Monthly Archives: August 2016

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – Qualities of Genuine Faith

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Read: Jeremiah 32:1-10

Jeremiah said, The word of the Lord came to me: Hanamel son of Shallum your uncle is going to come to you and say, Buy my field at Anathoth, because as nearest relative it is your right and duty to buy it. Then, just as the Lord had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me in the courtyard of the guard and said, Buy my field at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin… I knew that this was the word of the Lord; so I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel and weighed out for him seventeen shekels of silver. Jeremiah 32:6-9

That is a remarkable act of faith. It belongs with those acts of faith in the record of Hebrews 11. As we examine it, we learn what it means to walk by faith. Every one of us is called to walk by faith, and there are certain qualities of faith seen here.

First there is what we might call the caution of faith. Notice how the account progressed. God said to Jeremiah, in the loneliness of his prison, Your cousin Hanamel is coming to you, offering to sell his field. A little later on the account says, Then Hanamel my cousin came to me … in accordance with the word of the Lord. Later still, Then I knew that this was the word of the Lord. The important thing to see is how Jeremiah tested this impression he received.

Many of us have wondered how these Old Testament prophets were given words from God. Many times you find this phrase in the Scriptures: The word of the Lord came to me… How did it come? This account suggests that the usual way God spoke to these prophets was the same way he speaks to us, i.e., through a vivid impression made upon the soul, an inner voice informing us of something.

But the great lesson to learn from this account is that this inner voice is not always the voice of God. Sometimes the god of this world can speak through that inner voice, sounding very much like the voice of God. Many a person has been tremendously injured in his faith, and has damaged the faith of others, by acting impulsively on what this inner voice has to say, without testing whether it is the voice of God or not.

Faith, though it acts in a remarkable way, does not act fanatically. Faith acts cautiously, expecting God to confirm his word. Jeremiah was no novice in the active life of faith. He knew that God would confirm his word, and he had learned to wait upon God. God confirmed the word by fulfilling the prediction he had made.

Continue reading Ray Stedman – Qualities of Genuine Faith →

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Clapping Their Hands

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Read: Isaiah 55

And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. (v. 12)

What does it mean that the trees shall clap their hands? From science we know that every tree is a water column constantly supplying the air with moisture. We know that each tree species has its own distinct bioelectric field, with daily and annual rhythms. We know that trees communicate with each other by sending electrical signals via a fungal network. Is it that farfetched to believe that trees have their own arboreal ways of clapping their hands?

We are told, furthermore, that instead of the thorn there will grow the cypress, and instead of the brier the myrtle will grow. Thorns and briers hurt and are good for very little. The cypress and the myrtle, on the other hand, are pleasant and useful. The durable wood of the cypress was used for buildings and boats, and the fragrant oil of the myrtle was used in perfumes. Symbols of blessing and shalom.

This chapter is a song of hope. It concludes the middle section of Isaiah (chapters 40-55) by giving comfort to the people of Israel. A new exodus is coming for a people in exile. The restoration of Israel is near. This vision is embodied in Jesus and extolled by the apostle Paul. In Christ God brings reconciliations and restoration. And what is begun in Christ will be completed by the Holy Spirit. A time is coming when the trees of the field will clap their hands.

Prayer:

God of restoration and renewal, when we’re in exile give us hope.

Author: Steven Bouma-Prediger

 

https://woh.org/

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Taking the Gospel to the World

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But He said to them, “Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth.” —Mark 1:38

Jesus went and met the woman at the well in Samaria because she had an appointment with God. In Jesus’ detour into enemy territory, we see two important concerns as we bring the message of the gospel today.

First, we have to go to where people are. Jesus did not say that the whole world should go to church; He said the church should go into the whole world. As Mark’s Gospel tells us, “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature’ ” (Mark 16:15).

When Harvest Ministries was doing an outreach in Disneyland a number of years ago, I was asked, “Why are you doing this in a place like Disneyland? Why would you come and hold an event in a place like this?”

I said, “Because Jesus said, ‘Go into all the world,’ and He did not exempt Disneyland. There are people there. And we want to reach people.” The glorious thing is that many people came into the kingdom through that outreach. We need to go to where people are.

Second, we need to care about the people we speak to. Jesus needed to go to Samaria because He cared about this woman (see John 4:4). When the apostle Paul was in Athens, he saw the city that was given over to idolatry, and his spirit was stirred within him (see Acts 17:16–17). He felt righteous indignation as he saw so many turning to false gods.

