Monthly Archives: August 2016

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Never Changes

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“For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.” (Malachi 3:6)

Cabinet doors were slamming; angry looks were given; Dan was snapping commands to everyone, and now his entire family was in a bad mood. All of them were wondering what they had done to cause Dan to be so rude. What happened? Normally Dan was a nice kid, always helping his family and never saying unkind words. But today it seemed like no one could do anything right, and he acted as though everything and everyone was against him. Did someone say something mean to him? Did he have a bad day at school? Why was he so upset and mad?

Sometimes we let people and events affect our moods and attitudes. If we are sick, if someone is mean to us, if we have lost a soccer game, or if we perform badly in a recital, we let it show through our attitudes and actions. For example, when someone is not feeling well, he might be tempted to “take it out on” everyone around him. Many people are affected by the moods, attitudes, and actions of one.

Have you ever noticed that your moods affects others? Whether you are in a bad mood or a good mood, people around you are affected. If you walk into a room, smile, and greet a person with a pleasant hello, he will probably smile and respond with an equal amount of cheerfulness. But if you come in and scowl at a person, you will probably cause him to frown and look away to avoid your glance. When you are in a bad mood, You might allow your attitude, actions, or even the tone of your voice to change. You let the way you feel cause you to treat others badly.

We are all human, and our moods change. Some people are even more like that than others; we call them “moody” because their moods swing back and forth all the time. But do you know Who never changes? God! God never changes – He is always the same. It doesn’t matter what is going on in the world or what you do – God still loves and cares for His children. Aren’t you glad that God doesn’t change His mind about loving you when you do something wrong?

Let’s list some ways that God does not change:

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – Being Like Him

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Today’s Scripture: Romans 8:29

“For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.”

The Spirit’s work within us is as much a gift of God’s grace as is our justification and adoption as sons. But whereas justification and adoption are instantaneous and complete at once, our growth in Christ-likeness is a lifelong process. Therefore, we should never look solely to our love and obedience for our assurance of salvation. At most they can demonstrate our salvation, never prove it. Ultimately our assurance must rest on the Gospel and on the promises of God.

Meanwhile, we can grow in realizing how those promises point to both a glorious present and an even more glorious future. John spoke of our glorious present when he wrote, “Beloved, we are God’s children now” (1 John 3:2). In the same verse he went on to speak of our even more glorious future: “We know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.” Likeness to Christ is God’s ultimate purpose for us and the hope we look forward to.

What does it mean to be like Jesus?

First, it means to be like him in spirit, in our true inner being. This is a process that begins at conversion and will reach its ultimate fulfillment when we enter the Lord’s presence at death. Paul calls this process transformation. “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18). God has predestined us to be conformed to the likeness or image of his Son, and he’s now at work in us through his Spirit to bring that to pass.

 

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – Ritual or Reverence?

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Today’s Scripture: Isaiah 1-4

“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.” – John 4:23

There is an old story about two families in the mountains of Kentucky who had been feuding for years. When a young man was asked why he was fighting the other family, he had no idea. It’s what his family had always done.

That was exactly the situation in Isaiah’s time. When the Lord spoke to His people through the prophet Isaiah, it wasn’t good news, because judgment was on the way. The reason? They were going through various rituals and religious activities, but they had forsaken the Lord, spurned the Holy One of Israel, and turned their backs on Him.

Oh, they were bringing offerings, but they were meaningless. They celebrated various convocations–feasts of the new moon and special Sabbaths–but God said, “They have become a burden to me.” Isaiah 1:15 records these words of the Lord: “When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen.”

They had kept the form but lost the meaning. And the problem is still with us today.

A close pastor friend of mine spent twenty years in Christian work, but all the time he was drifting away from the Lord. He doubled the membership, tripled the budget, and built a 100,000-square-foot building. But today he weeps and says that not one person came to faith in Jesus Christ during that time. He had kept the form but lost the meaning.

