Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – Summer Getaways—Quiet Retreats

July 16, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Peace, be still!

Mark 4:39

Last year, officials of Washington’s Reagan National Airport received more than 8,600 complaints about noise. Imagine their surprise when they discovered 6,500 of them came from the same person! Some unidentified neighbor was incensed enough to call, on average, 18 times every day of the year.

Joyce Meyer – You Are Everywhere You Go!

July 16, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

For our sake He made Christ [virtually] to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become [endued with, viewed as being in, and examples of] the righteousness of God [what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by His goodness].—Corinthians 5:21

What if everywhere you went, you ran into someone you didn’t like? Wouldn’t that be terrible? Oh no, you’d think, her again. You attend a party, and you have to endure her conversation and views. You go to church, and she’s sitting right beside you. What a bummer to have to spend so much time with this person, you think.

Then it gets worse. There she is at the dinner table with you! She’s lounging by the pool; she’s even in your bed! She’s everywhere! That sounds pretty awful, but it is the exact situation you find yourself in if you don’t like yourself, because you are everywhere you go. You can’t get away from yourself, even for a second, so you are in for a sad life if you dread your own company. That much is pretty obvious.

But believe it or not, even though we can all agree that it makes no sense to live your life this way, I find that most people don’t like themselves. They may not even realize it, but some genuine soul-searching reveals the sad fact that they have rejected themselves and in some cases even hate themselves. I’ve come across a lot of people over the years, through my ministry and in day-to-day life, and I’m amazed at how few are truly at peace with themselves. Instead, they have declared war on themselves.

God wants you to love yourself, not in some wrong selfish or prideful way, but in a healthy way that truly understands how special you are to Him. As you begin to see yourself as God sees you, then not only will you love yourself, but you will have the confidence and faith to be a powerful force for good in the world.

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

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – No Hurt in Second Death

July 16, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“Let everyone who can hear, listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches; He who is victorious shall not be hurt by the Second Death” (Revelation 2:11).

I find great comfort in the promises of God’s word, and this is another that makes a positive assurance to use: we shall not be hurt by the Second Death.

But just what is meant by the term Second Death? It would seem to mean that the conqueror shall not have anything to fear in the future world. The punishment of hell is sometimes called death – not in the sense that the soul will cease to exist, but because death is the most fearful thing we know about, and there is a striking similarity in many respects between death and future punishment.

As death cuts us off from life, so the second death cuts one off from eternal life. Death puts an end to all our earthly hopes, and the second death to all hope forever. Death is accompanied by terrors and alarms, which are only faint emblems of the coming terror in the world of woe.

This promise of no harm for us in the second death really is all that is necessary to sustain us in our trials. Nothing else is needed to make the burdens of life tolerable but this assurance that the end of our earthly journey will bring us to the close of suffering. No power can harm us beyond the grave.

We have no promise that we shall not die, but we do have this glorious assurance that nothing beyond that will ever hurt us. Meanwhile, we are expected to listen – and to be faithful.

Bible Reading: John 8:21-25

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Knowing that nothing beyond the grave will ever hurt me, I will make this present life count for Christ and His kingdom.

http://www.cru.org

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – Fallen Asleep

July 16, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Read: Acts 20:2-12

On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to leave the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight. There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered together. And there was a young man named Eutychus sitting on the window sill, sinking into a deep sleep; and as Paul kept on talking, he was overcome by sleep and fell down from the third floor and was picked up dead. But Paul went down and fell upon him, and after embracing him, he said, Do not be troubled, for his life is in him. Acts 20:7-10

There are several very interesting aspects of this story. This is the first mention we have of the worship of the believers on the first day of the week, i.e., Sunday. This early in the Christian era they had shifted from Saturday to gathering on the first day of the week, the day of our Lord’s resurrection. They evidently had met here for a communion service, and the apostle seized the occasion to teach them from the Scriptures. In his last evening there, before they gathered at the Lord’s table, he took time to teach them further from the Scriptures. He went on at considerable length, prolonging his speech until midnight.