In the same way, any effective sharing of the gospel must always begin with a God-given burden. We have to care. Jesus cared. Do you? Do you want to reach out to perishing people?

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – The LORD Is a Man of War

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“Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.” (Exodus 15:1-3)

When Moses and the children of Israel sang this song of praise, they had just been rescued by a miracle. The Egyptian military had followed them when they left Egypt, and the Israelites knew they were in trouble. The LORD opened up the Red Sea for them so that they could cross it on dry land. Once all of His people were safe on the other side, the LORD let the water come crashing down on top of the Egyptian soldiers who were chasing them.

These Egyptian soldiers did not understand or care Who God was, and it cost them their lives. They did not understand or care that God protects His glory, and God protects His people. If they had believed the truth about God, they never would have chased His people down in the first place.

When you see it all capitalized in the Bible, the name “LORD” means “Jehovah” (juh-HO-vuh). It is a name full of meaning, and it is what God answered Moses when Moses asked what to call Him. It means “I AM.” In other words: God was, is, and always will be Who He says He was, is, and always will be. It is not for humans to change Him or to think of Him in other ways, or as less than He is. He is the King of the universe. He is not just a human being. He is all-powerful, everywhere at once, and all-knowing. Nobody alive compares to God. If people really understood and believed Who God is, they would not be surprised to read the Israelites’ song. They would not be surprised to learn that the LORD is a “man of war.”

The LORD is a warrior. He is willing and able to fight for the glory of His name and to fight for the good of His people. He is mighty. He is unstoppable. He is unbeatable. Clearly, the Egyptian soldiers did not know Whom they were up against. Or if they knew it, they did not really believe it.

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – The LORD Is a Man of War →

BreakPoint

BreakPoint – Welcome to College: Why It’s Important to Ask the Right Questions

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Editor’s Note: With summer winding down and BreakPoint staff on vacation, we will be re-airing a few popular BreakPoints from John, Eric, and Chuck.

If your son or daughter is getting ready for college, you’re probably feeling the mixed emotions of pride and nervousness: pride in your child’s accomplishments and nervousness for . . . well, for a whole host of reasons.

If you’re a Christian parent, for instance, you may be concerned for your son or daughter’s faith. Maybe you know how many young adults with church backgrounds end up dropping out of church: 43 percent, according to David Kinnaman in his recent book “You Lost Me.” At least part of this trend stems from college lessons and experiences that can chip away at students’ faith, leaving them unsure what they really believe.

As a friend of mine says, sending your children to college is like sending them off for “four-year brain and heart surgery.” Now, there’s more to that analogy than meets the eye. Surgery can be a good thing, but one has to prepare for it properly. And part of that is asking the right questions. When you’re having surgery, you want to know things like, how experienced is this surgeon? What’s his or her track record? And most importantly, what exactly is going to happen to me?

But when it comes to choosing and preparing for college, too many students and parents focus on the wrong question. They want to know what the dorms are like or how good the football team is. Is there good food in the cafeteria? But what they really need to ask is, what’s exactly going to happen to my son or daughter? How will this college affect their faith and worldview? Do students here get educated or indoctrinated?

For students and parents who want to know the right questions, and how to prepare for college, I’m pleased to recommend the book “Welcome to College: A Christian’s Guide for the Journey,” written by my friend Jonathan Morrow. As the title makes clear, Morrow has written this book specifically for young students about to embark on the college experience. The tone is friendly and accessible, and the book deals with the breadth of college life, from picking roommates and classes to making sure not to park in the wrong spot!

But most importantly, “Welcome to College” lays out the basics of the Christian worldview, as well as the challenges that are likely to come to that worldview, in a way that students can understand and learn to apply — in their college years and beyond.

Continue reading BreakPoint – Welcome to College: Why It’s Important to Ask the Right Questions →

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – AMERICAN EARNS OLYMPIC AWARD ONLY 17 HAVE RECEIVED

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The Washington Post reports that last night’s 6.2-magnitude earthquake has killed at least thirty-eight people in central Italy. Today’s New York Times has a heartbreaking story on the effects of Zika on the brains of Brazilian babies.

In the midst of all the bad news, I was excited to read some amazingly good news today.

