Daily Archives: August 22, 2016

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – God’s Condition for His Full Blessing

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Matthew 16:24-27

The Lord wants to give each of us an abundance of blessings. Let’s explore what is required so that we may enjoy all that He has planned.

Today’s passage clarifies the one necessary condition for receiving His best: surrender. Every aspect of our being—body, soul, and spirit—is to be a living sacrifice. This may sound dreary, but contrary to human logic, true freedom is found only when we fully yield to Christ.

In the Old Testament, sacrifice was very common. To atone for sin, a person could bring a lamb to the altar. The animal was set apart for God’s purposes as a holy offering, and through its death, restitution was made.

When we give ourselves as a sacrifice, there is, thankfully, no need for our blood to be shed. Jesus died to atone for all of our sin. So out of love and gratitude, every aspect of our life should be dedicated to Him.

What does a surrendered life entail? Most importantly, it involves complete commitment to Christ, unaltered by the world’s influence. Our desires and old ways of functioning are no longer driving forces. Instead, God’s Spirit guides us, and His will is the goal. Yielding to Him means following His way in attitude, words, thoughts, and deeds—and doing so unapologetically, unwaveringly, and fearlessly.

You have a choice: Either be content with less than God’s best, or give yourself fully to Him. Complete surrender is not an easy road; it means dying to your desires and selfishness. But remember that the Lord is willing and able to do more than we can even imagine (Eph. 3:20).

Bible in One Year: Jeremiah 46-48

 

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — At Risk of Falling

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Read: 1 Corinthians 10:1–13 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 110–112; 1 Corinthians 5

If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 1 Corinthians 10:12

When my friend Elaine was recovering after a bad fall, a hospital worker placed a bright yellow bracelet on her wrist. It read: Fall Risk. That phrase meant: Watch this person carefully. She may be unsteady on her feet. Help her get from place to place.

First Corinthians 10 contains something like a “Fall Risk” warning for believers. With a glance back at his ancestors, Paul noted the human potential to fall into sin. The Israelites complained, worshiped idols, and had immoral relationships. God grew unhappy with them and allowed them to experience consequences for their wrongdoing. However, Paul said, “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us . . . . So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (vv. 11–12).

If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 1 Corinthians 10:12

It’s easy to trick ourselves into believing that we’re done with a particular sort of sin. Even when we’ve struggled through the worst of it—admitting our problem, repenting, and recommitting ourselves to following God’s ways—temptation may come calling. God makes it possible for us to avoid falling back into the same patterns. He does this by providing a way out of the sinful act we’re considering. Our part is to respond to His offer of escape.

Lord, let me see the way of escape You offer when I am tempted. Give me the strength to accept Your help so I can stay faithful to You. I know this is Your desire for me, and I thank You that You are at work in me.

Great blessings are often followed by great temptations.

INSIGHT:

Paul tells us that the temptation to do evil is common. But God in His goodness has provided a way to escape sin. More often than not it’s best to plan an escape route before we encounter temptation. It is wise to avoid those circumstances where we are most vulnerable to sin.

 

http://www.odb.org

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Rebellion or Resignation

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I have always loved that theologian David Wells refers to prayer as “rebelling against the status quo.”(1) No doubt the feisty among us have eyes that light up at the thought. To rebel against the status quo in this light is to challenge life where it has resigned itself to something less, to bring about rebirth and reformation where life or faith have grown stale.

Others may wonder what Christianity, and specifically Christian prayer, has to do with rebellion at all. The candid lyrics of a haunting song speak of Jesus Christ as a man of love and strength, but a man very much separated from everything we see and experience today. The lyrics sing of his living only inside our prayers, and come to the conclusion that while what Christ was may have indeed been beautiful, a man of the past can offer nothing at all for the here and now of real and wearying pain. The sentiment reflects a sorely honest philosophy that many have of the world today: It is what it is. And it won’t change anything to worry about it. Prayer, within such an imagination, is useless. The here and now of suffering is untouchable.

