Daily Archives: September 15, 2016

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Advantages of Accountability

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Hebrews 10:24

Far too often, people fall into a trap by ignoring wise boundaries of personal freedom. Then good situations can turn into bondage. But a godly accountability partner can help you enjoy privilege without abusing it. The benefits are plentiful:

Clearer direction. Honesty about faults and failures will open you to receive right counsel and encouragement. This process will increase your potential to do and become all that God has in mind for you.

Increased integrity. If you have to give an account to somebody, you’re more likely to live transparently.

Better stewardship. Accounting for the way you use your money, time, or talent makes you careful not to waste those resources.

Protection against excess. As believers, we’re free in Christ, but an accountability partner helps us to stay balanced and refrain from taking liberties.

Healthy self-examination. Another person can often point out what we cannot see in ourselves. When we allow someone to be an accurate mirror of our faults, we’re in a better position to make improvements.

Safeguard against unwise relationships. If you have to give an account of where you go and which people you spend time with, you’ll be more likely to avoid problematic places and relationships.

Unbridled freedom may seem like a great blessing, but it can be a recipe for disaster. Do you give account to anybody for the way you handle money, time, and relationships? If not, consider inviting a trustworthy Christian to fill that role. Taking this step reveals a heart that longs to please God.

Bible in One Year: Daniel 7-9

 

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Helping Each Other

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Read: 2 Corinthians 1:3-7

Bible in a Year: Proverbs 22-24; 2 Corinthians 8

[God] comforts us . . . so that we can comfort those in any trouble.—2 Corinthians 1:4

“The body of Christ” is a mysterious phrase used more than 30 times in the New Testament. The apostle Paul especially settled on that phrase as an image of the church. After Jesus ascended to heaven, He turned over His mission to flawed and bumbling men and women. He assumed the role of head of the church, leaving the tasks of arms, legs, ears, eyes, and voice to the erratic disciples—and to you and me.

Jesus’s decision to operate as the invisible head of a large body with many parts means that He often relies on us to help one another cope during times of suffering. The apostle Paul must have had something like that in mind when he wrote these words: “[God] comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ” (2 Cor. 1:4-5). And all through his ministry Paul put that principle into practice, taking up collections for famine victims, dispatching assistants to go to troubled areas, acknowledging believers’ gifts as gifts from God Himself.

The phrase “the body of Christ” expresses well what we are called to do: to represent in flesh what Christ is like, especially to those in need. —Philip Yancey

Dear Lord, thank You for always being faithful to comfort me when I’m hurting. Show me who needs my encouragement today.

God’s presence brings us comfort; our presence brings others comfort.

INSIGHT: We receive God’s comfort for our sake but also to extend God’s comfort to those around us. The word paraklesis, translated as comfort, appears twenty-nine times in the New Testament. The word has a range of meaning that encompasses comfort, consolation, and earnest request and is most often translated encouragement. And of the eight times paraklesis is translated comfort, seven appear in this passage. Paul paints a picture of the God who is concerned: The God who, out of His compassion, is acting to provide consolation for His people. The text says not simply that God is a dispenser of comfort but that He is the source of all comfort.

 

http://www.odb.org

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – The Last Enemy

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In spite of the proverbial certainty of death and taxes, the human psyche has always dreamed of discovering loopholes in whatever mechanisms fix the limits. Yet though it might be possible to cheat on one’s taxes, “cheating death” remains a phrase of wishful-thinking applied to incidences of short-lived victories against our own mortality. Eventually, death honors its ignominious appointment with all of us, calling the bluff of the temptation to believe that we are the masters of our own destiny. But despite the universal, empirical verification of its indiscriminate efficiency, we continue to be constantly surprised whenever death strikes. Only a painfully troubled life can be so thoroughly desensitized against its ugliness as to not experience the throbbing agony of the void it creates within us whenever the earthly journey of a loved one comes to an end.

Such a peculiar reaction to an otherwise commonplace occurrence points strongly to the fact that this world is not our home. As Ecclesiastes 3:11 explains, God has put eternity in our hearts, and therefore the mysterious notion that we are not meant to die is no mere pipe dream: it sounds a clarion call to the eternal destiny of our souls. If the biblical record is accurate, there is no shame or arrogance in pitching our hopes for the future as high as our imaginations will allow. Actually, the danger is that our expectations may be too low, for “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). Far from being the accidental byproducts of a mindless collocation of atoms, we are indestructible beings whose spiritual radars, amidst much static noise, are attuned to our hearts’ true home.