This has always been an encouraging passage to any pastor. It reveals that even the Apostle Paul had people go to sleep on him. Someone has said that the art of preaching is speaking in other people’s sleep. This was certainly the case here. At any rate, Eutychus fought a losing battle against falling asleep. Luke, with his physician’s eye, is easy on him. He tells us that there were many lamps in the upper chamber and each, of course, was burning up the oxygen. So, with the loss of oxygen in the atmosphere, and the late hour, and, perhaps, a long week’s work behind him, and given Paul’s long message, this young man was unable to hold out. He was seated in the window and fell into a deep sleep as Paul droned on, and so he fell from the third floor and was taken up dead.

Continue reading Ray Stedman – Fallen Asleep →

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Jonah’s Story

July 16, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Read: Matthew 12:38-41

No sign will be given . . . except the sign of the prophet Jonah. (Matt. 12:39)

I visited an old, abandoned church on the Turkish island of Cunda (pronounced JUNE-dah). It was a relic of the tragic aftermath of World War I when Greek Christians were either killed or forced to flee to Greece—while a similar thing was happening to Turkish Muslims in Greece. A man by the church door said I could “see the fresco,” for a small donation. On the church’s wall was a painting depicting Jonah. That story has always captured people’s imaginations, mostly because of that part with the really big fish.

Jonah’s “burial” in the sea and “resurrection” after three days was a sign, said Jesus, pointing to his own resurrection from the dead. And Nineveh’s repentance was important, too. The whole Jonah story, taken together, helps us better understand God and his ways, especially with sinful people. That’s where the Ninevites and their response come in, along with Jonah’s bad attitude.

Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll look at seven sections of Jonah’s story from his point of view, and then from God’s perspective as “conversations” in Jonah’s head and in heaven (italicized), at least as I’ve imagined them. Only they know exactly what they were thinking. However, we can apply what they said and did in ways that will, hopefully, help us be more like God in our attitudes and behaviors, and (sorry to say) less like Jonah.

Prayer:

Lord, help me see my own heart, and make me more like you.

Author: Doug VanBronkhorst

https://woh.org/

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Saturday, July 16, 2016

July 16, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

The Evening of Your Life Is Determined by the Morning of It

I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.—Deuteronomy 30:19

I committed my life to Christ at age 17. Did I miss anything? I suppose I did.

I missed a lot of parties, a lot of experiences that other kids my age had. Now, over 40 years have gone by and I look at what their choices and experiences have done to them. Some are in their fourth or fifth marriages. Some are still addicted, still living an empty life. When I think about those things I ask myself, Did I really miss anything?

For me, life has gotten better. Not easier or less complicated, or less pressured or more trouble-free. But definitely better, sweeter, richer, deeper, more satisfying. Every day, every month, every year of walking with Jesus gets better and better.

You might say, “Greg, that’s a nice, pleasant message to preach at a retirement center, but what’s it got to do with me?” The truth is, it’s a message that’s even more important for younger people. Why? Because you determine the end of your life by the beginning of it, the evening of your life by the morning of it. You decide today where you’re going to be 20 years from now, by what choices you make and what roads you take.

God says, “I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days” (Deuteronomy 30:19—20 NKJV).

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Made Me Unique

July 16, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well.” (Psalm 139:14)

The Browning family has five children. Each one of them is different from the others. No one looks exactly like another, and no two have the same personality. One is a bookworm who could spend hours reading and thinking about reading. One is athletic and loves to bake. Another is shy and enjoys making up new games to play. One talks really fast and has a silly sense of humor. The littlest one, who is adopted, seems to love everyone. Each child is unique, and their parents love each one of them. No family is the same as another family, and no one person is the same. Being unique but yet also part of a united group is one of the things that is so special about the family. That is how God created families to be.

