Daily Archives: August 30, 2016

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Experiencing God’s Love

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Ephesians 3:17-19

In today’s passage, Paul prays that the Ephesians will grasp the depth of Christ’s love. Though divine care is beyond human comprehension, the apostle says God will give spiritual understanding so we can experience Him more fully. But there are four things that keep us from getting a handle on His love and resting in it.

  1. We think God’s acceptance is imperfect and conditional like ours. Yet the Bible tells us that His compassion comes from His character and is not dependent upon our morality, choices, or thoughts. (See Rom. 5:8.)
  2. When we recognize our sin, we often experience guilt. Sometimes this leads to feeling unworthy of the Father’s ultimate love. Instead, let a guilty conscience lead you back to God so that you can repent. Realize that His love and forgiveness are greater than any sin. He promises that there is no condemnation for His followers (Rom. 8:1).
  3. There are some teachers who encourage legalism. This traps a person into feeling he or she must earn God’s favor. It also contradicts the divine truth that our Father loves His children without condition.
  4. Some of us have a difficult time reconciling God’s love with His discipline. These can exist together, however. His correction flows from compassion, just as loving parents must redirect their children.

Recognizing God’s love will bring peace and joy to your life. At the same time, it doesn’t give license to sin. Like any caring father, the Lord will use discipline to bring you back to Him. Instead, why not let His love motivate you to walk in a holy and obedient manner before Him?

Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 10-12

 

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Gentle Influence

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Read: Colossians 3:12–17 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 129–131; 1 Corinthians 11:1–16

Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12

A few years before he became the 26th U.S. president (1901–1909), Theodore Roosevelt got word that his oldest son, Theodore Jr., was ill. While his son would recover, the cause of Ted’s illness hit Roosevelt hard. Doctors told him that he was the cause of his son’s illness. Ted was suffering from “nervous exhaustion,” having been pressed unmercifully by Theodore to become the “fighter” hero-type he himself had not been during his own frail childhood. Upon hearing this, the elder Roosevelt made a promise to relent: “Hereafter I shall never press Ted either in body or mind.”

The father was true to his word. From then on he paid close attention to how he treated his son—the very same son who would one day bravely lead the landing of Allied soldiers on Utah Beach in World War II.

Since Jesus came in humility, how can we withhold kindness from one another?

God has entrusted each of us with influence in the lives of others. We have a deep responsibility in those relationships, not only to spouses and children, but to friends, employees, and customers. The temptation to press too hard, to demand too much, to force progress, or to orchestrate success can lead us to harm others even when we don’t realize it. For this very reason, followers of Christ are urged to be patient and gentle with one another (Col. 3:12). Since Jesus, the Son of God, came in humility, how can we withhold such kindness from one another?

What kind of expectations do you have of the people in your life—at home and at work? Think about the influence you might have on others. How can you reflect more of the character of Jesus?

What God does for us we should do for others.

INSIGHT:

Most scholars believe the apostle Paul wrote Colossians from a Roman prison cell around ad 60, about the same time he wrote Ephesians, Philippians, and Philemon. Paul seems to have had two primary purposes for writing this letter to the church at Colossae. First, he wanted the Colossian believers to know that Christ is superior to all human accomplishments, philosophies, and angelic beings. Second, he longed for these dear saints to experience freedom from the moralistic regulations and religious systems that enslaved them.

By Randy Kilgore

 

http://www.odb.org

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – ‘Roughing It’

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Many years ago, my brother and I went on a backpacking trip in Washington State. My brother had done many such trips, but this would be my first. I was living in Tennessee at the time and had joined a hiking club that made frequent excursions into the Smoky Mountains. I ‘practiced’ for my backpacking trip by carrying a school backpack filled with water and snacks. I believed I was ready for the more arduous hiking in the North Cascades. But I could not begin to be ready for the 30-pound pack and the relentless switchbacks climbing a thousand feet or more up the backcountry peaks.