Trouble begins, however, when we try to squeeze that eternal existence into our earthly lives in a manner that altogether denies our finite natures. We do so whenever we desensitize ourselves against the finality of death through repeated exposure to stage-managed destruction of human life through the media. Or we zealously seek ultimate fulfillment in such traitorous idols as pleasure, material wealth, professional success, power, and other means, without taking into account the fleeting nature of human existence. Or we broach the subject of death only when we have to, and even then we feel the need to couch it in palatable euphemisms. With some of our leading intellectuals assuring us that we have pulled ourselves up by our own bootstraps and we therefore have no need for God, the only thing missing from our lives seems to be the tune of “Forever Young” playing in the cosmic background. A visitor from outer space would probably conclude that only the very unlucky ones die, while the rest of us are guaranteed endless thrill-rides through space aboard this green planet.

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – The Last Enemy →

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Bearing Burdens

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“Bear one another’s burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).

Those who walk by the Spirit will lovingly bear one another’s burdens.

The Lord Jesus presents love for God and love for our neighbor as the great summary of the entire Law (Matt. 22:37-40).

It only makes sense, then, that love will characterize the life of any Christian who is walking by the Spirit. Love will also be an integral part of any Spirit-assisted ministry to others. Paul tells us in today’s verse that when we help other believers hold up their particular burdens, we are obeying “the law of Christ” or the law of love, which James calls “the royal law” (James 2:8).

But what exactly does Galatians 6:2 mean when it commands us to “bear one another’s burdens”? Commentator William Hendriksen gives us this general but helpful observation: “This does not merely mean ‘Tolerate each other,’ or ‘Put up with each other.’ It means: ‘Jointly shoulder each member’s burdens.’”

The actual word burden calls to mind a variety of possible sins, difficulties, and responsibilities; but Paul was using the Greek term that refers to an extremely heavy and unbearable load. It’s a load that one person alone can’t carry, which underscores again that Christians need each other. The Holy Spirit wants each member of the church involved in a ministry of mutual support.

Continue reading John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Bearing Burdens →

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Well-Balanced Faith 

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You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart…O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. Psalm 51:6, 15

Have you ever noticed how we are tempted towards extremes in life? We so often say “either/or” rather than “both/and.” We do this with food, entertainment, and social interactions, often struggling to find that elusive balance of discipline and indulgence, activity and pleasure, personal time and interaction with others. In our spiritual lives, the same temptation exists.

One of the greatest imbalances I see in the Christian life is the inability to maintain a vibrant personal faith and an intentional life of active praise and service. These are both faithful expressions of our Christian faith and are never meant to be an “either/or” choice. In fact, they are closely linked!

When we submit our lives, our wills, and our desires to the Lord, we open ourselves up to the Spirit’s internal renovation. He teaches us the way of wisdom within our innermost being, making us capable of knowing and loving him. This is why it is so important to find a regular rhythm of prayer and personal devotion. In these moments we encounter God’s love, forgiveness, and healing grace.

However, as we encounter God in the secret place, this renewal and renovation is only a part of the story. Our personal faith always has a public expression. As the psalmist says, the Lord opens our lips and renews our hearts so that we can declare his praises! This is the “both/and” of our faith. God wants to heal and renew your heart, but he also wants you to actively share his love and tell others of his goodness and faithfulness.

Personal faith without public praise is self-fulfilling, inverted, and anemic. Public praise without the renewing work of the Spirit is a form of moral striving and will always lead to exhaustion and burn out.

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – Well-Balanced Faith  →

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Make Wise Choices

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I have set before you life and death, the blessings and the curses; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live.- Deuteronomy 30:19

Today’s Goal: Choose Wisely

All of our choices are important and they either have a positive or a negative impact on our life. Are we putting our time into what will help us be the person we truly want to be? Or will we end up someday disappointed and bitter because “life” didn’t turn out the way we hoped it would?

Life doesn’t just turn out to be one way or another without any input from us. Although we certainly cannot control all of our circumstances and the things that happen to us, we can control a lot of them by making a commitment to know God’s will for us and then make decisions accordingly.

The world is filled with people who are resentful and angry because their life isn’t what they want it to be, but if we could closely examine the choices they have made during the course of their life, we would usually find that their poor choices are behind their dissatisfaction. The problem is that unless they realize that, take responsibility for it and make positive changes, they are stuck in a situation that will not change.