Christian, do you read the Bible merely to satisfy a habit? How do you approach your time of worship at church? Take a moment and reflect on Isaiah’s words. God longs to restore the meaning to your walk of daily discipleship.

Prayer

Lord, I want to be the kind of worshiper You seek. Show me how to worship You in truth. Amen.

To Ponder

In our worship of God, what pleases Him most?

 

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BreakPoint

BreakPoint –  Ominous Signs for Turkish Christians: Post-Coup Targets

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For nearly the last hundred years, Turkey, straddling Europe and Asia, has walked a precipitous path. Turning its back on the brutal Ottoman Empire of its past, the nation of 80 million people had attempted to combine its dominant Muslim culture with a more Western-oriented secularism—allowing a measure of political and religious freedom not common in most other Muslim-majority states.

Well, it seems as if Turkey is now on its way to falling into an intolerant form of Islam—if it hasn’t already. How do I know this? By listening to the country’s beleaguered Christian minority, which has dwindled from 22 percent of the population to a microscopic 0.2 percent just over the last century.

You probably know that Turkey, a key NATO ally that is 98 percent Muslim today, has deep Christian roots. The Book of Acts tells us that the followers of Jesus in Antioch, Antakya today, were the first to be called Christians. Revelation’s Seven Churches of Asia were in what is now Turkey. The first seven Ecumenical Councils in church history were held there. The magnificent Hagia Sophia in Constantinople—today, Istanbul—was one of the crown jewels of Christendom, until the city fell to the Ottomans in 1453. For the past 85 years, the Hagia Sophia, under secular rule, has been a museum, a cultural artifact of a proud Christian past. However, Muslim prayers are again being heard from within its walls.

There are other sounds in Turkey, too—the sounds of glass shattering, of fires burning, of shots fired, of people screaming. You likely heard of the failed coup by the military against the Islamist-leaning government of President Recep Erdogan. The government has rounded up or jailed more than 15,000 people suspected of participating in the coup. Scores are definitely being settled.

All of that is bad enough, but we are seeing something else in Turkey common in Muslim-dominant cultures when chaos breaks out: Christians become convenient targets. London’s Express newspaper reports that hardline Sunni Muslims, whipped into a frenzy by imams calling on them to take to the streets, targeted a small, Protestant church in a shopfront in Matalya. Shouting “Allahu Akbar,” the mob smashed the church’s windows, although no one was hurt.

“The attack on the church was light,” the pastor told the Express. “But it’s significant that it was the only shopfront attack in those three days. We were the only targets.” In one Black Sea city another group smashed the windows of the Santa Maria Church, breaking down its door with hammers. And the Turkish government has confiscated churches in the city of Diyarbakir.

Continue reading BreakPoint –  Ominous Signs for Turkish Christians: Post-Coup Targets →

Moody Global Ministries

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – THE TRINITY AND THE TESTIMONY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST

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Read JOHN 3:22–36

Election season is full of self-promotion. Candidates running for political office trumpet their positions and qualifications in order to persuade voters to support them. Their campaigns often also attack their rivals, both directly and indirectly. Humanly speaking, such strategies are in fact normal. People often seek competitive advantage at the expense of others.

John the Baptist’s actions in today’s passage run counter to this typical human behavior. Jesus had begun His public ministry and gathered some disciples. What did John think about that? He reminded his listeners that he had always said a greater One was coming (v. 28). In his metaphor, God’s kingdom is a wedding, he is the best man, and Christ is the bridegroom (v. 29). The bottom line: “He must become greater; I must become less” (v. 30).

Jesus was the Son of God. He had come from heaven and had spoken with divine authority the very words of God. The Father loved Him and had delegated all authority to Him. Belief in Him is the gateway to eternal life. Significantly, the Father had given Jesus “the Spirit without limit” (v. 34). This reflects the essential unity of the Godhead—all three Persons are of one mind, equal in attributes, and speak and act as God (vv. 31–36).