American runner Abbey D’Agostino became famous for helping fellow runner Nikki Hamblin after both were tripped during a race at the Rio Olympics. Abbey was severely injured but finished the race. Now she and Hamblin are the eighteenth and nineteenth recipients of the Pierre de Coubertin medal. It is not awarded at every Olympic Games. Rather, it is reserved for the most exceptional displays of sportsmanship and the Olympic spirit.

Abbey explained her behavior during the race as an expression of her faith, and the world took note. There’s something in us that responds to the God who made us.

I recently reread Alister McGrath’s A Cloud of Witnesses, which profiles some of the greatest theologians in history. His chapter on Martin Luther contains the great reformer’s insight that we should trust God’s promises over our experience. McGrath describes Luther’s conviction: “God promises to be present with us, even in life’s darkest hours—and if experience cannot detect him as being present, then that verdict of experience must be considered unreliable.”

The theologians McGrath surveys all agree on this central principle: Jesus is God, and he is real. He is a Person who is as alive and present in our world by his Spirit as he was in his flesh. He prays for us (Romans 8:34) and welcomes our prayers. He teaches us through the Spirit (John 16:14–15). He protects us on earth (John 10:28–29) while he is preparing our reward in heaven (John 14:2). One day he will come to take us from this fallen planet into God’s perfect paradise (v. 3).

Continue reading Denison Forum – AMERICAN EARNS OLYMPIC AWARD ONLY 17 HAVE RECEIVED →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Reasons to Surrender

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1 Corinthians 6:19-20

As we saw yesterday, God wants us to surrender our life to Him. This is no small task. All of our plans, every desire we feel, each entitlement that once seemed our right—everything is put aside in order to make way for our King’s will. But perhaps you have wondered why the Lord can ask this of us.

God has every right to demand that we give Him our all. First, Scripture teaches us that He is the sovereign King who rules over the entire universe (Ps. 135:6). As a result, we are under His authority, whether or not we choose to submit. Next, through His death and resurrection, Jesus saved us from our sin and its consequences. Therefore, we are indebted to Him more than we could ever repay. And finally, He sustains us. We should consider each breath and heartbeat a gift from Him.

Undoubtedly, the Lord is entitled to ask that we yield our life to His will. At the same time, we should realize that surrender is in our best interest. The Father promises that following Him leads to hope and an established future. Psalms 31:19 states, “How great is Your goodness, which You have stored up for those who fear You …” So, while He is the Almighty with authority over every aspect of our life, He promises to care for us and to do what will benefit us most.

Are you willing to put yourself aside in order to follow Jesus? His way is best, and it offers hope, joy, and peace. We will not always like everything He chooses at the moment, but He promises to work all things for our good. Will you trust God enough to hand the reins over to Him?

Bible in One Year: Jeremiah 49-50

 

 

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — God Talk

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Read: Hebrews 1:1–12 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 113–115; 1 Corinthians 6

What we have received is . . . the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. 1 Corinthians 2:12

Recently, my son-in-law was explaining to my granddaughter Maggie that we can talk with God and that He communicates with us. When Ewing told Maggie that God sometimes speaks to us through the Bible, she responded without hesitation: “Well, He’s never said anything to me. I’ve never heard God talk to me.”

Most of us would probably agree with Maggie, if hearing an audible voice telling us, “Sell your house, and go take care of orphans in a faraway land,” is what we mean by God communicating with us. But when we talk about hearing God “speak,” we usually mean something quite different.

Scripture tells us how to find salvation in Jesus and how to live in ways that please Him.

We “hear” God through reading Scripture. The Bible tells us about Jesus and says that God “has spoken to us by his Son” who is “the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being” (Heb. 1:2–3). Scripture tells us how to find salvation in Jesus and how to live in ways that please Him (2 Tim. 3:14–17). In addition to Scripture itself, we have the Holy Spirit. First Corinthians 2:12 says that we are given the Spirit “so that we may understand what God has freely given us.”

Has it been a while since you’ve heard from God? Talk to Him and listen to the Spirit, who reveals Jesus to us through His Word. Tune in to the wonderful things God has to say to you.

Speak to me, Lord. Help me to understand the message of Scripture, the lessons of Jesus, and the urgings of the Holy Spirit.

God speaks through His Word when we take time to listen.

INSIGHT:

This section begins with a reference to Jesus’s incarnation and His unique position as God’s Son, and the admonition for Him to be worshiped (vv. 5–8). We see the “radiance of God’s glory,” in the person of Christ (v. 3). As we read His Word, we learn to love Him.