From headline to headline we find the weariness of life and the problem of a dark world screaming at us. Many have grown to see it as an unchangeable reality. But if we have come to terms with the world as it is, it is only because we have come to refuse thinking about how it could be, or how it was supposed to be, or how we could even have an idea that something is wrong in the first place. It is not that we are unconscious of the injustice, suffering, and even evil around us, but that we feel utterly powerless to do anything about it. Still others among us optimistically call for the abolishing of poverty or the end of trafficking or the stopping of whatever cause they are presently championing. While their efforts are needed, the end they call for doesn’t seem to ever occur.

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Rebellion or Resignation →

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Materialistic Christians

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“‘Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth’” (Matthew 6:19).

Ours is a society consumed with material things. Status, success, and importance are all too often measured by a person’s financial worth. Those with wealth flaunt it; those without wealth fake it. People often rack up huge debts in their desperate and futile pursuit of happiness through accumulating material things.

Sadly, that same materialistic mind-set permeates the church. Instead of offering an alternative, that of being distinct from the world, the church joins the world in its pursuit of riches. Most tragically of all, the saving message of the gospel of Jesus Christ is lost in the process.

It is not wrong to have possessions. Job, Abraham, and Solomon were among the wealthiest men of their day. But it is wrong to covet, to make the pursuit of material things the main goal of your life, to serve mammon instead of God. “Do not love the world,” wrote the apostle John, “nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). James addressed these scathing words to those whose focus is on material things: “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4). Behind much of the pursuit of riches in the church is a lack of trust in God’s provision. Instead of finding security in His promise to supply all our needs (Phil. 4:19), we seek it in a house, a bank account, or a stock portfolio. God did not give us our money and possessions so we wouldn’t have to trust Him. He gave them to us to enjoy (1 Tim. 6:17) and to test the legitimacy of our spirituality (Luke 16:11).

Whether you are rich or poor, your attitude toward your possessions and how you handle them is a test of your spirituality. How are you doing?

Suggestions for Prayer

Pray with Agur, “Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is my portion, lest I be full and deny Thee and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or lest I be in want and steal, and profane the name of my God” (Prov. 30:8-9).

For Further Study

What do the following verses teach about our attitude toward wealth: Psalms 49:5-9; 52:7; 62:10?

 

http://www.gty.org

 

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Listen for God’s Voice 

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And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. Revelation 4:1-2

God’s voice has not vanished. He has not lost His voice because of overuse. His vocal cords are not strained but strong. God does not cough or become congested. His voice is clear and intelligible. His voice is all around us; listen and be in awe. Thunder and lightning display His glory in the heavens. We hear His thunder and gaze up in both fear and amazement. His voice reminds us of His glory. It is the Lord’s majestic presence that thunders from above.

John wrote earlier about Jesus standing at the door of a life, waiting to be invited in—now the Lord opens the door to heaven and invites John to come in and experience Him. The voice of God sounds like a trumpet, similar to the sound of the trumpet announcing the resurrection of the dead in Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:16). The Lord is drawing John closer to His throne of grace and worship so He might reveal to his humble servant His vision of things to come. Worship and grace escort us into the presence of our heavenly Father—who is ready to show us His ways.

“God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding” (Job 37:5).

The power of His voice is applied in our life. His voice can be stern in discipline or tender in grace. The powerful voice of Jesus called Lazarus back from the dead, and on the cross He interceded to His Heavenly Father for forgiveness on behalf of His enemies. Use your voice to pray for people who are dead in their sin and in need of a Savior. Lift up your voice on behalf of others who have offended or hurt you. God hears your voice. You are not a lone voice for the Lord.

God’s voice is majestic and regal. He is enthroned above all His creation. Jesus is our King of Kings and Lord of Lords. When He speaks, we listen. His words matter most. The Bible is the wisdom of His words in written form. His voice speaks through the pages of Scripture. So, take what He tells you and obediently apply it to your life. Tell others what Christ tells you. Those of us who hear the voice of God cannot keep quiet. Be a clean conduit for His voice to speak. The voice of God is clear and comprehendible to the ears of a humble heart.

“The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD thunders over the mighty waters” (Psalm 29:3).

Prayer: Heavenly Father, speak to my heart the words of Your truth and love.

Application: What is the Spirit saying to my soul? How can I distinguish God’s voice from competing voices?