John knew that his ministry mandate came from the Father, but unlike the ministry of the Son, his work was limited in scope and duration. To believe in the Father is to believe in the Son. The Father loved the Son, sent Him with the Spirit, and gave Him all authority. His wrath awaits whoever does not believe this, because not believing it is the same as calling God a liar (vv. 33, 36). God’s wrath is aimed at sin and evil—He sent His Son to provide another way.

APPLY THE WORD

Do you believe in Jesus? Have you trusted in the Son for salvation? Have you rejoiced in the Father’s plan of redemption and been sealed in the Spirit (see Eph. 1:13–14)? The three Persons of the Trinity loved you enough to make a way for you to escape God’s wrath and spend eternity with Him. Will you accept this invitation and trust in Him today?

 

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – GABBY DOUGLAS, OTHER OLYMPIANS PUT GOD BEFORE GOLD

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As of this morning, six US athletes have won gold medals at the Rio Olympics. Two won for individual events; four won in a swimming relay. They will be called Olympic champions for the rest of their lives. This is appropriate, since they have dedicated their lives to the success they achieved.

So far, the US women’s gymnastics team is in first place as well. A typical athlete competing on this team began her gymnastics training when she was two or three years old and had a coach by the age of five. She devoted between twenty and thirty hours a week to the sport as a child and has been focused on this year’s Olympics since the last Olympics ended.

It’s hard for the rest of us to imagine the sacrifices needed to become an Olympic athlete. There are 554 Americans competing in Rio, comprising 0.00017 percent of the US population. To win Olympic gold would be the highest goal most athletes could aspire to achieve.

And yet there are some in Rio who know better. Christianity Today profiles twenty-four athletes competing at the 2016 Olympics who believe there’s a greater reward in life than Olympic fame.

Gabby Douglas may be America’s best-known female Olympian. Winner of the gold medal in the 2012 all-around gymnastics competition, she explains how her faith relates to her athletic career: “I always pray at every competition, when the judge’s hand goes up I am praying, and there are little Scriptures I like to quote.” She cites Philippians 4:13 among others.

Continue reading Denison Forum – GABBY DOUGLAS, OTHER OLYMPIANS PUT GOD BEFORE GOLD →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Godly Servanthood

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John 13:13-16

When you hear the word servant, does anybody immediately spring to your mind? Perhaps you recall an extraordinarily helpful salesman or that wonderful woman at church who always takes care of every detail.

Godly servants are all around us, but sadly, we often take them for granted. This is a tragedy that we need to correct—not only for their sakes, but for our own as well. You see, I firmly believe that the faithful service of righteous men and women will bring untold blessings to those whom they serve.

For instance, Joseph’s story reveals a consistent thread: Wherever he was, the people he served prospered. Potiphar was certainly not a God-fearing man, yet even he recognized that prosperity came to him because of his slave (Gen. 39:2-6). A second Old Testament illustration is Daniel, whose service to Babylonian kings included interpreting visions. (See Dan. 2, Dan. 4, Dan. 5.)

In both examples, powerful leaders were blessed by the actions of their servants; and more than that, they came away with an awareness of the living God. They also participated in the young men’s success by offering them increased responsibilities and greater opportunities to serve (Gen. 39:1-6; Dan. 2:46-48; Dan. 5:29).

Find the people in your life who have the gift of godly service. Spend time with them, serving and working together for God’s glory. If you turn your nose up at someone doing “servant’s work,” you’ll cut yourself off from a relationship that could change your life. Instead, run toward these people, stand beside them, and ask, “How can I participate in serving with you?”

Bible in One Year: Isaiah 63-66

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Who Are You Defending?

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Read: Mark 10:13–16 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 72–73; Romans 9:1–15

At just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Romans 5:6

When Kathleen’s teacher called her to the front of the grammar class to analyze a sentence, she panicked. As a recent transfer student, she hadn’t learned that aspect of grammar. The class laughed at her.