We believe that kids are different from each other, but what about animals – even tiny ones, like ants? Have you ever seen a long trail of ants? Do they all look identical (exactly alike) to you? Did you know that each of those ants is different from the others? God made each of them unique. Or snowflakes: Have you ever watched snow fall? The flakes flutter down onto the windshield of a car or onto the ground. Some flakes are big, and some are small, but every single one of those snowflakes is unique – none of them are alike.

Do you think the differences among people, ants, and snowflakes happened by chance? Not a chance! We have a powerful, awesome God Who has created everything. Each of us has been created unique. Not one of us is exactly like another person. Even if you are an identical twin, you are different from your twin. It may be that your hair is thinner, or you are slightly taller, or perhaps your teeth are straight but your twin’s are not.

God made each of the Browning kids unique. And God made you unique! The Bible says we are all “fearfully and wonderfully made.” God knows everything about you. He knows the number of hairs on your head – even if a few of them get pulled out somehow! He knows when you do right and when you do wrong. It takes an awesome, all-powerful God to create so many unique individuals and to know them so closely and personally.

Your awesome God made you unique.

My Response:

» What does God know about me that no one else knows?

» Do I praise Him for being the all-powerful, all-knowing Creator that He is?

http://kids4truth.com/home.aspx

The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – His Full-Grown Child

July 16, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Today’s Scripture: Romans 8:15

“You have received the Spirit of adoption as sons.”

What does it mean to be adopted as sons by God? The adoption Paul refers to is not that of an infant or small child. In Jewish culture, it would refer to the status of those who had advanced from minors to full-grown sons. And in Roman culture, wealthy couples would adopt a worthy young man to be their heir and carry on the family name.

Even the brand-new believer comes into the family of God with the full rights of an adult son. Although this new believer is a spiritual babe and needs discipling from more mature Christians, he has all the rights and privileges of a full-grown son.

A good sense of this can be seen in the prodigal son’s restoration after his return from the far country (Luke 15:22-24). The father orders the servants to quickly bring the best robe, a ring, and sandals. The robe would have been a status symbol, the ring probably an indication of family authority, and the sandals a sign of sonship. This once-rebellious son is immediately restored to a position of dignity, honor, and full acceptance, and even becomes the guest of honor at a feast of celebration.

We should never lose sight of the fact that we were rebels, objects of God’s wrath, and on death row. The tremendous contrast between what we once were and what we have become by his grace makes our sonship so amazing. We have been redeemed from slavery to sin and Satan, clothed with the robe of Christ’s perfect righteousness, and given status as sons in the royal household.

I hope you’re encouraged to live as a full-grown child of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Excerpt taken from The Gospel for Real Life)

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – No Place for Pride

July 16, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Today’s Scripture: 2 Chronicles 26-28

Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. – Proverbs 16:18

In our city, the police cars all bear the slogan “Serve with pride.” Now I think that’s a positive thing, because it deals with dignity and self-respect. As Christians, we need to cultivate pride and self-esteem while avoiding the cost of egotism and conceit.

Much of my life has been spent in working with young men and women in a discipleship ministry. All along this narrow pathway lurk hazards to their growth and development. And one of them is the deadly sin of arrogant pride. Whenever I spot the warning signs of this kind of pride in the life of a person with whom I’m working, we stop everything and do a Bible study on 2 Chronicles 26.

Here we are introduced to King Uzziah, who was sixteen years old when he became king. As long as he sought the Lord, God caused him to prosper. He had victory in the battle against the Philistines, their ancient foe. He built mighty towers and fortified the city of Jerusalem. He had a great, well-equipped, standing army, along with war machines to shoot arrows and hurl large stones.

With all that going for him, you’d think he would be safe. But he wasn’t. The Bible says, “When he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction.” He fell, through the sin of pride. When he had grown great in power, popularity, and wealth, he did not lift up the name of God in gratitude. His prosperity puffed him up, and down he went.

