” (Psalm 136:1)

The line for the roller coaster was very long and the sun was very hot, as all the guys in Jack’s family leaned against the railing. Their goal was to reach the sheltered area, get out of the hot sun, and eventually ride “Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.” But the line was going so slowly. Standing in the hot sun and listening to whining children, people were getting annoyed.

On top of that, there was a recorded voice that kept saying the same thing over and over again. “Howdy partners,” said the man in a western drawl, and he went on to talk about the ride. His announcement always ended with, “We hope you enjoy riding on the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad!” Jack decided he had heard that recorded message over 50 times while they inched forward to the ride. After about the 20th time, he and his dad and brother started reciting it with him, always ending with, “We hope you enjoy riding on the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad!” Soon all the people around them were chiming in, “on the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad!” Well, it worked. The park workers got the message and sped things up some. Jack breathed a big sigh of relief when he finally got his turn on the roller coaster!

In Psalm 136, the Lord has something very important that He wants you to learn about Him. It is so important that He repeats “for His mercy endures forever” 26 times! Why do you think this idea so important?

Mercy means that someone does not receive the punishment he deserves. You might be thinking, “But I haven’t done anything to deserve a punishment.” The Bible says that you have. In fact, all men deserve to be punished forever in hell (Romans 6:23). That is why this phrase is so important! Without God’s mercy, all people would have to spend eternity paying for their sins. But “His mercy endures forever.” That means that God not only holds back your deserved punishment in this life, but, if you have accepted His gift of eternal life, you can enjoy God’s mercy forever even though you don’t deserve one minute of it! It will last for as long as God lasts, and God never changes. “His mercy endures forever!”

God wants you to be grateful for His enduring mercy.

My Response:

» Have I accepted God’s saving mercy to me? If so, have I thanked Him for saving me? Is there anyone that I need to show mercy to as well?

 

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