Monthly Archives: September 2016

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – The Church Will Prevail

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“You are Peter, a stone; and upon this rock I will build my church: and all the powers of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).

You and I can truly rejoice: no matter how weak and ineffective our church may seem to be at times, the fact remains that “all powers of hell shall not prevail against it.” Remarkably fulfilled to this date, this promise has the Word of God Himself to back it up.

Sometimes, we see the human frailties of one another in the church – which will always be there – and we forget for the moment the great strengths that are present: the Word of God; fellow believers who are fully committed to the Lord; genuine worship of our heavenly Father.

Primarily, we have the promise that the church is God’s instrument for worship and instruction of His children. It is a rallying place for believers; a powerhouse of prayer; a training school for sharing our faith.

A parallel to this promise has to do with the Word of God. Men have tried to destroy it down through the ages, but it remains the all-time best seller and so shall it ever be. Men have tried to count the church down and out many times, never with any degree of success whatsoever. And so shall that ever be, as well.

Rejoice: all the plots, stratagems and machinations of the enemy of the church shall never be able to overcome it. You and I, meanwhile, can do our part to help make the church all that God intends for it to be.

Bible Reading: Hebrews 12:21-24

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will praise God for His protecting hand over the church and do all in my power, the Holy Spirit enabling, to keep it strong and triumphant – the center of spiritual revolution.

 

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Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – A New Master

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Read: Romans 6:8-14

For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. Romans 6:14

Why does Paul bring in the Law? He brings in the Law because he is dealing with one of the most basic problems of the Christian struggle, the thing that often depresses and discourages us more than anything else — the sense of condemnation we feel when we sin. The Law produces condemnation. The Law says that unless you live up to this standard, God will not have anything to do with you. We have been so engrained with this that when we sin, even as believers, we think God is angry and upset with us and he doesn’t care about us. We think that way about ourselves, and we become discouraged and defeated and depressed. We want to give up.

But Paul says that is not true. Believers are not under Law, and God does not respond that way toward us. We are under grace. God understands our struggle. He is not upset by it; he is not angry with us. He understands our failure. He knows that there will be a struggle and there will be failures. He also knows that he has made full provision in Christ for us to recover immediately, to pick ourself up, and go right on climbing up the mountain. Therefore, as his beloved child, you and I don’t need to be discouraged, and we won’t be.

Sin will not be your master because you are not under law and condemnation, but under grace. And even though you struggle, if, every time you fail, you come back to God and ask his forgiveness, and accept it from him, and remember how he loves you, and that he is not angry or upset with you, and go on from there, you will win.

Continue reading Ray Stedman – A New Master →

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Peace

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Read: Philippians 4:4-7

In everything . . . prayer . . . and the peace of God. (vv. 6-7)

After the curious link between prayer and “softness” comes a metaphor that is much less puzzling, but will even so repay our close attention: that is, prayer as peace.

We need to focus on the word “everything” in verse 6 of our reading. My friend Joe has complicated problems, and when he and I are focusing on a particular one, the others have to wait their turn. Do they at that point begin to spin out of control?

Of course not. Life may be a jigsaw puzzle with a multitude of pieces, but God knows exactly where every bit of the puzzle is, and how each is designed to fit in with the rest; in what order, and at what speed, and with what purpose, all are eventually to be pieced together. He already has the whole picture in mind, involving many other people besides Joe and me. Because “The Lord is King,” says Josiah Conder’s hymn, “alike pervaded by his eye / All parts of his dominion lie.” When we are told to combine “supplication with thanksgiving” in our prayers, those two terms mean more than simply looking ahead to ask and looking back to thank; the thanking as well as the asking has in view what God is doing in the present and will be doing in the future, because we can with a peaceful heart know that every last detail will turn out to be part of the pattern.

Here is the poem in its entirety:

Continue reading Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Peace →

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Why do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

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People are born for trouble as predictably as sparks fly upward from a fire.—Job 5:7

There are times I just don’t know why God does or does not do certain things. I, like you, am mystified by a lot of it.

Listen, being a Christian does not mean you will not suffer. We may ask the question “Why me?” but we could more easily ask “Why not me?” 1 Peter 4:12 warns us, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you” (ESV). Our trials and sufferings should not be seen as strange, but should be expected.

Jesus Himself assured us that there will be suffering in our lives. “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 NKJV).

Here is what we need to know: suffering will come. It’s not a matter of if but when and how much. We need to prepare for it.