I have seen this sin of pride, more than any other, take its toll in people’s lives.

Prayer

Lord, help me to see the warning signs of pride so that I can walk humbly with You. Amen.

To Ponder

Pride is one of the most subtle sins Satan uses to bring us down.

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Today in the Word

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – DO NOT BE AFRAID

July 16, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Read GENESIS 26

The saying “like father, like son” means that a child displays similar characteris- tics as his father. The expression has been around since at least the 1300s, but the sentiment is certainly older than that, as today’s reading shows.

As the Genesis narrative shifts from Abraham to the next generations, Genesis 26 is the only detailed material we have about Isaac. But the similarities between father and son are clear. Like Abram’s call from Haran, Isaac was called to “live in the land where I tell you to live” (v. 2). Likewise, God reaffirmed the Abrahamic promises for Isaac: His presence, land for Isaac’s descendants, offspring as numerous as the stars, and blessing for the nations. God’s covenant with Abraham was extended to his son Isaac as well.

Yet, like his father, Isaac lied about his wife being his sister. Rather than rely on God’s promises, Isaac demonstrated

fear in the face of uncertainty. Just as Abimelek, king of Gerar, admonished Abraham earlier (see Genesis 20), so again he chastised Isaac for the same deceit. The tension between them forced Isaac to depart, even as their servants continued to quarrel over scarce water wells. It would appear that Isaac’s duplicity had jeopardized his safety in God’s promised land.

But God did not abandon Isaac. Appearing at Beersheba, the Lord offered an encouraging word: “Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham” (v. 24). Later, animosity with Abimelek was exchanged for peace and further blessing. God’s covenant promise of blessing was not nullified by weak faith, and Isaac’s response was appropriate. He “built an altar there and called on the name of the LORD” (v. 25).

APPLY THE WORD

The contemporary song “Fear Not, For I Have Redeemed You (Isaiah 43),” by Esther Mui, puts to music God’s call in Isaiah 43:1 to put away fear in light of His faithful love. Listen to this song throughout your day as a meditative reminder that our fearful circumstances are nothing compared to God’s redeeming love and faithful promises in Christ.

http://www.todayintheword.org

Streams in the Desert

Streams in the Desert for Kids – Water in a Pile

July 16, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Joshua 3:13

The Jordan River was at flood stage. So did his people worry when God said, “Have the priests pick up the Ark of the Covenant and walk into the water”? Did the priests wonder if they could hold onto the Ark in the swirling water? Did they think they would be swept away and lose their lives? No matter, God told them what would happen when they did what he said. They had to have enough faith to put their feet in the water. And that’s when the miracle happened. Somewhere way up stream the waters were cut off and piled up. Even more miraculous, the ground in the river bed was dry. The priests walked to the middle of the river and stood there until all the people crossed over into the Promised Land.

When God is the architect, we are the workers, using our hands, our feet, our faith to help our heavenly Father. God directed the priests. Because they had bold faith, they followed directions. And God’s people passed safely, understanding his faithfulness and power.

As you carry your load, remember you have the living God with you. You are working for him. So be bold in your faith. Who knows what he will accomplish with it!

Dear Lord, I’m not sure what you can accomplish with me. But you are the master planner. Help me have enough faith to work for you through troubles. Amen

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Helping Those in Need

July 15, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Luke 10:25-37

In Matthew 22:39, Jesus tells us the second greatest commandment is to love our neighbor as ourselves. The best way to demonstrate care for relatives, friends, neighbors, and church family is to follow the Lord’s example and bear their burdens. Not only did the Savior take our sin debt upon Himself at Calvary; He also shared in the hurts of those who sought His comfort: blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46), the woman caught in adultery (John 8:3-11), and those who were demon-oppressed (Matt. 4:24). Jesus doesn’t discriminate with regard to whose burdens He will carry.