I wasted several years of my life being angry, resentful, discouraged and depressed, but thankfully I finally decided to do something good with the time I had left. If you want to start today using the time you have left on this earth, then it begins with a decision to seize the day every day and be an individual who lives life “on-purpose, for a purpose.”

God has given us free choice and His wisdom is available to help us make choices that will produce a life we can be proud of and enjoy.

Pray: Lord, I ask for Your grace and wisdom to make good choices for my life and be an “on-purpose” person. Help me not to focus on the mistakes of the past, but take responsibility and concentrate on the great future You have in store for me. Amen.

From the book Seize the Day by Joyce Meyer.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Girlfriends in God

Girlfriends in God – Which One Are You?

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Today’s Truth

Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

Matthew 7:24

Friend to Friend

The words of Jesus pack a punch. His is a powerful and vibrant dialog that brings both tradition and the Law into a new and living light.

On a hillside, long ago, Jesus engaged individuals toward choosing God’s best on a heart level, not just a do-this-to-make-God-happy, knowledge and rules level. Recorded in the book of Matthew, Jesus gave the crowd, and us, some incredible insights to the way His followers should live. We call this the Sermon on the Mount. (Matthew 5-7)

Remember that collection of Jesus teachings? Here’s a rapid review:

He taught the “beatitudes” (Matthew 5:2-12), and told His followers to be “salt and light” (Matthew 5:13-16).

He said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them,” and warned the people that unless their righteousness exceeded that of the scribes and Pharisees, they/we would never enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:17-20)

He taught on anger, lust, divorce, and oaths… very prickly subjects! And on retaliation, loving our enemies, and giving to the needy. (Check please!) (Matthew 5:27-6:4)

Jesus taught us how to pray (Matthew 6:5-15), gave instructions on fasting, and told us that we are to love and serve God above all earthly treasures. (Matthew 6:16-24)

He told us not to worry, (wait, what!?) and directed us to seek God and His righteousness first in everything because He KNOWS OUR NEEDS and takes care of His own. (Matthew 6:25-34)

Continue reading Girlfriends in God – Which One Are You? →

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – A New Quality of Life

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“When the Holy Spirit, who is truth, comes, He shall guide you into all truth, for He will not be presenting His own ideas, but will be passing on to you what He has heard. He will tell you about the future. He shall praise Me and bring Me great honor by showing you My glory. All the Father’s glory is Mine: this is what I mean when I say that He will show you My glory” (John 16:13-15).

Steve asked me the question, “What is my number 1 priority as a Christian? I want to be a man of God, so I need counsel as to what I am to do first.” This is a good question for every Christian to ask.

The answer is simply: to glorify God. Jesus tells us how we can best do this in John 15:8, “By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples” (NASB). Or, as the Living Bible states it, “My true disciples produce bountiful harvests. This brings great glory to My Father.”

The Holy Spirit has come to be a witness to our Lord Jesus. When the Spirit controls our lives, we too will be witnesses for Him.

Witnessing for Christ with our lips is not only a natural result of being filled and controlled by the Holy Spirit, but also is a necessary act of obedience if we are to continue to experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

That which is most on our hearts is most on our lips, so if we truly love Christ, we will want to share Him with others. But God does not want or need the witness of individuals whose carnal lives fail to give credibility to their testimonies.

The greatest experience that has ever happened to any believer is to know Jesus Christ personally as Savior and Lord, to be forgiven of his sins and to have assurance of eternal life.

Therefore, the most important thing we can do to help another person is to introduce him to Christ. Only the Holy Spirit can empower us to live holy lives and be fruitful witnesses for Christ.

Bible Reading: John 14:16-26

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will ask the Holy Spirit to glorify God through the quality of my life and the witness of my words, as a demonstration of the supernatural life that I have received from God.

 

http://www.cru.org

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – A Kind of Tune

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Read: 1 Samuel 16:14-23

Whenever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played. (v. 23)

There are two puzzling words in this next line of Herbert’s poem. Why does he describe prayer as “a kind of tune”? And in what sense is it a tune “which all things hear and fear”?