Instantly the teacher sprang to her defense. “She can out-write any of you any day of the week!” he explained. Many years later, Kathleen gratefully recalled the moment: “I started that day to try to write as well as he said I could.” Eventually, Kathleen Parker would win a Pulitzer Prize for her writing.

Father, help me to love others as You do.

As did Kathleen’s teacher, Jesus identified with the defenseless and vulnerable. When His disciples kept children away from Him, He grew angry. “Let the little children come to me,” He said, “and do not hinder them” (Mark 10:14). He reached out to a despised ethnic group, making the Good Samaritan the hero of His parable (Luke 10:25–37) and offering genuine hope to a searching Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well (John 4:1–26). He protected and forgave a woman trapped in adultery (John 8:1–11). And though we were utterly helpless, Christ gave His life for all of us (Rom. 5:6).

When we defend the vulnerable and the marginalized, we give them a chance to realize their potential. We show them real love, and in a small but significant way we reflect the very heart of Jesus.

Father, help me recognize the people in my life who need someone to stand with them. Forgive me for thinking that it’s “not my problem.” Help me to love others as You do.

It is impossible to love Christ without loving others.

INSIGHT:

Jesus rebuked the disciples for seeking to sideline children. He actually welcomed open access to those who sought contact with Him. The rationale given was that “the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Mark 10:14). What could Jesus possibly mean? most likely went through the disciples’ minds. Our Lord then qualified what He said: “Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it” (v. 15). A child is more likely to express faith than a skeptical adult is. We are to follow their example and believe and rely on the promises of God. After this explanation, Jesus physically showed His acceptance by taking the children in His arms and blessing them.

 

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Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – How to Know 

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But Abram said, “O Sovereign LORD, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?”   Genesis 15:8

You know by first knowing God. He does not leave you in the dark to grope around in unbelief. He wants you to go to Him for discernment and understanding. If assurance of knowing what God was saying came easily, you would be tempted to take the credit for your accomplishments with the Almighty. He wants you to know what to do, but on His terms. Many times, knowing what to do follows belief and obedience. Take God at His word today and be faithful to His instruction. It may mean extending kindness to a nemesis at work or praying more for your teenage child and saying less. Indeed, “how to know” follows “how to be.” Be patient, and allow God to work in spite of your self-imposed deadlines. Trust Him as you wait on Him.

Furthermore, do not let your drive for possessions paralyze you from trusting and obeying. When you are ready, God will allow you to understand how you can have something. He trusts those who show themselves trustworthy. Be faithful with your finances; they protect you from bypassing God’s best. Personal debt can short-circuit God’s work, so rely on Christ, not credit. Reliance on credit can easily take the place of reliance on God’s provision.

So, take a financial reality check and start by paying off the credit card with the lowest balance. Money can draw you closer to your Master or drive you further away. You can know you are positioned to buy something if you have the cash for the purchase. Cash collaborates with the future, but debt presumes on the future. Paying as you go helps you to know the Lord’s leading. So, follow the Lord by faith. You will know all you need to know, as you get to know Him. Knowing Him is your passage to knowing what to do.

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – How to Know  →

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Get Reappointed

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We are hedged in (pressed) on every side [troubled and oppressed in every way], but not cramped or crushed; we suffer embarrassments and are perplexed and unable to find a way out, but not driven to despair; we are pursued (persecuted and hard driven), but not deserted [to stand alone]; we are struck down to the ground, but never struck out and destroyed.- 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

All of us become disappointed when we have a plan that fails, a hope that does not materialize, a goal that is unreached. When things like that happen, for a certain period of time we experience a letdown, one that can lead to depression if it is not handled properly.

That’s when we have to make the decision to adapt and adjust, to take a new approach, to just keep going despite our feelings. That’s when we must remember that we have the Greater One residing within us, so that no matter what may happen to frustrate us, or how long it may take for our dreams and goals to become reality, we are not going to give up and quit just because of our emotions. That is when we must remember what God once told me in just such a moment: “When you get disappointed, you can always make the decision to get reappointed!”