We are often tempted to be selective in choosing which acquaintances to help. According to Jesus’ example, we cannot bear someone else’s burdens based upon whether that person has lived up to some standard we have set. There are people who will never dress like us, hold opinions similar to ours, or share our interests. But those same people might be hurting and in need of somebody to help carry their difficulties. A genuine expression of godly love can transform the life of a person weighed down by struggles.

Even when we understand that lifting the weight of someone else’s load fulfills the law of Christ, Christians are frequently tempted to pass such responsibility to a pastor or Sunday school teacher. But the Lord intends something different for the lives of His children. Our unique experiences equip us to help in ways that the pastor or teacher—who have different experiences—cannot. Ask God how you can begin to help bear the burden of neighbors who are hurting.

Bible in a Year: Proverbs 26-28

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Unexpected

July 15, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Read: Matthew 10:35–42 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 13–15; Acts 19:21–41

Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it. Matthew 10:39

In the midday heat of summer, while traveling in the American South, my wife and I stopped for ice cream. On the wall behind the counter we saw a sign reading, “Absolutely No Snowmobiling.” The humor worked because it was so unexpected.

Sometimes saying the unexpected has the most effect. Think of this in regard to a statement by Jesus: “Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it” (Matt. 10:39). In a kingdom where the King is a servant (Mark 10:45), losing your life becomes the only way to find it. This is a startling message to a world focused on self-promotion and self-protection.

Nothing is really lost by a life of sacrifice. -Henry Liddon

In practical terms, how can we “lose our life”? The answer is summed up in the word sacrifice. When we sacrifice, we put into practice Jesus’s way of living. Instead of grasping for our own wants and needs, we esteem the needs and well-being of others.

Jesus not only taught about sacrifice but He also lived it by giving Himself for us. His death on the cross became the ultimate expression of the heart of the King who lived up to His own words: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13).

Loving Father, teach me the heart of Christ, that I might more fully appreciate the sacrifice He has made for me and be willing to sacrifice myself for others.

Nothing is really lost by a life of sacrifice. Henry Liddon

INSIGHT:

After appointing twelve men as His disciples (Matt. 10:1–4), Jesus gave them their first assignment to go and preach the good news that “the kingdom of heaven has come near” (v. 7). Jesus warned that people in the world would not want to hear about Him: “You will be hated by everyone because of me” (v. 22). We, too, may be ignored, opposed, rejected, persecuted, and even killed (vv. 16–22). It may cost us to share the gospel with others, and we may experience hostility even from our own family (vv. 35–36). To overcome these challenges, Jesus calls for a commitment to Him that is greater than any other (vv. 37–39).

http://www.odb.org

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Leave of Absence

July 15, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

The deep-seated impression of a parent in the life of a child is a subject well traversed. From pop psychology to history to anthropology, the giant place parents occupy from birth to death is as plain as the life they initiated. Of course, the massive giant which occupies this place may well be the absence of that person, inasmuch as the person him or herself. “It doesn’t matter who my father was,” Anne Sexton once wrote, “it matters who I remember he was.”(1) The looming memory of an absent parent is every bit as big as a present one, maybe bigger. For me, it was something of a revelation: Absence itself can become something of a presence.

It is little wonder that the deepest struggle many of us have with faith is in the absence of God. We learn early that absence is a characteristic connected to despair, wrought from disconnectedness, or born of devastation. We do not see our experience of God’s absence as a subject for lament—like the psalmist’s “Rise up, O Lord; O God, lit up your hand; do not forget the oppressed”—but as a sign of doubt. And so, we often do not know how to reconcile the God who appears in burning bushes and dirty stables, who descends ladders and rends the heavens, but whose crushing silence feels every bit as profound. We don’t know what to do with the ruinous sensation of neglect when God comes so close to some but remains far off from others. We hold in mind the one who came near to the rejected Samaritan woman, but we uncomfortably suspect that we might have been given something else, or worse, that God has for some reason simply withdrawn. The sting of abandonment is overwhelming; with Gerard Manley Hopkins, our prayers seem “lost in desert ways/ Our hymn in the vast silence dies.”