If, as you are reading this, you are not experiencing any suffering or tragedy, I would say, “Rejoice, and enjoy it!” But know that hardship will come.

Here is the bottom line. You are either coming out of a storm or headed into another. “People are born for trouble as predictably as sparks fly upward from a fire” (Job 5:7 NLT). It’s just a matter of time. In this life, the only way to avoid suffering is to die. So, like the diligent squirrel gathering nuts for winter, store these truths in your heart.

In his book If God Is Good, Why?, Randy Alcorn says, “Most of us don’t give focused thought to evil and suffering until we experience them. This forces us to formulate perspective on the fly, at a time when our thinking is muddled and we’re exhausted and consumed by pressing issues. People who have ‘been there’ will attest that it’s far better to think through suffering in advance.”

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Is Glorified When His Disciples Bear Fruit

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“Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.” (John 15:8)

Jody brushed the clods of dirt off her hands and tapped her trowel on the edge of the garden path. That does it! she thought. I’ve done my part. Now it’s up to this garden to hold up its end of the bargain! As she walked toward the house, Jody wondered at how she kept seeing rows and rows of weeds in her mind every time she closed her eyes. It felt like she had been weeding and planting for a thousand days! But it would be worth it, she knew – like when the squash and tomatoes were ripe and ready to eat! She could almost taste them now!

How do you think Jody would feel if she came to her garden at harvest-time, after all that work she put into it, only to see that none of her crops came in? What if none of her tomato plants decided to yield one tomato? What if her squash vines decided to bear a pumpkin or a carrot, but no squash? What if the ears of corn never grew kernels? That would be weird, for one thing! Who ever heard of a squash vine that gave a pumpkin, or of corn-ears that never grew kernels? A harvest like that would be very weird indeed.

That would be a strange harvest, yes, but worse – a harvest like that would also be so disappointing! Think of all the work Jody poured into her garden! How do you think it would feel to not get any fruit, not even after so much hard work?

Discipleship is hard work, too. The whole growing process for a Christian is a hard thing. But did you know that God is glorified when His people bear fruit? The Bible teaches about the kinds of things we should see growing in our hearts – love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, kindness – all sorts of amazing characteristics. They should be a part of every believer’s life, and every believer should be growing in this kind of “fruit” every day.

Do you know why God is so glorified when we bear fruit? Because ultimately, He is the One Who deserves the credit for our growth. God expects us to become more and more like His Son, but He also works in our hearts to change us so that we can! He gives us the desire to grow. He enables and strengthens and gives grace to help us. And His power is greater than any human power. Only God can bring spiritually-dead people to life and grow them into spiritual fruit-bearers.

God gets all the glory when His disciples bear spiritual fruit.

My Response:

» What kind of “fruit” is my life bearing right now?

» Do I desire to glorify God?

» How can I glorify God?

 

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – Progressive Sanctification

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Today’s Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:1

“As you received from us how you ought to live, and to please God, . . . do so more and more.”

Warring against the sin that remains in us and putting on Christ-like character is usually called sanctification. But because the term definitive sanctification is used to describe the point-in-time decisive deliverance from sin’s dominion, it’s helpful to speak of Christian growth as progressive sanctification. The word progressive indicates positive change. To use the tug-of-war analogy, it assumes that though the rope may move back and forth, over time it moves in the right direction until finally at the end of our lives we win the tug-of-war against sin.

There’s no doubt this rope must move in the right direction. The New Testament writers assume our growth and continually urge us to pursue it. We’re to pursue holiness “more and more,” and to love each other “more and more” (1 Thessalonians 4:1,9-10). We’re to possess the qualities of Christian character “in increasing measure” (2 Peter 1:8, NIV). However, we can always expect resistance. To stay with the tug-of-war analogy, although the Spirit who dwells within us is stronger than the sinful nature, that nature continues to “dig in its heels” every step of the way. And sometimes it will pull the rope in the wrong direction.

What is it then that will keep us going in the face of this internal conflict? The answer is the Gospel. What will motivate us and keep us going—even in the midst of the tension between the Spirit and the sinful nature—is the assurance in the Gospel that we have indeed died to the guilt of sin, that there’s no condemnation for us who are in Christ Jesus, that the Lord will never count our sins against us, and that we’re truly delivered from the reigning power of sin.

 

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – Building up the Church

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Today’s Scripture: 1 Corinthians 11-14

To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. – 1 Corinthians 1:2

I had a friend who decided to paint his car, but about halfway through he got busy with something else and didn’t finish the job. Month after month, there it stood, half green and half something else, looking terrible. A job half done.