Disappointment often leads to discouragement, which is even more of a “downer.” How disappointing and discouraging it is to see the things we love senselessly destroyed by others or, even worse, by our own neglect or failure. Regardless of how it may happen or who may be responsible, it is hard to go on when everything we have counted on falls down around us. That’s when those of us who have the creative power of the Holy Spirit on the inside can get a new vision, a new direction, and a new goal to help us overcome the downward pull of disappointment, discouragement, and destruction.

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

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – His Mighty Power Within

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“Last of all I want to remind you that your strength must come from the Lord’s mighty power within you” (Ephesians 6:10).

When my saintly mother became a Christian at 16, she immediately determined to become a woman of God with the help of the Holy Spirit. She devoted her life to my father and to the rearing of seven children.

Through the years, as I have observed her attitudes and actions closely, I have never seen her do anything that reflected negatively on the Lord.

As a result, my life has been greatly affected in a positive way. There is no question in my mind that everything God has done and ever will do in and through me will be, in no small measure, a result of those unique, godly qualities of my mother, and especially of her prayers.

In today’s world, there often is considerable criticism of a woman who finds her fulfillment as a wife, mother and homemaker, as though such roles are demeaning to the woman. The popular thought is that there is something better, such as a professional career.

I would not minimize the fact that there are gifted women who should be involved in business and professional life, but in most cases this would be a secondary role compared to the privilege of being a mother, especially a godly Christian mother in whose life the fruit of the Spirit is demonstrated.

Continue reading Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – His Mighty Power Within →

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – Painful Love

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Read: Jeremiah 7:1-34

While you were doing all these things, declares the Lord, I spoke to you again and again, but you did not listen; I called you, but you did not answer. Jeremiah 7:13

The first thing God does when you begin to drift is to warn you what the consequences are going to be. He is faithful to tell you that if you sow to the flesh you will of the flesh reap corruption. There is no way to escape it. Even forgiveness for it does not remove that. If you sow to the flesh, you will of the flesh reap corruption. Sin will leave its scars even though the wound is healed. God warns that there is going to be hurt in your life, hurt in your heart, hurt for the loved ones around you. There is no way to escape it. But then he says, …I called you, but you did not answer. (Jeremiah 7:13b)

The call of God is a picture of love seeking a response, reminding you of who he is, and how much he loves you, trying in various ways to awaken a response of love and gratitude, to call you back. He is like the father in the story of the prodigal son, watching the horizon for that son to return, longing for him to come back. This is the picture of God, looking after men and women, boys and girls, being faithful to them, longing to have them back, calling them again and again. This is a picture of the patience of God. This may go on for years in the case of an individual. All this time he asks us to pray for those like this, to reach out to them by the power of prayer.

But when that does not work, he has one step left in the program: judgment. You see, judgment is not God’s way of saying, I’m through with you. It is not a mark of the abandonment of God; it is the last loving act of God to bring you back. It is the last resort of love. C. S. Lewis put it very beautifully when he said, God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world. Every one of us knows that there have been times when we would not listen to God, would not pay any attention to what his Word was saying until one day God put us flat on our backs or allowed us to be hurt badly. Then we began to listen. That is what Jeremiah had to learn. He needed to understand that this nation had reached the place where the only thing that would heal it, the only chance it had left, was the judgment of God — allowing the hurt and the pain of invasion, and the loss of its national place.

Continue reading Ray Stedman – Painful Love →

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – God’s Call Comes with God’s Provision

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Read: 2 Corinthians: 9:6-15

You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. (v. 11)

As Paul traveled through the Roman Empire he collected offerings from churches that had more in order to share with churches that had less. Through this experience he noticed the principle that God blesses both the giver and the receiver.