Though it does not always come as a consolation, the Bible recounts similar difficulties and suspicions from some of God’s closest followers. “There is no one who calls on your name, or attempts to take hold of you,” says Isaiah, “for you have hidden your face from us” (Isaiah 64:7). “Why should you be like a stranger in the land,” demands Jeremiah, “like a traveler turning aside for the night?” (Jeremiah 14:8). There is something consoling in knowing that any relationship—even that of a prophet of God—goes through the ebbs and flows of intimacy with the divine. Even the Son of the God cried out at the sensation of God’s withdrawal: “My God, my God why have you forsaken me?” Nonetheless, knowing that we are not alone in our pain is not the consolation we seek. Misery’s company does not, any more than reason or rationale itself, have much to say to the child who wants to know why her father left; this is not what she is looking for.

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Leave of Absence →

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – A Decreasing Frequency of Sin

July 15, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God” (1 John 3:9).

A decreasing pattern of sin in a believer’s life means his faith is genuine.

A sinful life pattern is incompatible with salvation. If you could continue in the same sinful pattern after being saved from sin, that would mean salvation is ineffective. Therefore, 1 John 3 deals with the saving work of Christ and reveals just how effective it is.

Verse 5 says Christ “appeared in order to take away sins.” If you say someone who has had the work of Christ applied to him is continuing in sin just as before, you are denying the purpose for which Christ came. He died to take away the pattern of sin as well as the penalty.

Therefore, if you are truly a believer you will relate to God in a totally new way, because the Christian “abides in Him” (v. 6). You are no longer a perpetual slave to sin, but you now have the option and ability to do good (see Rom. 6:14, 17-18). You will always be acutely sensitive to sin (Rom. 7; 1 John 1:8-9); yet, because of Christ’s abiding in you, your struggle will decrease over the years, and sin will be less and less a pattern in your life.

That brings us to 1 John 3:9, which is a reminder that believers have been born anew by the Holy Spirit. Your new nature or new disposition of life is the “seed” verse 9 speaks of. Just as the seed of a plant, when placed in the soil, produces a distinct kind of life, the divine seed produces a righteous life in you that ends sin’s dominance. And that seed will never die—1 Peter 1:23 says it is “imperishable.”

What does all this mean to you if you’re a genuine believer? It means you will see a decreasing pattern of sin in your life because you now have holy affections. It doesn’t mean sin will be eliminated, because your unredeemed flesh is still present. It means the more you practice righteousness—with its right motives, right desires, right words, and right actions—the less you sin, and the more you can be assured you’re a child of God.

Suggestions for Prayer

If there is a frequent sin you struggle with, ask God to help you defeat it.

For Further Study

Record at least five truths contained in Romans 6:1-11. How do they help give victory over sin?

http://www.gty.org

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Pivoting: An Opportunity to Grow and Improve

July 15, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen 2 Peter 3:18

Pivoting is a sudden shift in strategy to assure successful execution. Healthy organizations model the necessity of pivoting to maintain growth and a competitive advantage in their industry. This proactive approach to doing business led one healthcare vendor to help doctors replace their clip boards with tablets for a much more effective way to record, manage and retrieve patient data. Pivoting embraces new ways to leverage old concepts in a way that improves and enhances the process, service, product or end user experience. Faith is not afraid to pivot, but is afraid not to.

In a similar fashion, a growing faith is ever pivoting toward total trust in God. Peter reminds us to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Faith is a formative process that is not static, but dynamic and fluid—as the Holy Spirit leads us experientially to discern God’s best and educationally to know and obey our Lord’s application of truth. Grace engages our heart with God’s heart and knowledge engages our mind with the mind of Christ. With the goal of God’s glory as the outcome—we pivot in prayer as we hear His heart.