There was always something about camping and backpacking that appealed to me. I relished the thought of ‘roughing it’ for a time—forsaking the comforts of my normal life for the extreme deprivation of having to take only what was necessary into the wilderness. Perhaps I saw this kind of activity as a way to expand my own resilience by taking on the additional physical challenge of climbing a spectacular peak with a huge backpack on my back. In reality, the challenge of just getting my tent set up was enough to throw me into fits of whining and complaining. The thin mat I would sleep on barely hid the sharp rocks beneath me, and the constant insect threats revealed that my resilience was almost non-existent. I imagined the comforts of civilization—instant access to a shower, fresh water, and food—as we used a water filter to replenish our water supply from a local stream, ate just what was necessary to sustain us for a few days, and continued our trek without a change of clothes or a shower. If camping and backpacking taught me nothing else, it certainly taught me how much I take for granted in my life, and how easily I wanted to give up at the slightest inconvenience.

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – ‘Roughing It’ →

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Living One Day at a Time

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“‘Do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own’” (Matthew 6:34).

The believer is not to worry about his future.

British pastor Martyn Lloyd-Jones said, “Although it is very right to think about the future, it is very wrong to be controlled by it.” He was right, because worry is a tremendous force that will endeavor to defeat you. It will try to destroy you today by making you upset and anxious. But if it loses today, it will take you into the future until it finds something to make you worry about. In Matthew 6:34 Jesus says that you have enough to deal with today. Take the resources of today for the needs of today, or you will lose the joy of today.

Lack of joy is a sin too. Many people lose their joy because of worry about tomorrow, and they miss the victory God gives them today. That is not fair to Him. God gives you a glorious and blissful day today; live in the light and fullness of the joy of that day, and use the resources God supplies. Don’t push yourself into the future and forfeit the joy of today over some tomorrow that may never happen. Learn this one little statement: fear is a liar. It will cause you to lose the joy of today. What’s more, God gives strength for only one day at a time. He doesn’t give you grace for tomorrow until tomorrow.

When the Bible says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever” (Heb. 13:8), it means He will be doing the same thing tomorrow that He was doing yesterday. If you have any questions about the future, look at the past. Did He sustain you then? He will sustain you in the future. Since there is no past, present, or future with Him, there is no need for you to worry.

Suggestions for Prayer

Praise God for being the same yesterday, today, and forever.

For Further Study

Read Lamentations 3:21-24.

  • What never ceases and never fails (v. 22)?
  • What does that say about God (v. 23)?
  • What does that give you (v. 21)?

 

http://www.gty.org

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – How to Trust God with Your Future

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“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

As I write this, I am alone in a rented condo in northern Illinois. I decided to take a few days away from home to pray and seek the Lord. This morning, I sat in a chair next to the window and asked Him to speak to me as I read His Word. When I opened the Scripture, Matthew 6:24 caught my attention, “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

I have to confess that in recent days, an insecurity has settled into my spirit about financial provision. I am not sure if it has to do with getting older and peering into an uncertain future, or something else. But deep down I feel it has to do with fear, an ungodly emotion that has taken my heart captive while I was unaware. I am thankful that this morning the Lord showed me the condition of my heart and invited me to trust Him with my tomorrows as I read the next verses in Matthew 6:25-27; 31-32.

“Therefore, [because you can’t serve God and money] I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? . . . So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.”

It hit me. “Oh, yes. The pagans—or unbelievers—run after these things to try and protect themselves and guarantee a secure future. They run after them in fear. They run after them in pride. They run after them in anxiety—and they are tormented and exhausted. But you have called me, Lord, to life and peace.  In You there is no torment. There is no worry. There is just rest.”

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – How to Trust God with Your Future →

Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – Starting Point

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Behold, God is great, and we do not know Him; nor can the number of His years be discovered.

Job 36:26

Recommended Reading

Numbers 13:25-33

Our minds jump into overdrive when we encounter obstacles, tension or conflict: We frantically search for a solution by getting as much information as we can. We consider our resources and weigh our options as we scurry toward a solution.

When the twelve spies entered the Promised Land their mission was simple: discover what they could about the land God had promised to give them. But somewhere during their excursion, they forgot. They stopped looking through the lens of God’s power and focusing on their own. When the ten spies declared that they could not take the land, they were partially right. In their own strength they did not stand a chance. Only Joshua and Caleb began with God’s power in mind. They remembered God’s faithfulness and made decisions from this starting point. God had parted deep waters before them, provided food from the sky, and guided them by a pillar of light at night and a supernatural cloud at day.

While we may not be conquering a land, we have the same choice when faced with problems and obstacles. Will we start with God’s faithfulness and power in mind?

I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that I still possess.