Music comes to the fore again today, as yesterday (though here too we can readily apply his words to ourselves even if we have no particular musical gifts). George Herbert loved music, could play two or three instruments, and often walked in to Salisbury to hear sung services in the cathedral. As to the effects music can have, he may well have known the song in Shakespeare’s Henry VIII (a stage hit in Herbert’s young days) that describes Orpheus, the lute player of classical legend, moving even the trees and hills and waves to attend to his music, which had the power to make “killing care and grief of heart / Fall asleep, or hearing, die.”

The Bible’s counterpart is the musicianship of the young David, who first came to public notice when his playing was able to soothe the tormented King Saul. What “heard and feared” David’s music, and was overcome by it, was the evil spirit that was causing Saul’s suffering. Prayer is the equivalent gift that God gives to us, to bring the same divine power to bear on our own fraught situations, “a kind of tune” that sends the enemy packing.

 

Here is the poem in its entirety:

Continue reading Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – A Kind of Tune →

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – The Business of Heaven

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And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. —Revelation 22:3

What are we going to be doing in heaven?

For starters, we will be worshipping. In Revelation 5, we are given a glimpse of heaven and we see that it’s a place of worship. Our pain will be gone, our tears will be dried, our questions will be answered, and as a result, we will offer unbridled worship to the Lord.

Some might say, “I don’t know. It sounds like heaven is going to be a really long church service. I like church services, but is that all we are going to do?” Believe me, this worship is going to be different than any you have ever experienced on earth—but no, worship is not the only business of heaven. We also are going to be serving the Lord. Revelation 22:3 says, “His servants shall serve Him.”

I am glad of that because I can only rest for so long. Some people’s dream is just to retire and disconnect and play golf for the rest of their life. Or eat and sleep. Or fish, or surf, or whatever it is they like to do. That is all fine for a while. I don’t play golf, I surf just a little bit, and I eat a lot. (By the way, we eat in heaven, and that is good news.) Rest and recreation are great things. But it’s good to know that we will be able to serve the Lord as well.

Think about what the word recreation means. Recreation is to re-create. When I take a little time off, I get recharged. Then I want to get back to what I am passionate about: getting closer to God and bringing other people to Him.

I think the rest and recreation we experience in heaven will motivate us to worship and serve the Lord all the more.

 

https://www.harvest.org/

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Is Love

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“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” (1 John 4:7-8)

Have you seen people wearing T-shirts with the logos and mascots of their favorite sports teams? We say they are “showing spirit” for their team, but what does that kind of “spirit” mean? It means they are enthusiastic about that team – they really, really like that team. That’s how we show other people what we love – we “wear signs,” in a way. You might see coffee-lovers walking around with travel mugs full of coffee. You might see horse-lovers walking around with cowboy hats. You might see a soccer-lover with a soccerball at all times, practicing his dribbling whenever he gets a free moment. The things we carry or wear, say or do, are signs that show people what things are important to us.

A T-shirt or a cowboy hat can be a mark of enthusiasm for a certain team or lifestyle. A coffee mug can be a clue that the person carrying it loves to have coffee along at all times. You can tell a man and woman are married to each other because they wear wedding rings as a sign of their love and loyalty to one another. A ring “marks” someone as married. A ring is a mark of love for a husband or for a wife.

Do you know what God is marked by? One thing God is marked by is His love. He is known for it. Everything He does and says shows His love. God IS love!

Did you know that love should be a mark of anyone who believes in God? That’s true. 1 John 4:7-8 shows us truth about God, and the truth is that love comes from God, and that love should be a sign of someone who knows God. If you love God and know God, then your love for others should be a sign to people that you love God and know God.

Do you ever see someone walking around “wearing” or “carrying” love for God and other people? If so, God is the Source of that kind of love. Think of all the things God has done to show His love for you. Hatefulness and lying and gossip and arguing and pride are not from God, and He is not marked by those things. He is marked by His love. He IS love! And we should be marked by love, too, if we truly know Him. Our love for God and others should be a sign to people that we love Him and know Him.

God is love, and those who know Him should be marked by love.

My Response:

» What loving things has God done for me and in my life?

» When people watch me, can they guess some of the things that are important to me?

» What needs to change in my heart so I can be marked as someone who knows and loves God?

 

http://kids4truth.com/home.aspx

The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – Christ’s Power, Not Ours

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Today’s Scripture: 2 Peter 1:3

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness.”