“We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing. Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring” (2 Thessalonians 1:3-4).

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – Pivoting: An Opportunity to Grow and Improve →

Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – How to Be Secure

July 15, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, and will be secure, without fear of evil.

Proverbs 1:33

Joyce Meyer – Look to the Future for Your Reward

July 15, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

For the time being no discipline brings joy, but seems grievous and painful; but afterwards it yields a peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it [a harvest of fruit which consists in righteousness—in conformity to God’s will in purpose, thought, and action, resulting in right living and right standing with God].—Hebrews 12:11

We should look to the future, determine what we want to see happen, and then discipline ourselves in order that we may have it. We must not buy into the lie that we should only live for the moment or that the present is all we have. We also have a future to consider, and we need to begin to live with an eye toward “afterward,” toward the “later on” times. We have to begin to care just as much or more about later on than we care about right now.

If you want to be thinner when the time comes to wear your swimsuit in June, you need to start eating healthily and exercising before summer arrives. If you want to be able to afford a new car next year, you need to work toward getting out of debt right now. If you dream of living in a nice, clean, orderly home, you have to clear out the clutter and clean it up!

Discipline may not be pleasant for your flesh while you’re doing it, but it will give you a tremendous sense of satisfaction in your soul—the satisfaction that comes from knowing you are making good choices. If you will pay the price to be disciplined now, you will enjoy rewards later. If you don’t pay the price now to do what is right, then you’ll suffer the consequences of an undisciplined life later.

You can pay now or you can pay later, but at some point, we all reap the harvest of the choices we’ve made. We can’t simply wish our lives were different; we have to press through laziness, fleshly desires, and bad attitudes and refuse to give up on the discipline that will yield good fruit later on. If there is something you want to see happen in your future, start disciplining yourself toward it now, and later on you will enjoy the fruit of it.

Trust in Him: God’s Word in Hebrews 12:11 says “no discipline brings joy…but afterwards….” If you discipline yourself now, you can trust that He’ll bring you great reward afterward.

From the book Trusting God Day by Day by Joyce Meyer.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Girlfriends in God

Girlfriends in God – A Time of Refreshing

July 15, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Today’s Truth

A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

Proverbs 11:25

We hope you are enjoying the Girlfriends in God daily devotions. We (Mary, Sharon, and Gwen) would like to introduce you to some of our special friends. From time-to-time, the Friday devotions will be written by one of our friends in ministry. We call them our Friday Friends. So grab your Bible and a fresh cup of coffee and drink in the words from our Friday Friend, Lisa Morrone.

Friend to Friend

Sometimes in life you walk alongside someone who teaches you how to live more fully. Other times, if you are so blessed, you will find someone who teaches you how to grow old with grace. For me, this woman is 93 and her name is Helen.

Each week I look forward to visiting with this dear friend in the nursing home where she now lives. Many days when I arrive I find her sitting out in the courtyard soaking in the warm sunshine, or if the weather isn’t cooperating, I’ll find Helen in her room gazing out the window, past the flowering plants on her windowsill, into the world I know she still longs to be a part of.

I often show up for my visits toting a fresh bouquet of flowers in a mason jar tied with a checkered ribbon—which always puts a big smile on her face, and mine, too! Then Helen and I spend the next hour or so chatting about our lives while I give her a manicure, or we just sit together in the sun sharing a picnic lunch I’ve prepared. On occasion we’ve even been known to tackle a craft project together. Each time my visit with Helen comes to end, I leave her nursing home with a deep sense of satisfied joy. Now I’ve discovered the scientific “why” for this emotion that predictably washes over me—and it’s deeper than sentiment; in fact, it’s chemical!

I once attended a continuing education seminar on the subject of depression. During that course of study I was pleasantly surprised to learn that two extremely important brain-and mood-enhancing neurotransmitters, found to be at insufficient levels in people suffering with depression, are produced during particular types of social interactions.