Now, when you and I think of our involvement in the Great Commission, we need to think of finishing the job. And that involves two things–winning the lost and building up the saved. We want those who turn to Christ to become strong, robust, dedicated, mature disciples. We want to see them built up in the faith, so they can reach out to others with the gospel and begin to build up those new ones in the faith.

That is what Paul was pleading for in 1 Corinthians 14:12, where he told the Christians in Corinth to “try to excel in gifts that build up the church.” It is imperative that you and I know how to help people grow in their Christian lives. Why? Because if a person comes to Christ and does not go on to become a mature disciple, the job is half done.

One of the most helpful things anyone ever did for me as a new Christian was get me started in Scripture memory. It has become a lifetime habit of memorizing God’s Word. Over the years, I’ve started scores of other people in Scripture memory. You see, that’s how it works. You take the things others have used to build you up, and you use them to help others. That’s the only way to fulfill the Great Commission and keep it from being a job half done.

Prayer

Lord, show me how I can more effectively use my spiritual gifts to build up others in the faith. Amen.

To Ponder

Every Christian should be built up in the faith and equipped to minister to others. How far are you in the building process?

 

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Moody Global Ministries

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – HATRED REVEALED

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Read ESTHER 5:9–14

Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” Hate is a powerful and destructive emotion, but God’s love vanquishes man’s hatred.

Haman began the day “happy and in high spirits” (v. 5). He was unaware of Esther’s intention in selecting him for this special banquet. Instead, he bragged to his friends and family about his high position in the king’s court. His good mood at being selected for a banquet with the king and queen temporarily offset his hatred of Mordecai. But his rage was never far from his mind. Even his boasting about his position and wealth gave him “no satisfaction” (v. 13), as long as Mordecai was allowed to exist. Even though Haman knew Mordecai would be killed within the year, it was no longer enough. He craved immediate results. His hatred was boundless.

Haman’s wife and friends had a suggestion. He should set in motion a gruesome plan for Mordecai’s death. That way the execution would happen promptly, and Haman could enjoy his exclusive invitation. Haman was “delighted” by their suggestion (v. 14), and immediately put the plan in action.

Death by impalement was a particularly gruesome choice, intended to make a spectacle and example of the one being punished. Verse 14 describes the pole as being 50 cubits high, approximately 75 feet. Haman’s rage was clearly out of control.

God’s people have often been the targets of anger. In Isaiah, God assures that He alone will vindicate such rage. “All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced” (Isa. 41:11). Mordecai’s fate would not be determined by Haman. He was safe in the protection of the Almighty God.

APPLY THE WORD

Haman reminds us that when we allow our hatred to fester, it will lead us to monstrous places. Unfettered hate will drive out our ability to enjoy God’s good gifts. If you struggle with hatred or bitterness today, confess it before the Lord and ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with the fruit of the Spirit instead (see Gal. 5:22–23).

 

http://www.todayintheword.org

C.S. Lewis

C.S. Lewis Daily – Today’s Reading

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On Freedom (and predestination)

Heaven will solve our problems, but not, I think, by showing us subtle reconciliations between all our apparently contradictory notions. The notions will all be knocked from under our feet. We shall see that there never was any problem.

From A Grief Observed

Compiled in Words to Live By

 

Streams in the Desert

Streams in the Desert for Kids – I Know for Sure

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Hebrews 11:1

Mark was a young boy whose grandmother told him he could ask for one thing for his birthday from a catalogue. Mark spent the next few days pouring over the catalogue, looking at all the different things he could ask for. Should he ask for a new ski coat or new running shoes? Should he ask for a new book or a DVD? Should he ask for new swimming gear for the summer or a video game?

It took a long time, but Mark finally decided. He wrote a letter to his grandmother telling her that he wanted a brand new swim suit that he could use at her cottage on the lake that summer. He went to the mailbox to mail his letter, but instead of letting it go he held onto the end of it. He stood there for quite a while, thinking, Did I really ask for what I wanted most? Should I think some more about what to ask for? Maybe I want a red swim suit instead of the green one. Did my grandmother really mean it when she told me to ask for a present?

Finally, Mark pulled the letter out of the box and put it in his pocket and went home to worry about it some more. Guess what? He didn’t get a gift from his grandmother until he finally made up his mind to let the letter go. Then soon there was a package from her with his gift inside.

Having faith in God is something like that. If we trust God completely, we tell him what we need then we let it go. We go on about our business and see what he will do for us. That is what it means to be certain about what we do not see.