 

http://www.odb.org

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Learning How to Think

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There are patterns of thought that come as natural to us as our daily routines. These patterns of thought emerge from constructs and experiences that color and shape the way in which we view the world and they can emerge in the most unexpected ways. Sometimes we simply repeat what we have heard. Mindless phrases spill out of our mouths forming the patterns of response—even when the response is incongruent with the situation. “It is what it is,” we say, when compassionate silence is called for or “Everything has a reason” when faced with inexplicable chaos.

I recognize in my own life how these patterns of thought belie my true way of viewing the world, much to my chagrin. Oftentimes, they reveal callousness to the suffering of others. I’ll tell someone, “I’ll keep you in my thoughts and prayers” as a substitute for tangible assistance. Or my desire to fit every happening into a neat, understandable package compels me to speak when I first should listen.

Regardless of the situation, it seems a sad reality that so often these patterns of thought and action revolve around placing the self at the center of everything. Many function as if the world really does revolve around the immediate and urgent demands of living one’s own life. Everything is simply an incursion into the routine of putting me, myself, and I front and center. I automatically feel offended, for example, when cut off in traffic. I instinctively feel slighted or defensive that my very presence doesn’t delight and soothe the unhappy. I groan at the inconvenience of having to wait in another line and when I finally have my turn, I take offense at the clerk who doesn’t smile at me the way in which I think I deserve.

In his lauded address to graduates of Kenyon College, the late author David Foster Wallace exposed the routines of thought and action that place the self at the center.(1) In his remarks regarding the benefits of a liberal arts education in shaping one’s ability to think, he suggests that it is the “most obvious, important realities that are the hardest to talk about.”(2) In other words, one of those obvious realities is that when left to our own devices humans think and behave in self-centered ways. But it is one of those routines of thought that mostly goes unmentioned. He continues, “The choice is really about what to think about and how we think about it…to have just a little critical awareness….Because a huge percentage of the stuff that I tend to be automatically certain of is, it turns out, totally wrong and deluded.”(3) Rarely, Foster Wallace notes, do we think about how we think because what is revealed is that we are basically selfish in action and thought 99% of the time.

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Learning How to Think →

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Letting the Fog Lift

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“‘Do not be anxious for your life, as to what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor for your body, as to what you shall put on’” (Matthew 6:25).

God’s Word commands us not to worry.

A story I once read reminded me that worry is like fog. According to the article, dense fog covering seven city blocks a hundred feet deep is composed of less than one glass of water—divided into sixty billion droplets. In the right form, a few gallons of water can cripple a large city. Similarly, the object of a person’s worry is usually quite small compared to the way it can cripple his thinking or harm his life. Someone has said, “Worry is a thin stream of fear that trickles through the mind, which, if encouraged, will cut a channel so wide that all other thoughts will be drained out.”

All of us have to admit that worry is a part of life. The Bible commands us, however, not to worry. To break that command is sin. Worry is the equivalent of saying, “God, I know You mean well by what You say, but I’m just not sure You can pull it off.” Worry is the sin of distrusting the promises and providence of God; yet we do it all the time.

We don’t worry about anything as much as we worry about the basics of life. In that regard we are similar to the people whom Jesus addressed in Matthew 6:25-34. They were worried about having sufficient food and clothing. I suppose if they were to try and legitimize their worry, they would say, “After all, we’re not worrying about extravagant things. We’re just worrying about our next meal, a glass of water, and something to wear.” But there is no reason for a believer to worry about the basics of life since Jesus says He will provide for him. You are neither to hoard material possessions as a hedge against the future (vv. 19-24) nor be anxious about your basic needs (vv. 25-34). Instead of letting the fog of worry roll in, it’s time to let it lift.

Suggestions for Prayer

“Rejoice in the Lord always. . . . Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Phil. 4:4, 6).

For Further Study

What counsel does 1 Peter 5:7 give?

 

http://www.gty.org

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – 3 Lessons I Learned Since I Married

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The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. 1 Corinthians 7:3

For much of my adult life I ate standing over the kitchen sink. But that all changed in 2014 when I finally became a bride for the first time at age forty-six. Yep, it surprised me too. When I turned forty-three, I figured I was destined to spend my life alone, but God has a wonderful way of surprising us and changing things in ways we never imagined. Now that I am a Mrs., I know a few things I didn’t know before. If you are married or single, I hope these lessons encourage you.