Related Readings: Psalm 18:13; Jeremiah 6:10; Philippians 1:14; 1 Thessalonians 4:16

 

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Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – A Lifetime’s Journey

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Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways, and how small a whisper we hear of Him! But the thunder of His power who can understand?

Job 26:14

Recommended Reading

Job 37:4-5

It happens the first time a visitor walks up to the edge of the Grand Canyon in Arizona or stands at the base of a giant redwood tree in northern California. It also happens when people enter St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome or when people see an ocean for the first time: “I had no idea!”

We can see pictures and hear others’ descriptions, but until we’ve experienced things ourselves we are just nibbling at the edge; we are hearing just a whisper of the truth. That’s how Job described trying to know God even after knowing Him! Job knew the works of God firsthand; he described them in detail in Job 26. Yet in spite of his firsthand knowledge, his conclusion was one of futility: “These are the mere edges of His ways” (verse 14). But rather than discourage us about knowing God, it should encourage us! If what we know of God in creation, in Christ, and by His Word and Spirit is just the “edge” and a “whisper,” think how much more there is to discover. And think how much greater are His abilities and resources than what we have even experienced.

Let the greatness of God spur you to know Him better—the journey of a lifetime.

The larger the God we know, the larger will be our faith.

  1. B. Simpson

Read-Thru-the-Bible

Lamentations 1 – 2

 

http://www.davidjeremiah.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Molded into His Image

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And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.- Philippians 1:6

According to the Bible, God is the Potter, and we are the clay (See Romans 9:20-21). When we first come to the Lord, we are like a hard lump of clay that is not very pliable or easy to work with. But God puts us on His potter’s wheel and begins to refashion and remake us so that we can discover the wonderful plan He has for our lives.

Sometimes that process of molding is uncomfortable at first. The reason it hurts is because God has to peel away the things in our lives that would keep us distant from Him. So out of His love for us, He keeps working and working on us, trimming away this bad attitude and that wrong mind-set, carefully reshaping us until gradually we are changed into the likeness of His Son Jesus.

Don’t be discouraged with yourself because you have not yet arrived. The more God works in your life, the closer you are growing in relationship to Him. Enjoy your life each day, even as God is shaping you. Let the Potter do His work, and trust that He has your best interest at heart.

You can always trust God that He has your best interest at heart, and all that He does in your life is for your benefit.

From the book Closer to God Each Day by Joyce Meyer.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Girlfriends in God

Girlfriends in God – When you Feel Like This World Has Gone Crazy

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Today’s Truth

He (God) has planted eternity in the human heart.

Ecclesiastes 3:11

Friend to Friend

Do you ever feel like you are not at home here on earth? That something is missing? The reason is because you’re not at home, and something is missing. C.S. Lewis said, “If I find in myself desires which nothing in the world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.”

Solomon reminds us, “He (God) has planted eternity in the human heart” (Ecclesiastes 3:11 NLT). You were made for eternity—for glory, and as long as your feet are here on this earth, you will experience a glory ache that only Heaven can fully satisfy. You will feel a certain something missing that may be hard to define.

One spring, our family hosted a ten-year-old Russian foreign exchange student named Alex. He went to school with my son, and got a taste of what the American Christian family is all about. Alex’s English was very limited and we depended on hand signals and facial expressions to get by.

On one occasion, I was trying to get him to write a letter to his parents. I pulled out the stationary, handed him a pen, and pointed to a picture of his mother and father. “Why don’t you write a letter to your parents?” I suggested. He had no idea what I was talking about.

For twenty minutes I drew pictures and tried to get him to understand what I wanted him to do. Finally, with tears in his eyes, he looked up at me and said, “What do?”

Continue reading Girlfriends in God – When you Feel Like This World Has Gone Crazy →

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Put God to the Test 

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“Oh, put God to the test and see how kind He is! See for yourself the way His mercies shower down on all who trust in Him” (Psalm 34:8).

Sam wanted to receive Christ, but he was reluctant. Somehow, he just could not bring himself to make that necessary commitment of the will to exercise his faith and receive Christ. Because of unfortunate experiences in his youth, he had a distorted view of the goodness of God.

I encouraged Him to make his commitment, but he still hesitated. Finally, I turned to that wonderful promise of our Scripture for today and asked him to read it. As he read, the Holy Spirit gave him the faith to believe that he could trust God.