Dear Lord, I’m going to ask for something I really need. Then I’m going to let go and wait to see what you will do. Amen.

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Truth About Salvation

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Acts 16:31

Do you ever wonder if faith in Jesus is really the only way to be saved? Satan is a crafty liar who will twist God’s Word to cause confusion. In order to steer people away from following Christ, he tries to create the impression that eventually everyone will make it to heaven. But that is not what Scripture teaches.

The truth is, we can choose to reject the salvation that Jesus Christ freely offers. John’s gospel tells us, “God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:17-18).

The Word of God clearly states that whoever believes in Jesus will be saved (John 3:16). The Bible also stresses that we make this choice during our earthly life—there will be no further opportunities once we die.

So if you would like to be sure of your salvation, you can do so by inviting Jesus to be your personal Savior. God, who wants you to spend eternity with Him, offers compelling reasons to make this all-important decision: “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life” (John 3:36).

There are no more chances to place faith in the Savior after death. The free gift of salvation is available only in this life—and only through Jesus (John 14:6). Receive Him now, and you will never have to wonder what awaits you in eternity.

Bible in One Year: Daniel 10-12

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — A Pleasing Aroma

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Read: 2 Corinthians 2:12-17

Bible in a Year: Proverbs 25-26; 2 Corinthians 9

We are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ.—2 Corinthians 2:15

A perfumer who works in New York declares that she can recognize certain combinations of scents and guess the perfumer behind a fragrance. With just a sniff she can say, “This is Jenny’s work.”

When writing to the followers of Christ in the city of Corinth, Paul at one point used an example that would have reminded them of a victorious Roman army in a conquered city burning incense (2 Cor. 2:14). The general would come through first, followed by his troops and then the defeated army. For the Romans, the aroma of the incense meant victory; for the prisoners, it meant death.

Paul said we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ’s victory over sin. God has given us the fragrance of Christ Himself so we can become a sweet-smelling sacrifice of praise. But how can we live so we spread this pleasing fragrance to others? We can show generosity and love, and we can share the gospel with others so they can find the way to salvation. We can allow the Spirit to display through us His gifts of love, joy, and kindness (Gal. 5:22-23).

Do others observe us and say, “This is Jesus’s work”? Are we allowing Him to spread His fragrance through us and then telling others about Him? He is the Ultimate Perfumer—the most exquisite fragrance there will ever be. —Keila Ochoa

Do others recognize the work of God in my life? Am I spreading the fragrance of Christ? How?

A godly life is a fragrance that draws others to Christ.

INSIGHT: Among the ancient Roman military elite, the greatest honor afforded a general was after a military triumph. The general of the victorious army would parade through the streets of Rome as crowds shouted their praise. The aroma of the incense that burned on the altars in the pagan temples would waft over the city during this time of celebration. In today’s reading, Paul uses this picture to describe the triumph we have as believers in Jesus Christ: “But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere” (2 Cor. 2:14). Paul understood that we spread the aroma of the knowledge of Christ to others.

 

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Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Permission to Lament

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“Lamentation” is not a word that is heard very often. Words like sadness, regret, sorrow, and mourning are far more common. But I wonder if something is not lost in the dismissal of lament from our language and our lives.

The Christian hymn “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” is for me a song of lament. Because of certain associations, it is a song that immediately evokes a sense of grief, and yet it is the sort of mourning that is both held and expressed in worship. Whether the Christian story is one you embrace or not, the connection of these two ideas—worship and lamentation—may seem even more foreign than the word itself. Nonetheless, lamentation as worship was once a significant element in the Judeo/Christian vision and experience of the world.

Worship leader and songwriter Matt Redman was in the United States shortly after the attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center. Leading worship in several churches in the weeks following, he was immediately struck by the powerful sermons that were being preached, eloquently expressing the love of Father, Son, and Spirit to a shocked and vulnerable people. He was also struck by the distinct lack of songs he had on hand for worship in the midst of suffering. Where were the songwriters for such a time as this? Where were the poets and prophets to help the people of God find a voice in worship? Writes Redman, “As songwriters and lead worshipers, we had a few expressions of hope at our disposal; but when it came to expressions of pain and lament, we had very little vocabulary to give voice to our heart cries.”(1)

Certainly hope is a needed expression, a gift not afforded by every worldview, and lamentation in this sense is similar. But more so, lamentation is a vital aspect of a life in relation with God. Seventy percent of the psalmist’s words are words of lament! “Hear my prayer, O LORD,” the psalmist pleads. “Let my cry for help come to you. Do not hide your face from me when I am in distress. Turn your ear to me; when I call, answer me quickly. For my days vanish like smoke; my bones burn like glowing embers.” Sadly dissimilar to many public and private expressions of grief, as well as many worship services today, the writers of Scripture identify with the pain of the world and do not hold back in addressing it before a God they believe needs to hear it. For these voices, lament is not a relinquishing of faith, but a cry in worship to the one who weeps with them.