While in Mexico to build houses for the homeless, we saw this principle at work. An experienced member of our work team brought his own power tools to help with our project. He also brought a particular tool that is used in building construction to anchor the house frame to the foundation. He figured we could go twice as fast using two of these tools and planned to donate his tool to the local ministry when we were finished with the house so they could have an extra.

As we began the process of attaching the frame to the foundation, the tool provided by the local ministry broke. While my friend’s plans to work twice as fast failed, we rejoiced that God had provided us with another tool that worked well. We would have struggled to finish framing the house without it.

Through my friend’s generosity and foresight, God blessed us with the ability to finish the house on time. More importantly, we were able to bless a homeless Mexican family with a place they could now call home.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank you for faithfully providing for us. Bless us as we share your generosity with others.

Author: Rob Donoho

 

https://woh.org/

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Takes Care of His People

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“But as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” (Genesis 50:20)

In the book of Genesis there are many different stories that tell us about the nation of Israel. To begin with, God promised Abraham that he would be the father of a great nation. Abraham had a son named Isaac, and when Isaac became a man and got married, he had twin sons – Jacob and Esau. Jacob grew up and got married, and he had twelve sons of his own. Eventually, the families of these twelve sons grew into the twelve tribes of Israel.

But back to Jacob’s twelve sons: Out of these twelve, Jacob had a favorite – Joseph. To show his high regard for Joseph, Jacob gave him a beautiful coat, often referred to as the “coat of many colors.” Jacob’s other sons were jealous of Joseph because their father gave Joseph many gifts and because Joseph was the son set to become head of the family (even though normally the oldest son would have become the head of the family).

One day, Jacob sent his sons out to take care of the sheep – all of his sons except Joseph and Benjamin, that is. After his sons had been gone for several days, Jacob wanted to send food to them in Dothan, so he sent Joseph. As Joseph made his way to the place where his brothers were camped, they saw him in the distance. When he was still far away, the brothers plotted against Joseph to kill him. Reuben told the brothers they should not kill him and suggested that they throw him into a pit in the ground. Reuben’s secret plan was to come back and rescue Joseph. But before Reuben could rescue him, the brothers decide to sell Joseph and make some money. They sold him to a group of merchants traveling to Egypt. Joseph was now a slave.

When Joseph got to Egypt he became a slave for a man named Potiphar. Joseph became the head of Potiphar’s household. But when he was serving his master Potiphar, Potiphar’s wife tried to get Joseph to sin with her. Joseph ran from Potiphar’s wife, but she told her husband a lie and Joseph went to prison. He stayed in prison for two years.

One night, the Pharaoh of Egypt had a dream. No one could interpret his dream. One of Pharaoh’s servants told him about Joseph and Joseph’s God, so Pharaoh sent for Joseph out of prison and asked him about the dream. Joseph prayed to God, and God told Joseph the meaning of the dream – and then Joseph told Pharaoh what God had told him. Pharaoh then made Joseph the second ruler over all of Egypt. God took care of Joseph!

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – God Takes Care of His People →

The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – From Raw Experience

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Today’s Scripture: Philippians 4:12

“I know how to be brought low.”

Philip Hughes said, “every believer must learn that human weakness and divine grace go hand in hand together.” Paul had learned that lesson well. He said, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Paul had learned that God’s grace is indeed sufficient; his divine enabling through the power of the Holy Spirit would sustain him in the midst of the torments of his thorn, and in the depths of other “weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities” (verse 10).

When Paul wrote these words to the Corinthians, it had been fourteen years since Paul received those surpassingly great revelations. If we assume the thorn was given to him at about the same time, and that the three instances when he pleaded for its removal occurred soon afterward, we can say that Paul had had almost fourteen years to prove the sufficiency of God’s grace. Hardships, troubles, and dangers would continue unabated (2 Corinthians 11:25-28).