Put God to the test. Taste and see how good and kind He is. Sam discovered that day, and for the rest of his life, the faithfulness and the goodness and the kindness of God.

Do you have reservations, uncertainties, fears about the trustworthiness of God? If so, I encourage you to place your trust in Him, and you will find, as millions have found, and as I have found, that God is good, faithful, and true.

Similarly, you and I can put God to the test and find a friendly haven in the midst of enemy territory. More important, perhaps, is the certainty we can have that God does hear and answer our prayers – in situations where He and He alone knows the end from the beginning and can provide deliverance.

How vital to the supernatural life to know that we have immediate access to the God of the universe, the very one who alone can guarantee victory and deliverance.

Bible Reading: I Peter 2:1-5

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Realizing that, as a believer, I am constantly in “enemy territory,” I will trust God and encourage others to trust Him moment by moment for deliverance, for I know that He is just and kind and good. He is a loving, heavenly Father whom I can trust. I will encourage others to put God to the test and see how kind He is, to discover for themselves His mercies that He showers on all who place their trust in Him.

 

http://www.cru.org

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman -Everlasting Love

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Read: Jeremiah 31:1-22

I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness… Is not Ephraim my dear son, the child in whom I delight? Though I often speak against him, I still remember him. Therefore my heart yearns for him; I have great compassion for him, declares the Lord. Jeremiah 31:3, 20

As a Father who cannot forget his son — no matter how sharply he must reprimand him, but whose heart is tender toward him — so God is tender toward his people. And behind the darkness and the distress is the everlasting love of God. This phrase, I have loved you with an everlasting love, is very beautiful. The word everlasting is one of those words which baffle us. Even in the original language it is difficult to define. Everlasting connotes more than duration, means more than merely eternal; it has in it an element of mystery. Let your mind run back into the past over all the years of history, and you come to a place where finally you just cannot think any further. Yet logic affirms that even beyond this point there has been existence and time. This is what everlasting means. Let your mind run into the future, and you come to the same kind of haziness, a place where you no longer can comprehend what the ages mean, where times and durations seem meaningless. That is the vanishing point in the future, beyond which lie experiences for God’s people, but which we are unable to grasp. That is the mystery of this word, everlasting. It is a word which means, beyond dimension,greater than we can think. This is what Paul is expressing in Ephesians: …that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have the power to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, (Ephesians 3:18-19a RSV).

Continue reading Ray Stedman -Everlasting Love →

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Singing for Joy

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Read: Psalm 96

Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy. (v. 12)

The tall eastern white pine, a favorite home for bald eagles, whistles its familiar tune when the west wind blows through its bundles of long needles, singing praise to the God who made it. The smooth-barked American beech, whose nuts are sought after by grouse, raccoons, and bear, slowly bends in the breeze, bowing in reverence to the God who tends it.

The broad-crowned white oak, whose acorns are nourishment for famished turkeys, squirrels, and deer, turns red-brown each autumn as the days grow shorter, saying thank you to the God who nourishes it. The crooked crab apple, its white-pink flowers exploding with color each spring, hunkers down close to the ground, glorifying the God who rejuvenates it.

The giant sequoia, by volume the world’s largest living tree, whose bark is 20 inches thick, whose crown is more than 300 feet above the ground, who was an adult long before Jesus was born, in whose presence one can only gaze slack-jawed and stone silent—this Tree of trees sings for joy to God, the Maker and Sustainer and Redeemer of all.

All the trees of the forest shall sing for joy. In this hymn of praise to our Lord, Maker of heaven and earth, all creatures—human and nonhuman—worship God. So be it. Amen!

Prayer:

O Lord, help us, your human earthkeepers, to live in such a way that all the trees of the forest shall sing to you for joy.

Author: Steven Bouma-Prediger

 

https://woh.org/

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – True Conversion

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“And when people escape from the wicked ways of the world by learning about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up with sin and become its slave again, they are worse off than before.”—2 Peter 2:20

Sometimes we hear about well-known people who claim to have made a commitment to Jesus Christ. Often, it is around election time. When they address Christians, they speak of their great faith in God. After the elections, we seldom hear about it again.