Just because you marry later in life doesn’t mean it will be difficult to adjust. There are a lot of clichés floating around about marriage and one of them is that people who marry after thirty years old are too set in their ways and too inflexible to have a peaceful marriage. If you are single and this is your fear, be encouraged. A lot of it has to do with how much you want to put your mate first, and if you are willing to be a giver. My husband is a great example of serving well and I have learned a lot from him about living unselfishly. He has made being married a joy.

“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:21).

Don’t marry just for sex. Sex is a beautiful gift from God; but it’s peculiar how the world oversells and undersells it. They oversell it by making us think sex is always fireworks, never awkward, always easy, and the most important part of any relationship. But they undersell the beautiful, joyous sacredness of it. The world feeds us the lie that true intimacy is found in sex alone, but real intimacy isn’t found just by merging bodies in sex. When Jesus said, “and the two shall become one. . .” I can’t help but think that He meant more than just the physical. After all, how many couples go to bed at night, share their bodies, but not their hearts? Undoubtedly, many of these people would say they are very lonely. Why? Because just as a garden hose is not the source of water, but only an expression or vehicle for it, so sex is not the source of intimacy, but an outlet (or expression of) it. Never marry just for sex. Marry someone you respect, admire, shares your faith, and is your friend. These things will carry you a long way down the road of marital bliss.

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – 3 Lessons I Learned Since I Married →

Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – To Build a Fire

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Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all the depths; fire and hail, snow and clouds; stormy wind, fulfilling His word.

Psalm 148:7-8

Recommended Reading

Psalm 148

Author Jack London wrote a tragic short story called “To Build a Fire” about a man who froze to death on the Yukon Trail because he couldn’t get his fire lit or keep it burning. It’s an illustration of a world that has forgotten to worship.

A lot of churches are like big stacks of waterlogged firewood that will never catch fire on their own. The big backlog of church membership has grown cold and the coals have nearly gone out. The fire in many churches is burning low. God is looking for men and women to serve as kindling wood; and if He can set them on fire, He can bring about revival to the church and set the world on fire with the Gospel. He is looking for true worshipers.

Kindle a fire of worship in your heart and let the Holy Spirit fan it to flames. God cannot be brought down to us; we can only direct our hearts of worship upward to Him. Let’s join the writer of Psalm 148 saying, “Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise Him from the heights!”

Yes, friends, love God extravagantly. Thank Him profusely. Worship Him lavishly.

Vernon M. Whaley in “Called to Worship”

Read-Thru-the-Bible

Lamentations 3 – 5

 

http://www.davidjeremiah.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Too Much Talk Leads to Sin

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In a multitude of words transgression is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is prudent. — Proverbs 10:19

We all need to learn how to establish and maintain boundaries with our words. Proverbs 10:19 in the NIV states, When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise. In other words, people who talk a lot will often find themselves in trouble.

Because our words carry so much power, we need to learn to say only what needs to be said. Almost every time we have a problem with somebody, it’s over something we have said or that person said. There may be other elements—something somebody is doing, for example—but the main cause of the argument most of the time is something that was said. If we learn to speak only what is wise and necessary, then we will have much more peace.

Power Thought: I speak words of wisdom that are filled with God’s power.

From the book the book Power Thoughts Devotional by Joyce Meyer.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Girlfriends in God

Girlfriends in God – When Life Seems Broken

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Today’s Truth

The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.

Nehemiah 1:3

Friend to Friend

Nehemiah was the cupbearer to the king of a land far from his home. (Which means he held a trusted position that allowed him personal access to the king.) When some old friends came to town he found out that his people, the Jews, were in a terrible situation. Deeply burdened by the news, he wept, mourned, fasted, and prayed. He took the devastation of his people to heart and responded on a soul level.

The Bible shows us that Nehemiah prayed. He was pressed but not crushed. He told the Lord that he was sorry for the way he and his people had rejected God and for the ways they had disobeyed His commands. He remembered the instructions of God to His people and reminded Him of His promises. And he asked God to hear his prayer, give him favor and lead his responses.

I read this and see a vibrant example of the way I should respond when difficult situations come my way. When my loved ones are hurting. When my homeland is unsafe and vulnerable to attack. Here are a few basic faith principles we can apply that Nehemiah modeled in his prayer and in the conversations that followed.