Paul was no ivory tower theologian. He did not write from the comfortable confines of a minister’s study or a counselor’s office (nor, for that matter, does any competent pastor or counselor today). Paul wrote from raw experience because he “had been there.” The anguish he experienced was real anguish, and the grace he received was real grace. It was not theoretical, nor make-believe, nor merely “whistling in the dark” to keep up his courage. No, Paul experienced a very concrete expression of God’s love and power as the Holy Spirit ministered comfort and encouragement to him in the midst of affliction. (Excerpt taken from Transforming Grace)

 

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – Do It Now

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Today’s Scripture: Numbers 1-4

In Joppa there was a disciple named [Dorcas], who was always doing good and helping the poor. – Acts 9:36

In Numbers 1:2-3, Moses received a rather imposing task from the Lord. “Take a census of the whole Israelite community…all the men in Israel twenty years old or more…” Imagine how Moses could have reacted: I don’t have time to do that! I’m already leading all these people across the burning desert. I try to keep them from sin. I lead them in worship. And I’m writing the Bible!

God gave him the job on the first day of the second month of the second year. Notice when he got around to doing it–on the same day! (verse 18).

This is a great lesson for us. When we’re given a job that doesn’t really excite us, the best thing to do is get on with it, because if we keep putting it off, it will insist that we give it our attention. Christian, don’t waste time trying to figure out ways to get out of something distasteful. Roll up your sleeves, thank the Lord, and get it done.

Moses expended his energy accomplishing things for God, instead of figuring out all the reasons why they couldn’t be done. You see, what we’re talking about here is more than just success through a positive mental attitude. For a Christian to respond to the command of God requires faith, not just an act of pulling himself up by his spiritual bootstraps.

Genuine faith responds to the call and command of God by saying, “Lord, by your grace and power, I’ll do it now.” Obedience must be complete, enthusiastic, and immediate.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for letting me join Your work in this world. Amen.

To Ponder

Usually, it requires the same amount of energy to get out of doing a task as it does to do it.

 

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Moody Global Ministries

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – THE TRINITY AND THE TEMPTATION OF JESUS

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Read MATTHEW 4:1–11

During Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness, both He and Satan quoted Scripture. What made the difference? Hermeneutics, a term meaning “interpretation.” Satan misrepresented Scripture’s meaning and tried to twist it to his own ends, while Jesus accurately and faithfully interpreted Scripture, remaining righteous and obedient. With the help of good biblical hermeneutics, He chose truth over falsehood and obedience over sin.

We might wonder why the Spirit led the Son into the wilderness for this important episode. Facing off against Satan was the other half of the launch of Jesus’ public ministry, the complement to the Father and Spirit’s affirmation at His baptism. This was not a one-time test, as the spiritual battle would continue throughout Jesus’ life (see Luke 4:13). Satan completely opposed Jesus’ mission of redemption, just as today he wars against God’s work of salvation in our own lives (see 1 Peter 5:8).

We should be encouraged that Jesus faced temptation, just as we do (see Heb. 4:15). It’s particularly encouraging that He was led into this situation by the Holy Spirit, which meant it was not outside the will of God. We, too, should be led by the Spirit (Rom. 8:14). Even when confronting direct temptation by Satan and His own physical hunger, Jesus did not give in. He was instead filled with the Holy Spirit—again, just as we should be—and perfectly resisted Satan’s deceit.

Tellingly, God the Father is referenced in each of the three Scriptures quoted by Jesus. The Son trusted His Father’s words (v. 4). He would never attempt to manipulate Him or force His hand (v. 7). God alone is worthy of worship (v. 10). To bend the knee to any other, for any reason, would be faithless and sinful.

APPLY THE WORD

How can we fight against temptation like Jesus did? Like Him, we should know the Scriptures! Solid hermeneutics enables us to choose truth over falsehood and obedience over sin. We should also remember our identity in Christ and what it means— we are now free to resist sin and to live worthy of the gospel to which we have been called (see Eph. 4:1–6).