Then there are people who say they are believers, but a month or two later, they go back to their old ways again. They say, “I tried Christianity, but it didn’t work for me.” But in reality, they never really found Christ.

Others will turn to God when they hit hard times. Awhile later, you see them going back to their old ways, and you wonder what happened. I would suggest that many of these people never were converted at all. They went through the motions, but Jesus Christ never became a part of their lives. Often, they end up worse than before.

When Jesus Christ truly comes into our lives, He takes up residence. And He doesn’t just do a basic housecleaning; He does a thorough one. There is real change. But when a house has only been swept, that is, when someone has made only moral changes, he or she is still vulnerable to the enemy. This is why we must recognize the futility of simply turning over a new leaf or making a few new resolutions. We must realize the problem is deeper than our moral sins. We must get to the heart of the matter and have Jesus Christ take residence in our lives and change us from the inside out.

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Has Taken Away the Sting of Death

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“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:55-57)

Camille was riding in the car with her daddy. Since it was a beautiful summer day, the windows were partially down. All of a sudden a big bee came in through an open window. Camille immediately began to panic because she was very allergic to bee stings – she could die if the bee stung her!

Camille’s father knew what he needed to do. He watched the bee carefully. As the bee flew up near the windshield it landed on the dashboard for a brief second. With reflexes like lightning, Camille’s father cupped his hand right on top of that bee! And then he kept his hand there. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting. Until…ZING! “Ouch!” the father shouted as he lifted up his hand and let the bee go.

“Daddy, daddy!” screamed Camille. “The bee will sting me! Help!”

“No, honey,” replied her father. “He can’t sting you any longer. The bee only had one sting – and guess where it is?”

“Where?” asked Camille.

With that, her father reached out his hand with his palm up and allowed his daughter to inspect it. There, in the middle of his hand was a small stinger. Although the bee was still buzzing around, it could no longer sting Camille because that kind of bee had only one sting to give. Camille’s father took away the sting of the bee and rescued his little girl.

Camille was both happy and sad all at once. Can you guess why? She was happy because she realized that the bee was now powerless to hurt her. She was sad because she realized that her father had taken the painful sting for her.

“Do you know what the bee has done?” Camille’s dad asked.

“What?” asked Camille.

“The bee has stung himself to death!” Camille looked confused. Her father carefully explained to her that that kind of bee will die soon after it uses its stinger.

Just like the bee stung itself to death, so death itself has “stung itself to death” at the cross. That’s hard to understand, but it simply means we do not have to fear what happens after we die. We do not have to fear that death has power over us. Jesus has power over sin and death, and He proved it on the cross!

Jesus has taken away the sting of death by taking sin and death upon Himself, and then single-handedly beating them both. He proved His victory over them by rising from the grave! Christ is more powerful than sin and death. Because of Christ’s victory over death, we can be assured that if we have faith in Christ, we will also rise from the grave someday and share in eternal life with Him.

Because of Christ, death has no lasting power over the Christian.

My Response:

» How is what Camille’s father did for her much like what Christ did for us?

» How did Camille respond to her father’s sacrifice? How have I responded to Christ’s sacrifice for me?

 

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – A Heart Warmed for Work

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Today’s Scripture: Psalm 119:32

“I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart!”

We must keep going back to his grace. Only the grace of God revealed in the Gospel of Jesus Christ will give us the courage to get up again and keep on going even after we have failed for the umpteenth time. Only grace will allow us to be as honest about our sin as David was about his.

The desire to engage in the discipline of mortification comes only from the gratitude and joy of knowing that, however miserably I’ve failed, God’s grace is greater than my sin.

The godly Scottish pastor Horatius Bonar expressed it this way: “It is forgiveness that sets a man working for God. He does not work in order to be forgiven, but because he has been forgiven, and the consciousness of his sin being pardoned makes him long more for its entire removal than ever he did before. An unforgiven man cannot work. He has not the will, nor the power, nor the liberty. He is in chains. a forgiven man is the true worker, the true law-keeper. He can, he will, he must work for God. He has come into contact with that part of God’s character which warms his cold heart. Forgiving love constrains him. He cannot but work for him who has removed his sins from him as far as the east is from the west. Forgiveness has made him a free man, and given him a new and most loving Master. Forgiveness, received freely from the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, acts as a spring, an impulse, a stimulus of divine potency. It is more irresistible than law, or terror, or threat.”