#1. BE HONEST ABOUT YOUR FEELINGS. Nehemiah wept and mourned in response to the situation. You don’t need to pretend that you’re “fine” when life hurts. Instead, You can do what Nehemiah did: cry. Be sad. Mourn. Grieve.

Continue reading Girlfriends in God – When Life Seems Broken →

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – He Does Glorious Things

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“Thank the Lord for all the glorious things He does; proclaim them to the nations. Sing His praises and tell everyone about His miracles” (Psalm 105:1,2).

How long has it been since you have taken time to meditate upon and list all the glorious things the Lord has done for you and how long has it been since you have shared them with your family, your neighbors or even strangers? Of course, your list may differ from that of your neighbors or of fellow believers in your local church or from mine. But among those glorious things that He has done are: He has, by His Holy Spirit, drawn us all to Himself; He has created within our hearts a hunger for His love; and through faith in Christ we have become His children; our sins have been forgiven and we now have the joy of living every moment of every day in vital union and fellowship with Him – all this with the certainty that we shall spend eternity with Him. Mere human words could never express the gratitude that wells up within one’s heart at the thought of God’s great gifts. The word “alleluia” is universal and is spoken in all languages as an expression of praise to God and no word is more appropriate.

My personal list of blessings also includes a godly, praying mother who lived her Christianity and dedicated me to Christ before I was born, and followed me – as she did all her other children – with her daily prayers; a wonderful father who, I had the privilege of introducing to Christ after I became a Christian and seeing him begin to experience that peace which comes from knowing Christ; a godly wife who loves the Lord Jesus Christ and shares my commitment to serve Him as our Lord and Master whatever the cost, wherever He leads us.

I thank Him for sons who love Him, and who have committed their lives to serving Him wherever He leads; a daughter-in-law who shares the love and conviction of her husband; a marvelous staff of thousands of godly men and women who seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and hundreds of thousands of co-laborers who undergird me and this ministry.

The glorious things that He has done are without number. Yes, we must sing His praises and tell everyone about His miracles. We must proclaim the glorious things he has done to all the nations!

Bible Reading: Psalm 113

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Today I will meditate upon the glorious things God has done for me and I will sing His praises and tell everyone about His miracles. I will give my prayer and financial support to helping proclaim His greatness to all the nations of the earth.

 

http://www.cru.org

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman -The New Covenant

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Read: Jeremiah 31:23-40

The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah… This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God and they will be my people. No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, Know the Lord, because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. (Jeremiah 31:31a, 33, 34)

This is a marvelous promise. God is going to do what the people themselves could never do. Despite all their failure, he is going to bring them around. He will do it by a new process. First, he says, I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. That is a new motive. God is going to change the motivation of a person’s life; changing it to come from within instead of without. The Old Covenant is a demand made on us from without. This is impossible for us to carry out. But the New Covenant is something put within us. What is it? Love. Love is the motive in the New Covenant. To respond out of love for God, out of love for what he has already done in our life and heart, that is the new motive.

The second manifestation is a new power. I will be their God, and they will be my people. God himself is the strength of man’s life. He supplies all the power to act. They are the ones who do the acting; he is the One who does the supplying. This is a beautiful description of the New Covenant. Everything coming from God; nothing coming from me. Not, I, trying to do something for God, but God doing something for me, through me, in everything I do. That is the new power.

Then there is a new family. No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, Know the Lord, because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. All those in the family know each other. We already know what are the dominant drives, and underlying hopes and passions of each life, because they are all the same: That we might know Him better, become like Him. That is why, when Christians meet one another, though they have never met before, they always have a ground of sharing. They know each other and share the same life.

Continue reading Ray Stedman -The New Covenant →

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – All Creatures Praise the Lord

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Read: Psalm 148

Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars! (v. 9)

This psalm of praise is all-inclusive. Nothing is left out. All creatures praise the Lord. Angels in heaven. Sun and moon and stars. Sea monsters and creatures of the ocean deep. Fire and hail and snow and frost. Mountains and hills. Animals wild and domestic. Lowly snails and high-flying falcons. Kings and queens. The poor and the homeless. Humans male and female. All people, young and old.

And wedged in the middle of this doxology are trees. “Fruit trees and all cedars” to be specific. That brief list includes lots of trees. Almond, apple, carob, date palm, fig, mulberry, olive, pomegranate, sycomore (not to be confused with sycamore), and terebinth—to name just the fruit trees native to the Middle East. And there are many species of cedar around the world, the most famous being the cedar of Lebanon—a symbol of strength, splendor, and glory.