 

http://www.todayintheword.org

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Throne of Grace

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Hebrews 4:13-16

Have you ever wondered what heaven is like? If you could create heaven according to your own specifications, what would you include?

At first the question seems easy—a few ideas spring to mind right away. But after several minutes of serious thought, it becomes apparent that we could never think up things that would give eternal satisfaction; what we might imagine as a source of endless joy would fall far short. The sad truth is that people spend a great deal of time pursuing something or somebody, only to come to the conclusion that their goal was not what they really wanted. The problem is this: Left to ourselves, we don’t know what it is we really want.

That is one reason we have a great High Priest presiding over the throne of grace. The Word of God tells us that “there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do” (Heb. 4:13).

In other words, Jesus Christ sees what it is we really want and need, even when we ourselves do not recognize what that might be. He knows how to find our hurt and soothe the pain.

And what’s even better, He is lovingly encouraging us to “draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16). Be assured that your High Priest knows the true desires of your heart, and He is fitting you for the heaven He has already prepared.

Bible in One Year: Isaiah 58-62

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Chin Up

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Read: 2 Kings 6:8–17 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 70–71; Romans 8:22–39

Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see. 2 Kings 6:17

Emil was a homeless man who spent a whole year looking down at the pavement as he plodded around the city day after day. He was ashamed to meet the eyes of others in case they recognized him, for his life had not always been lived out on the streets. Even more than that, he was intent on finding a coin that had been dropped or a half-smoked cigarette. His downward focus became such a habit that the bones of his spine began to become fixed in that position so that he had great difficulty in straightening up at all.

The prophet Elisha’s servant was looking in the wrong direction and was terrified at the huge army the king of Aram had sent to capture his master (2 Kings 6:15). But Elisha knew he was seeing only the danger and the size of the opposition. He needed to have his eyes opened to see the divine protection that surrounded them, which was far greater than anything Aram could bring against Elisha (v. 17).

If we fix our eyes on Jesus, He will strengthen us.

When life is difficult and we feel we are under pressure, it’s so easy to see nothing but our problems. But the author of the letter to the Hebrews suggests a better way. He reminds us that Jesus went through unimaginable suffering in our place and that if we fix our eyes on Him (12:2), He will strengthen us.

Sometimes, Lord, it seems as if I can only see the knots and tangles in the tapestry of my life. Please help me to open my eyes and see the beautiful picture You are weaving.

Christ at the center brings life into focus.

INSIGHT:

Being a prophet was a thankless and hazardous profession, but Elisha knew God would be faithful. God never left Elisha even though others could not see God’s presence. We also find in this passage that God knew Elisha’s enemies and was more than capable of delivering His people.

 

http://www.odb.org

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Loving Money Obscures Life’s Simplicity

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“And if we have food and covering, with these we shall be content” (1 Timothy 6:8).

God wants believers’ lives to be simplified, free from the burdens of material cares.

Today’s verse declares how Christians ought to be free from material distractions. The apostle Paul asserts that life’s basic needs should be adequate to satisfy believers. He does not say it is wrong to own nice things, especially if God providentially allows you to have them. What is wrong is to have a selfish craving for money because you are discontent. The highest goal of the Christian life is to love God and glorify Him forever, not to pile up material goods. Even if you have wealth, the Lord wants you to use and manage it from a motivation that puts God first.

The problem you and I continually face is that our fast-paced, complex, technological societies place materialism first. Objects and things come before people; entertainment options replace conversations with members of our family. All this has so often caused us to lose the simple joys of life’s relationships, which are the essence of Christian fellowship.

To keep those simple but essential joys primary, I’d invite you to apply the following principles. I’ve found them helpful in keeping my own life simplified and free from materialism.

First, evaluate every purchase as to how it would make your ministry more effective.

Second, since God owes you nothing, everything you receive from Him should make you thankful.

Third, learn to distinguish wants from needs, and thereby increase the amount of money you have available for the Lord.

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