The quoted research study showed that when one person demonstrates an act of kindness towards another, the bodies of both the helper and the one who is being helped were measured to have significantly increased levels of the two mood-elevating neurotransmitters, serotonin and endorphins. Even more surprising was that if a third person—an uninvolved bystander—witnessed this act of kindness, her levels of serotonin and endorphins were measured to have increased as well!

While this information was news to those researchers, the Lord, who created our brains and the chemicals that flow around inside of them, knew this to be true all along. He even had King Solomon give testimony to it in today’s verse: “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.”

Let’s Pray

Father in Heaven, you’ve knit us together as individuals to function best when we are knit together with one another. Draw us out of our own, oftentimes, inward-focused worlds and spur us on to love and GOOD DEEDS, that we may be refreshed as we refresh others.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

Make room in your schedule for a time of refreshment this week by deciding on one tangible act of kindness that you can “administer” to someone—friend, foe, or stranger…and then follow through with it! The benefits of your good deed will positively impact you, the one you directly blessed— and anyone else who happens to be present!

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Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – The Lord Will Pay

July 15, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“Remember, the Lord will pay you for each good thing you do, whether you are slave or free” (Ephesians 6:8).

When I proposed to Vonette I told her that I loved her dearly, and I wanted her to be my wife. I promised to do everything I could to make her happy and that she would always be the most important person in my life. But I further explained that my first allegiance was to the Lord, for I had already made that commitment to Him and could not and would not violate that promise to follow Him whatever the cost. She agreed, and we were married on those conditions.

My love for Vonette is far greater today because Jesus Christ is first in my life, and her love for me is far greater because He is first in her life. Our relationship is infinitely richer and more meaningful than it would have been had she been master of her life, and I the lord of my life, or if we had made each other first in our lives and the Lord Jesus Christ second.

The apostle Paul, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is affirming the promise of our Lord recorded in Matthew 6:32-33, “Your heavenly Father already knows perfectly well what you need and He will give it to you if you give Him first place in your life and live as He wants you to.”

In the context of this verse in Ephesians, Paul is dealing with family relationships – authority within the family. If we can grasp the concept of God as our paymaster, it will make a vast difference in the way we respond to the authority of men.

Christ knows everything you endure. He gives you your full portion of all that He owns. He is really the one for whom you are working. Wherever you are working, you may have assignments and responsibilities which you do not enjoy. But if Christ is truly the one for whom you work, then you will undertake His assignments cheerfully.

If we choose to be rebellious, we face the danger of a reward from our paymaster that might not be at all to our liking. Let us be about our Father’s business – willingly, joyfully, enthusiastically.

Bible Reading: Ephesians 6:1-7

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Though I may have a boss or leader who tells me what to do, and when to do it, I will always remember that my first allegiance is to the Lord Jesus Christ, and by putting Him first, even above my loved ones who surround me, I can serve others with greater joy, confidence and enthusiasm.

http://www.cru.org

DAILY DEVOTIONS, NEWS AND INFORMATION

Monthly Archives: July 2016

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – Summer Getaways—Quiet Retreats

Joyce Meyer – You Are Everywhere You Go!

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – No Hurt in Second Death

Ray Stedman – Fallen Asleep

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Jonah’s Story

Greg Laurie – Saturday, July 16, 2016

Kids 4 Truth International – God Made Me Unique

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – His Full-Grown Child

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – No Place for Pride

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – DO NOT BE AFRAID

Streams in the Desert for Kids – Water in a Pile

Charles Stanley – Helping Those in Need

Our Daily Bread — Unexpected

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Leave of Absence

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – A Decreasing Frequency of Sin

Wisdom Hunters – Pivoting: An Opportunity to Grow and Improve

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – How to Be Secure

Joyce Meyer – Look to the Future for Your Reward

Girlfriends in God – A Time of Refreshing

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – The Lord Will Pay

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