What does it mean for trees to praise God? Is this just a case of personification, attributing human qualities to nonhuman creatures? Or can we imagine nonhuman creatures praising God, each in their own creature-specific way? New scientific evidence says there is much more to trees than meets the eye. For example, trees communicate with other trees and they nurse sick neighbors. Perhaps if we had the eyes to see and ears to hear, we could acknowledge that trees praise God in their own tree-like ways. If so, then we could tune in to the symphony of creation.

Prayer:

Loving Lord, may all we do give praise to you.

Author: Steven Bouma-Prediger

 

https://woh.org/

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – The Purpose of a Testimony

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But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.—Romans 5:8

When you tell other people about what God has done for you, you are sharing your testimony. A testimony is when you share your story of how you came to faith. Every Christian has a testimony.

Some Christians have dramatic testimonies where they tell of being delivered from a life of drug addiction or crime or some sordid deeds. Other Christians don’t have testimonies that are quite as dramatic—but they are just as significant.

I like to hear how people came to Christ, but I don’t like it when people go into gory details about their past. Then there are testimonies where people tell how much they have given up for Jesus. They’ll say things like, “I gave up this and that for Jesus. I have made such sacrifices for the Lord. I have done it all for Him!”

Your testimony is not about what you gave up for Jesus. It’s about what He gave up for you. Don’t share what you have done for Jesus. Share what Jesus has done for you. Jesus is the one who has done the work. It is Jesus whom we are proclaiming.

A good, strong testimony will lift up what Christ has accomplished. The fact of the matter is that all of us were sinners hopelessly separated from God, traveling in the same boat on our way to hell; and the same gospel came and transformed us. That is the testimony we all have.

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Helps Our Unbelief

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“Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” (Mark 9:23-24)

The crowds that had gathered around Jesus were shocked and probably a little frightened. A man had brought his demon-possessed son to Jesus. As soon as the boy met Jesus, he fell to the ground, rolling and foaming at the mouth.

Jesus asked the father how long this problem had been going on. The father replied that the boy had had the demon since he was a child. Sometimes the demon threw the boy into fire or water as though trying to destroy him. If you can do anything, please have compassion on us, and help us, the father pleaded.

Jesus’ eyes saw right into the man’s heart as He said, All things are possible to him who believes.

The father knew that he had unbelief in his heart. He said to Jesus very honestly, Lord, I believe; help me overcome my unbelief.

Jesus rebuked the demon and told it to come out of the boy – and with an awful cry, it did! For a moment, everyone thought the boy was dead. Then Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up. He was healed – free from the horrible demon that had tortured him all his life.

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – God Helps Our Unbelief →

BreakPoint

BreakPoint – How to Live as a Counter-Cultural Christian in a Fallen World

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In the opening scene of the 2001 film adaptation of “The Fellowship of the Ring,” Cate Blanchett’s Galadriel whispers hauntingly, “The world has changed. I can feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the air. Much that once was is lost; for none now live who remember it.”

Western Christians in 2016 can relate. Something has shifted. The world we inhabit seems to have become disenchanted, and so many of those around us have entered a state in some ways worse than atheism—a state of indifference toward God and the supernatural.

All of this has made evangelism and discipleship a lot more challenging. As sociologist Peter Berger wrote, we live in “a world without windows.” And for the inhabitants of windowless late modernity, questions about sin, salvation and ultimate meaning just don’t matter that much.

So, how did we get here? And more importantly, what does being a Christian look like in this context? Os Guinness, who needs no introduction, says the only right response today is to become what he calls “Impossible People.” That’s the name of his latest book, appropriately subtitled, “Christian Courage, and the Struggle for the Soul of Civilization.” Folks, this book is a manifesto for our moment—a guide on how to live counter-culturally in what Os describes as our “cut-flower civilization.”

But what about the bizarre term “impossible people”? Where does that come from? Well, it was originally applied to eleventh-century Benedictine reformer, Peter Damian. Among other things, this “impossible man” spoke out against the practice of selling church positions for money as well as against widespread sexual sin among the clergy. His commitment to Jesus alone was so fierce that he won a reputation for being, as Os puts it, “unmanipulable, unbribable, and undeterrable.”

Continue reading BreakPoint – How to Live as a Counter-Cultural Christian in a Fallen World →