Martin Luther

Read-Thru-the-Bible

Ezekiel 21 – 22

http://www.davidjeremiah.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Don’t Waste Time

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Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people), making the very most of the time [buying up each opportunity]…- Ephesians 5:15-16

We need to be so self-controlled that we don’t waste time. That doesn’t mean that we can never do anything fun. It doesn’t mean we can’t do things that we enjoy.

We don’t need to be rigid, stiff, or boring. But we do need to use our time wisely, choosing to give the best part of our day to spend time with God.

The Word encourages us to be prepared, saying, Hear counsel, receive instruction, and accept correction, that you may be wise in the time to come (Proverbs 19:20). Starting your day with God’s instruction will keep you walking in wisdom, making the most of your time.

From the book Starting Your Day Right by Joyce Meyer.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Girlfriends in God

Girlfriends in God – The Lonely Antelope

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Today’s Truth

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Friend to Friend

Dan and I have traveled to many foreign countries on mission trips. Our family vacations have taken us across the United States … but we had never been to Yellowstone National Park and had only driven through Montana on our way to another state. So when I booked a speaking engagement in Gardner, Montana, we decided to take a few days following the event for a mini-vacation.

It did not take us long to fall in love with Montana. We flew into Billings and made our way to Gardner where we had booked a hotel. The drive was spectacular. The hotel was rustic and quaint, and the people could not have been nicer.

But Yellowstone National Park was unlike anything we had ever seen! The magnificent mountains, the lush green landscape, the breathtaking boulders and the steaming geysers that seemed to erupt in the most random places … it was overwhelmingly beautiful!

And the animals! I had never observed such a stunning array of animals. We saw dozens of buffalo, a black bear, a grizzly bear, deer, elk, moose, and even a bald eagle. But some of the most interesting and beautiful animals we saw were the antelope.

I had only seen antelope in zoos – not meandering across the grassy plains and even strutting across the roads in front of our car. I knew virtually nothing about them, but Google came to my rescue.

Continue reading Girlfriends in God – The Lonely Antelope →

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Protection From Accidents

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“The good man does not escape all troubles – he has them too. But the Lord helps him in each and every one. God even protects him from accidents” (Psalm 34:19,20).

Jerry was a new Christian and for the first time was hearing about the importance of the Spirit-filled life. His was a logical question, put to me following one of my lectures on a large university campus.

“Does the Spirit-filled Christian have problems, testings, temptations like the non-believer and the disobedient Christian?” he asked.

“No,” I replied, “the Spirit-filled Christian does not have the same kind of problems that the non-believer and the carnal Christian have, because most of the problems we experience in life are self-imposed. The Spirit-filled person is one who seeks to do the will of God and lives by faith drawing upon the supernatural resources of God the Holy Spirit for every attitude, motive and desire of his life.”

There may be many problems, such as loss of loved ones, financial reverses, illness and disappointments. The Spirit- filled Christian does not escape all troubles. But the Lord is always there with him, undergirding, helping, inspiring, motivating, encouraging, imparting to him wisdom – physical, mental and spiritual resources. Even when tragedy, heartache, sorrow and disappointment come, the Spirit-filled person knows that God is still in control.

Therefore, by faith and obedience to the command of 1 Thessalonians 5:18, he can say, “In all things I give thanks.”

We can know that God helps us in each and every trouble and that He even protects us from accidents.

Bible Reading: Psalm 35:1-9

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Today I will look for opportunities to remind myself and my friends that our loving God and Father is working in and through every problem we face each day, so that we might mature and become more like our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

http://www.cru.org

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – Defeating Worldliness

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Read: Jeremiah 46:1-28

This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations: Concerning Egypt: This is the message against the army of Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt, which was defeated at Carchemish on the Euphrates River by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah… Jeremiah 46:1-2

This takes us back to the year 605 B.C., when Nebuchadnezzar first came up against Judah. He was met by the armies of Egypt at the city of Carchemish on the Euphrates River, and there one of the great strategic battles of all history was fought. Until then, Egypt had been the most powerful nation of the day, but Babylon broke the power of Egypt at that place. In chapter 46, Jeremiah is describing that battle in advance — how long in advance we do not know. He describes in very vivid terms the advance of the Babylonian army, the clash of these conflicting forces, the terrible battle that ensued, and the final defeat of Egypt. We will not take time to cover these verses, but you can read them for yourself. The language is very beautiful.