We are not to wage this warfare against sin in the strength of our own willpower. Instead, just as we by faith look to Christ for our righteous standing before God, so by faith we’re to look to him for the enabling power to live the Christian life. This power comes as a result of our vital or living union with him. Jesus referred to this union in John 15:1-5 when he called himself the vine and us the branches. Just as the branches derive their life and nourishment from the vine, so we are to receive our spiritual life and power from him.

All believers are spiritually united to Christ in such a way that our spiritual life comes from him. We’re not completely passive, however, in this relationship. Rather, we’re to abide or remain in him by faith. We’re to actively rely on Christ for the enabling power we need to wage war against the sin that remains in us, to put on the positive virtues of Christ-like character (called “the fruit of the Spirit” in Galatians 5:22-23), and to serve Christ effectively in all that he calls us to do.

The apostle Paul had in mind our union with Christ and the power that comes from him in such Scriptures as Philippians 4:13, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (NIV), and Colossians 1:29, “To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me” (NIV). Paul waged war against indwelling sin, and he worked hard in ministry, but he did both in dependence on Christ and the power that comes through a living union with him.

 

https://www.navigators.org/Home

The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – Christ’s Power, Not Ours

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Today’s Scripture: 2 Peter 1:3

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness.”

We are not to wage this warfare against sin in the strength of our own willpower. Instead, just as we by faith look to Christ for our righteous standing before God, so by faith we’re to look to him for the enabling power to live the Christian life. This power comes as a result of our vital or living union with him. Jesus referred to this union in John 15:1-5 when he called himself the vine and us the branches. Just as the branches derive their life and nourishment from the vine, so we are to receive our spiritual life and power from him.

All believers are spiritually united to Christ in such a way that our spiritual life comes from him. We’re not completely passive, however, in this relationship. Rather, we’re to abide or remain in him by faith. We’re to actively rely on Christ for the enabling power we need to wage war against the sin that remains in us, to put on the positive virtues of Christ-like character (called “the fruit of the Spirit” in Galatians 5:22-23), and to serve Christ effectively in all that he calls us to do.

The apostle Paul had in mind our union with Christ and the power that comes from him in such Scriptures as Philippians 4:13, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (NIV), and Colossians 1:29, “To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me” (NIV). Paul waged war against indwelling sin, and he worked hard in ministry, but he did both in dependence on Christ and the power that comes through a living union with him.

 

https://www.navigators.org/Home

BreakPoint

BreakPoint – Ignoring Child Abuse in Afghanistan: We Sent Our Troops to Fight for This?

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Last autumn, Marine Corps Major Jason C. Brezler got into trouble for sending classified email via an unclassified email server. But the principle source of his trouble had nothing to do with email servers or even classified documents—it was the subject of those emails: child sexual abuse by our so-called “allies” in Afghanistan.

A year ago, I told you about a disturbing story in the New York Times whose headline read, “U.S. Soldiers Told to Ignore Sexual Abuse of Boys by Afghan Allies.” BreakPoint listeners learned about the ancient Central Asian phenomenon known as “bacha bazi,” which means “boy play.” The form of sexual abuse was the subject of the 2010 PBS documentary, “The Dancing Boys of Afghanistan.”

As I noted, “since the early 20th century there have been several attempts to outlaw the practice, but with one notable exception, these have met with limited success. The exception was the Islamist Taliban, which made the practice punishable by death. Their success in eradicating the practice was part of the reason that ordinary Afghans supported, at least initially, the Taliban’s coming to power.”

The ouster of the Taliban meant open season on young boys, which is horrendous enough. But making matters even worse, the United States, as the Times reported, is turning a blind eye to this abuse out of fear of offending our “allies.”

Which brings me back to Major Brezler. According to the Washington Post, Brezler was “asked by Marine colleagues to submit all the information he had about an influential Afghan police chief suspected of abusing children.”

Unfortunately, he sent the email via an unclassified server, an infraction which he self-reported. Despite his coming clean, the Marine Corps recommended that he be discharged. The Department of the Navy agreed with this recommendation.

But it’s why they upheld the recommendation that should trouble us. According to the Washington Post, “Navy officials also assessed that holding new hearings on the case would renew attention on the scandal surrounding child sex abuse in Afghanistan.”

The document setting forth the decision, known as a “legal review,” concluded that “calling for a new administrative review, known as a Board of Inquiry, would delay actions in the case another six to nine months and possibly increase attention on the case, ‘especially in the aftermath of significant media attention to the allegations regarding the practice of keeping personal sex slaves in Afghanistan.’”