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – Christ’s Death

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Today’s Scripture: John 19:1-37

He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. – Isaiah 53:5

I’ve always enjoyed reading the history of the Old West. The days of Custer, Doc Holliday, and Wyatt Earp hold a special fascination for me. I’ve been to the site of the O.K. Corral, but there is one tragic story in Western history that I can’t forget.

It concerns a young woman from Boston who came west in a stagecoach to teach school in a frontier town. Out on the prairie, a gang of drunken outlaws intercepted the stage, killed the drivers, and took the young woman to an abandoned shack, where they raped and beat her throughout the night.

Can you possibly imagine the revulsion, the shame, the pain and agony she went through? Here was an innocent, refined, young woman suddenly thrust into a world so horrifying it defied description. That scene has helped me imagine just a fraction of the agony of Jesus on the cross, where on a tragic day He was made sin for us as He suffered and died for you and me.

The physical agony was great, but it did not compare with the agony that was His when all the sin and moral filth of the world was laid on Him, and His spotless soul–which had known only the purity and glory of His home in heaven–was made sin on our behalf. He died that we might live.

Jesus took our sin and clothed us in the robes of His own eternal righteousness. We can echo the apostle Paul when He wrote, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).

Prayer

Lord, You are my righteousness. Amen.

To Ponder

We cannot fully comprehend what it meant for Jesus Christ to be made sin for us–to be forsaken by God, when He took on all the filth of the world that ever was and ever would be. But now He is risen to His glory and is sitting at the right hand of the Father.

 

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BreakPoint

BreakPoint – Faith at the Olympics: Rio’s Best Kept Secret

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We’ve all heard the story of Eric Liddell, who turned down an opportunity for Olympic gold at the Paris Games in 1924 in order to honor His Savior. It was Liddell who famously said, “God made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure.”

Well, this summer in Rio de Janeiro, there’s been a whole lot of running, jumping, swimming, and competing by athletes seeking to honor Jesus Christ. Not that you’ve heard much about it from the “mainstream” media. I spoke about this media blackout with my friend Terry Mattingly, who’s one of today’s foremost religion journalists. Terry told me, “If these athletes make faith a part of their story, how do you leave out faith when telling their story?” Come to BreakPoint.org for a link to the podcast.

Now, I’ve already told you the story of super-swimmer Michael Phelps, who reached the pinnacle of sports and found it hollow—and then contemplated suicide. But Phelps found a reason to live when Ray Lewis gave him a copy of “The Purpose-Driven Life,” by Rick Warren. Michael’s story reminds us of the role that God’s people have as bringers of hope and agents of restoration.

There have been many such reminders in Rio. Fiji dominated Great Britain, 43-7 in rugby, earning the island country’s first-ever gold medal. Then the winning players huddled and sang, both in English and Fijian: “We have overcome / We have overcome / By the blood of the Lamb / And the Word of the Lord / We have overcome.” Then they received their medals humbly—on their knees!

In the women’s 10,000 meters race, Almaz Ayana, from Ethiopia, obliterated the previous world record by 14 seconds. Responding to unfounded rumors about cheating, Almaz retorted, “My doping is my training and my doping is Jesus. Nothing otherwise —I am crystal clear.”

American swimmer Simone Manuel set an Olympic record in the 100-meter freestyle, becoming the first African-American woman to win gold as a swimmer, the first African-American woman to win a medal in an individual swimming event, and the first American to win the 100-meter since 1984. After the race she said, with tears rolling down her cheeks, “All I can say is all glory to God.”

Continue reading BreakPoint – Faith at the Olympics: Rio’s Best Kept Secret →

Moody Global Ministries

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – THE TRINITY AND THE SENDING OF THE TWELVE

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Read MATTHEW 10:5–20

Believers around the world today are suffering for the sake of the gospel. The Spectator, a British publication, called it “the war on Christians.” They reported that the secular International Society for Human Rights estimates that 80 percent of all acts of religious discrimination globally are directed at Christians. Each year for the decade preceding 2013, an average of 100,000 Christians were martyred—that’s eleven Christians every hour of every day.