However, in the midst of this a characterization is made of Egypt. In the Scriptures Egypt is a picture of the world and its influence upon us. Egypt was a place of tyranny and bondage for the people of Israel. They were under the yoke of a wicked and severe king who enslaved them and treated them cruelly. Yet strangely enough, after they escaped, it was the place they always fondly remembered and wanted to return to. They remembered the food, the comfort, and the ease of life in Egypt. So this has always stood as a picture of the lure of the world to the believer — to think as it thinks, to react as it reacts, to seek from the world your own satisfaction and pleasure and enjoyment instead of living for the glory of God.

Continue reading Ray Stedman – Defeating Worldliness →

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Tree of Redemption

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Read: Galatians 3:1-14

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.” (v. 13)

Have you ever been in jail? To your great relief, a friend pays your bail, or gives you (in the board game Monopoly) a get-out-of-jail-free card. You are redeemed, because of someone else, and a feeling of gratitude washes over you.

In this short letter, sometimes called the magna carta of Christian freedom, the apostle Paul makes clear the centrality of grace in the work of salvation. We are saved by grace through faith. Followers of Christ are not obligated to follow the Mosaic law. As Martin Luther put it: good works are necessary, but not for salvation.

Jesus died on a tree. Thus, according to the Torah he was cursed (Deut. 21:23). But his being cursed “redeems” us, argues Paul, from the curse of the law, from our inability to keep the law. Christ did for us something we cannot do for ourselves. Christ paid our debt, bought us back from slavery to sin, freed us from captivity to our own bondage—the metaphors are thick when Paul speaks of God’s way of reconciliation. All of this our Lord Jesus accomplished by taking our place—by hanging on a tree and thus becoming a curse for us. Yet another tree—the tree of redemption.

Prayer:

God of unfathomable grace, thank you for redeeming us, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Author: Steven Bouma-Prediger

 

https://woh.org/

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Restore, Don’t Destroy

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Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. —Galatians 6:1

Not every person who quotes the Bible is necessarily a believer. Those who quote the Scriptures to condemn others often are the guiltiest of all. Those who are quick to find fault with others often have greater fault in their own lives. The people who are so quick to come down on someone else often are guilty of far worse.

This is exactly what Jesus was talking about when He said in the Sermon on the Mount, “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:3).

It’s a humorous illustration, but it makes a point. Jesus was saying, “You are so quick to focus on the minutiae in another person’s life, yet you are guilty of overt sin.”

If we know of someone who is falling into sin, our objective should be to confront and restore them, not condemn and destroy them. Galatians 6:1 says, “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.” Our objective is to restore, not destroy.

I find it interesting that this verse goes on to say, “Considering yourself lest you also be tempted.” One day it could be you. One day you could be the person who stumbles and falls. One day you could be the person who makes that mistake, who commits that sin. And hopefully someone will come along in graciousness and boldness and help you get back on your feet again.

As the old hymn says, “Prone to wander—Lord, I feel it—prone to leave the God I love.” We have to constantly keep our guard up because we all have the potential to fall.

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Is the Giver of All Life

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“But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession; that thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (I Timothy 6:11-14)

Jesse looked at his brand new little sister through the hospital’s nursery window. He could not believe that he was a big brother now. A nurse had taken a picture of him with the baby and Mom and Dad. Jesse thought Zoey was a great name, and easy to spell. She had not cried when they put her in his arms, and he held very still so she would not get upset. She was very quiet, light, and fragile – like a China doll. And she was so tiny. Her little foot could fit into the palm of his hand!

Jesse’s mom and dad had told him their reasons for choosing the name “Zoey.” They told him that God is the One Who gives life, and “Zoey” is like the Greek word for “life.” They had prayed a long time for a daughter (Jesse had been praying for a sister, too); and, since God had given her life, they wanted to name her “Zoey.”

The word “quicken” means “to give life,” or “to bring to life.” God was the One Who created Adam and Eve in the beginning, and He still gives life today. The Bible teaches that our “times” are in His hands, and that He can give or take away life. What a great God we must have! Humans do not have that kind of power. Jesse could not have snapped his fingers and gotten a little sister – he had to pray for her and wait for God to give life. God is the One Who gives all physical life.