Continue reading BreakPoint – Ignoring Child Abuse in Afghanistan: We Sent Our Troops to Fight for This? →

Moody Global Ministries

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – A BRAVE QUEEN

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Read ESTHER 4:9–17

In 1982, Angela Cavallo was watching her son Tony while he worked on his 1964 Chevy Impala. Suddenly, the car came off the jacks and collapsed on top of him. In an unbelievable act of strength and courage, Angela lifted the car up four inches while neighbors pulled her son to safety. She credits her unexpected surge of strength to prayer.

Today’s passage describes an act of courage that could be fueled only by prayer. When Esther heard Mordecai’s request, she was troubled. She sent back word, explaining the penalty that might come to her if she bothered the king with an unwanted request (v. 11). She was required to wait until being summoned by the king. It was highly unusual, even forbidden, that she—or anyone else for that matter—should enter the king’s presence unbidden.

While Esther had been the king’s favorite, there was no guarantee that he would extend the golden scepter to her and spare her life. Mordecai reminded Esther that, whether she went to the king or not, she would be at risk. As a Jewish woman, she too would be killed. Then Mordecai reminded her of the miraculous circumstances of her life, challenging her to answer: “Who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (v. 14).

Esther took seriously the gravity of the situation. A woman of faith, she asked that the Jews in Susa fast for her. For three nights and three days, Esther, her attendants, and the Jews in Susa would fast. Then, she would enter the king’s presence and make her risky request.

Esther’s final words reveal the status of her heart: “And if I perish, I perish” (v. 16). She would pray, take action, and trust the consequences to God.

APPLY THE WORD

Today’s passage is a portrait of courage, and it also highlights the importance of prayer. Before taking action, Esther and the community spent time in prayer and fasting. Before our bold moves should come our bold prayers (see Heb. 4:16). What do you need to bring before God in prayer today? Pray for the requests on your heart.

 

http://www.todayintheword.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – POPE REBUKES PASTORS WHO ‘BECOME PRINCES’

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“Jesus was not a prince,” Pope Francis stated yesterday during his General Audience. “It is awful for the church when pastors become princes, far from the people, far from the poorest people. That is not the spirit of Jesus.”

According to the pope, true followers of Jesus take up his yoke to receive and welcome the revelation of God’s mercy, bringing salvation to the poor and the oppressed. He called us to learn from Jesus “what it means to live in mercy in order to be instruments of mercy.”

The fact that the pope’s call for servant leaders is resounding in today’s news says as much about the culture as it does about the church. Clearly, Christian leaders need to be reminded regularly that we serve Jesus when we serve those in need (Matthew 25:40). Our Lord came “not to be served but to serve” (Matthew 20:28) and called us to imitate his sacrifice in loving and serving others (John 13:15).

At the same time, the pope’s call resonates today in large part because our culture is so skeptical of leadership. We have watched politicians resign from office after admitting moral failures, business leaders go to prison for corruption, and athletes face suspensions for using banned drugs. Such failures are so common that they no longer surprise us. Leaders who choose to serve with humility and public integrity seem the exception more than the rule.

But authoritarian leaders are not true leaders.

  1. Oswald Sanders, in his now-classic Spiritual Leadership, claims that “true greatness, true leadership, is found in giving yourself in service to others, not in coaxing or inducing others to serve you.” Max De Pree, the former CEO of Herman Miller and author of bestselling leadership literature, defines leadership this way: “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between the two, the leader must become a servant and a debtor. That sums up the progress of an artful leader.”

Serving others is not only the best way to lead, it is also the best way to serve ourselves. Pete Wilson made headlines this week when the popular megachurch pastor resigned from his position, citing burnout and stress. As he noted, “Leaders who lead on empty don’t lead well. For some time, I’ve been leading on empty.” Christianity Today is reporting on the thousands of pastors like Rev. Wilson who will leave the ministry this year, burned out and hurting.

One of the reasons for this epidemic is that many pastors have shifted from serving people to running organizations. They lose their connection with the souls they serve and wonder why their hearts are hurting. But God feeds us when we feed each other. He gives us what we will give away.

George MacDonald encouraged us to “trust God to weave your thread into the great web, though the pattern shows it not yet.” Choose to serve those you influence today and know that your Father is using your love to impact more lives than you can know.

One of the souls you bless will be your own.

 

http://www.denisonforum.org/