No wonder Jesus said He was sending His followers out as “sheep among wolves” (Matt. 10:16)! As in yesterday’s devotion, in today’s reading we see the entire Trinity involved in spreading the good news of the kingdom. The sending of the Twelve, unlike the sending of the 72, was limited to the Jews (vv. 5–8), not because God’s love excluded Gentiles (see v. 18) but simply because “the lost sheep of Israel” were to hear first (see Rom. 1:16).

The Father is involved because the “kingdom of heaven” is His kingdom. The promises being fulfilled are His promises. The day of judgment that awaits unbelievers is His day of judgment. The Spirit is involved because He was sent by the Father. He will give faithful believers wisdom about what to say when they are persecuted (vv. 16–20). And the Son is involved, of course, because He Himself is the promised Messiah. With this mission, He was training His twelve disciples in proclaiming the kingdom, trusting God and God’s people to provide, and facing opposition (vv. 9–15).

Bearing witness to the kingdom was and is more important than mere safety. The Good Shepherd sends us, too, out as faithful sheep among the wolves of the world. Thankfully, we, too, can rely upon the Spirit of our Father to speak through us!

APPLY THE WORD

As we pray for the persecuted church around the world, consider joining with a prayer partner to intercede for believers who are oppressed. Just as Jesus’ followers were sent out in pairs, praying with a partner can be encouraging and powerful. “For where two or three gather in my name,” Jesus said, “there am I with them” (Matt. 18:20).

 

http://www.todayintheword.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – WHY YOU SHOULD SEE ‘BEN-HUR’

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Ben-Hur opened in theaters last Friday. You probably know that the plot involves a chariot race and may wonder why you need to know more. You likely have not heard of any of the actors apart from Morgan Freeman. The film has generally not received positive reviews from critics.

So, why do you need to see the movie?

Let’s begin with some cultural snapshots. Only 35 percent of Americans believe that absolute moral truth even exists. As a result, we’re told that we should tolerate all behaviors that do not harm us personally. Of course, such tolerance does not extend to those who do believe in moral truth.

For instance, this morning’s Wall Street Journal reports that the Zika virus is renewing the debate over late-term abortions. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said earlier this month that he opposed abortion for pregnant women infected with the virus. Pro-abortion advocates rebuked and ridiculed him, calling his position “outrageous.”

Maj. Steve Lewis is an officer at Colorado’s Peterson Air Force Base. He was recently forced to remove an open Bible on his desk after the Military Religious Freedom Foundation protested against his “around-the-clock Christian Bible Shrine.”

In a culture that rejects objective morality, we should not be surprised that our culture is becoming less moral all the time. CNN reports that Huntington, West Virginia has seen twenty-seven heroin overdoses in four hours this morning. Today’s New York Times has a review of Frank Ocean’s latest musical album and recent photography, noting that “sexual fluidity and ambiguity play key parts in the new projects” and that his magazine is filled with nudity.

In a culture which rejects moral truth, we can choose to be silent and let society reap what it sows. We can choose to be belligerent with our witness. Or we can find creative and persuasive ways to share God’s love.

My wife and I saw Ben-Hur Friday and were very impressed with the script, acting, and production. We were not surprised that Roma Downey and Mark Burnett helped produce the film. Having visited the Holy Land more than twenty times, I can tell you that Ben-Hur captures well the topography and culture of the New Testament era.

Here’s why I think critics have generally not been positive, and why it’s important that Christians see the movie: its underlying theme is reconciliation with God and with each other. And our conflicted and deceived culture needs that message more than it knows.

Critics who are callous to the gospel are not likely to welcome another film that presents the good news, even though the movie’s message is both subtle and realistic. As Paul observed, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).

That’s why it’s so important that believers find every way we can to share the good news effectively with our hopeless world. If they will not come to us, we must go to them. Mark Burnett and Roma Downey used their platform to show how God’s love can heal shattered lives and relationships. Their work is a clarion call for Christians to use our influence to do the same.

Lost people deserve to know the good news of God’s transforming love. “How are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?” (Romans 10:14).

How, indeed?

Denison Forum