God is the Giver of all eternal life, too. No normal human being has ever been able to raise himself from the dead like Jesus Christ did. Jesus could do that because Jesus is God. No normal human being has the power to take people to heaven, but Jesus Christ did. He even described Himself as “the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” He said that nobody could come to God the Father except through Jesus Himself, God the Son.

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – God Is the Giver of All Life →

The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – The Reward of Grace

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Today’s Scripture: Romans 11:35

“Who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?”

Every aspect of our ministry is by the grace of God. We’re unworthy to minister, but God considers us worthy through Christ. We’re inadequate to minister, but God makes us adequate through the powerful working of his Holy Spirit. We’re not naturally given to self-sacrifice, but God gives us that spirit by his grace. All is of grace. No human worthiness or adequacy is required or accepted.

Such a strong, biblical emphasis on God’s grace apart from human worth or adequacy leads to the question of the relationship of grace and rewards. Doesn’t God promise rewards to his faithful servants? Didn’t Paul himself teach that we must appear before the judgment seat of Christ to receive what is due us?

God does promise rewards, and we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ (see Matthew 25:21; 2 Corinthians 5:10). But these rewards are rewards of grace, not of merit. We never by our hard work or sacrificial service obligate God to reward us.

If all our service to God is made possible by his undeserved favor and made effective by the Spirit’s power, we’ve really brought nothing to him that we didn’t first receive from him. The Puritan Samuel Bolton said, “If there was anything of man’s bringing, which was not of God’s bestowing, though it were never so small, it would overturn the nature of grace, and make that of works which is of grace.” But every thought, word, or deed emanating from us that is in any way pleasing to God and glorifying to him has its ultimate origin in God, because apart from him, there’s nothing good in us (Romans 7:18).

 

https://www.navigators.org/Home

The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – The Flesh

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Today’s Scripture: Hebrews 4:14-16

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. – 1 Corinthians 10:13

There isn’t a person on earth who doesn’t experience temptation with fleshly lust at some time during life.

I recall being on a panel to discuss this in a high school class at a local church. The man who spoke before me was a local pastor, and since I was fairly new in my ministry with The Navigators, I was looking forward to what he would say. But when he began to speak, I couldn’t believe my ears. He told these kids, “Sure, it’s okay to park in a car on a dark, deserted country road. Just make sure you stay within the bounds of proper behavior.” Then it was my turn.

“Okay,” I said, “if you follow this man’s advice, make sure that when you park that car and turn off the lights on that dark, deserted country road that you both get out of the car, kneel down, and earnestly plead with the Lord in prayer that He will give you the strength and wisdom to stay within the bounds of proper behavior.”

The Bible tells the story of Achan, who stole something that didn’t belong to him. Listen to his explanation: “When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath” (Joshua 7:21).

Notice the progression. He saw it, he lusted after it, he took it, and then he tried to cover up his sin. Friend, is there a temptation you’re flirting with today that looks innocent on the surface? Yield yourself immediately in prayer to the power of Christ.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for Your victory over sin and Your saving power in my life. Amen.

To Ponder

God’s Word says that we are not controlled by the sinful nature (see Romans 8:9). How does that truth come into play when we are tempted?

 

https://www.navigators.org/Home

BreakPoint

BreakPoint –  LGBT Rights Vs. Religious Freedom: No Middle Ground?

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Last week a thought occurred to me. I wanted to tweet it out but wondered whether it would be too incendiary. The thought was this: “It seems odd how confident we are that folks can lose their unwanted sexual parts, but can’t lose their unwanted sexual attractions.”

And then I thought of the stunning article by Christian ethicist David Gushee. And if you follow me on Twitter, you know what I did next. I hit “Tweet.”

In his article at Religion News Service, Gushee fired a warning shot across the bow of conservative evangelicals and religious traditionalists. He writes, “[y]ou are either for full and unequivocal social and legal equality for LGBT people, or you are against it. . . neutrality is not an option. Neither is polite half-acceptance . . . Hide as you might, the issue will come and find you.”

Now, there have been honest attempts by people on both sides of these issues to offer third-way sensible solutions, even compromises, that accommodate religious freedom and LGBT rights. Still, I think Gushee is right when he said these solutions will largely be rejected, shouted down by demands of a full embrace of the LGBT agenda.

What bothered me, however, deeply about Gushee’s piece, was how he framed the struggle of those who hold strongly to the historic Christian vision of sex and marriage. Conservative religious holdouts, Gushee writes, “are organizing legal defense efforts under the guise of religious liberty, and interpreting their plight as religious persecution.”

Jake Meador, writing at Mere Orthodoxy, was bothered too, using much stronger words than I am today. We’ve seen time and again, and Jake lists them, how federal, state, and local governments are forcing people to choose between their livelihoods and their faith. Meador goes on to point out what is really going on here—a clash of worldviews. And one side, at least, sees it as a total war.

And that side, as I tweeted, sees biological physical reality as fully optional and malleable to our surgical and chemical demands, while at the same time seeing emotional inclinations and sexual attraction as fixed and permanent. This is nothing but pagan Gnosticism on steroids. Gnosticism, over which Christianity triumphed 17 or 18 hundred years ago, held that the body was at best inconsequential, at worst, outright evil. Physical, biological reality is no reality at all.

Continue reading BreakPoint –  LGBT Rights Vs. Religious Freedom: No Middle Ground? →

Moody Global Ministries

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – THE TRINITY AND THE WORK OF SALVATION

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Read 1 PETER 1:1–5

Scottish theologian and pastor Sinclair Ferguson said, “Woven into the warp and woof of the New Testament’s exposition of what it means for us to be holy is the great groundwork that the self-existent, thrice holy, triune God has—in Himself, by Himself and for Himself—committed Himself and all three Persons of His being to bringing about the holiness of His own people. This is the Father’s purpose, the Son’s purchase and the Spirit’s ministry.”

Today’s reading again confirms that the entire Trinity is involved in the ongoing work of salvation. First, we as “God’s elect” have been “chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father” (vv. 1–2). He predestined us for salvation, thus to be made holy, and thus to be adopted as His children. “He has given us new birth into a living hope” and an eternal inheritance (vv. 3–4). His merciful choice and plan existed from eternity past, a reassuring truth. Our salvation in no way depends on us, but entirely on our perfect and faithful Father (v. 5).

Second, God’s choice was implemented “through the sanctifying work of the Spirit” (v. 2). The term sanctification refers to God’s ongoing work of making us holy and Christlike. This work is being done by His Spirit. Through faith in Him, we are already counted righteous in Christ, and the Spirit works in our lives to reduce sin and to increase holiness.

Finally, God chose us “to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood” (v. 2). This sprinkling refers to Old Testament sacrifices, an image of atonement and cleansing (see Heb. 9:14). Jesus’ blood has freed us from sin to obedience. We eagerly await the “salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time,” that is, His Second Coming (v. 5).

APPLY THE WORD

Throughout our study, we’ve seen links between the Trinity and the command to praise God, as in verse 3 of our reading today. Praise includes both specific activities such as proclaiming the goodness of God through word or song and a general disposition oriented toward pleasing God in our thoughts, words, and deeds. Praise Him today!

 

http://www.todayintheword.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – 2 REASONS WHY I DISAGREE WITH COLIN KAEPERNICK             

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San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is generating headlines with his refusal to stand during the national anthem at football games. He explained his decision to reporters: “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.”

He later added: “This is because I’m seeing things happen to people that don’t have a voice, people that don’t have a platform to talk and have their voices heard and effect change. So I’m in the position where I can do that and I’m going to do that for people that can’t.” Response from NFL players and fans has been as varied as you’d expect, some voicing support for his position and others protesting vehemently.

Let’s begin with the obvious: Kaepernick has the right to stand or sit when the national anthem is played. He also has the right to express his views on our national challenges regarding racism, violence, and poverty. And it’s tragically clear that America has not yet achieved the racial and economic equality we should all seek for our country.

However, I disagree with the way Kaepernick has expressed his convictions, for two reasons.

One: He is wrong to redefine the meaning of the flag.

Kaepernick claims that the American flag represents justice and that so long as oppression remains, he will sit while the flag is honored. That may be what it means to him, but it’s not what the flag means to the vast majority of Americans.

To most of us, our flag represents freedom and those who have died in its defense. While Kaepernick has expressed his gratitude for the military, he should know that many see his actions as disrespecting the people who have died for our country. The anthem Kaepernick refuses to honor calls America “the land of the free and the home of the brave.” This is the land of the free precisely because it is the home of the brave.

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