At a funeral once, a fellow mourner caught me with tears in my eyes and told me that neither God nor the one we mourned would want me to cry. Her intentions were good; she meant to encourage me with the powerful hope of the Christian story, which holds at its center a crucified and risen Lord. But I desperately needed permission to lament, permission to look up at the cross with the sorrow of Mary and the uncertainty of the centurion. I needed to be able to ask why with the force that was welling up in that moment of grief, even as I clung to hope in the Son, trust in the Father, and life in the Spirit who holds us.

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Permission to Lament →

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Being Filled with the Holy Spirit

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“Be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18).

God wants every aspect of the believer’s being to be under the complete control of the Holy Spirit.

Pleroo, the basic Greek word for “be filled,” offers three shades of meaning that illustrate what Paul’s command to be Spirit-filled means. First, the word describes the pressure of wind filling a ship’s sails and moving the vessel across the water. That parallels the Holy Spirit’s leading us down the pathway of spiritual obedience. We aren’t primarily motivated by our own plans and desires, but we allow the Spirit’s gracious pressure to move us in the right direction.

The well-known pain reliever Alka-Seltzer effectively illustrates the second meaning, permeation. If you drop two Alka-Seltzers into a glass of water, they immediately fizzle and soon transform themselves into clear bubbles throughout the water and permeate it with a distinct flavor. That’s how God wants the Holy Spirit to fill our lives, so that there will be no doubt in others’ minds that we possess the distinct and pervasive savor of the Spirit.

Pleroo’s third and primary shade of meaning is that of domination or total control. In Luke 6:11 the scribes and Pharisees “were filled with rage” when Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath. Jesus said, “Sorrow has filled your heart” (John 16:6) when He described the disciples’ reaction to the news that He was soon departing. In those two examples, pleroo denotes an emotion that thoroughly dominated the people’s thoughts and excluded everything else.

In regard to earthly concerns, such overwhelming feelings can be wasteful, foolish, and even harmful. But it is beneficial and completely in agreement with the Lord’s will when we yield every thought, feeling, and action to the absolute domination of the Holy Spirit. This yielding will occur in our Christian lives only when we obey another of Paul’s commands, “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you” (Col. 3:16). In practice, the Spirit-filled walk is a matter of knowing God’s Word and obeying it.

Continue reading John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Being Filled with the Holy Spirit →

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – A God Hug

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For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Revelation 7:14

A God hug is a timely gift. His hugs soothe, comfort and calm. He is never late in offering His affection or too busy to stand still and embrace His human creation. The Spirit gently caresses burdened shoulders and rubs out raw pain from the backs of believers. His compassion has never failed. His mercy is fresh every day. Like a cool cream alleviates an itchy rash, so His balm of grace relieves a rash of worries. A God hug holds on until healing occurs. He holds on tight.

The Lamb Jesus, serves as the Great Shepherd who will tenderly lead those who have suffered to springs of living water. Though He is the sovereign judge, and Lion of Judah—Jesus continues to  shepherd His sheep, whose hearts are heavy and hurting. Tears trickle into the hands of the One who holds the world in His hands and wipes away weeping with His gentle touch. Sheep who look to their compassionate Shepherd for care—will not despair—but be aware of His secure affection.

“For the Lord comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones” (Isaiah 49:13).

A God hug does not happen on the run, but when we stand still. ‘Slow down my child,’ He says, ‘Hush, I have this,’ ‘Be still, let Me hold you.’ ‘Rest in My arms.’ So we learn to stay stationary by faith and trust the right activities will get done in the right time. When we schedule appointments to be loved by the Lord, we receive strength for the journey. Otherwise we exhaust our ability to encourage without the infusion of Christ’s courage. His hugs hearten. The Lord comforts us, so we can comfort others.

Shout for joy in praise to your Creator for His comfort and compassion. Brag on His name and extol Him for His divine affection. Like the father of the prodigal son who returned home, your Father in Heaven can’t wait to embrace you in your shame, stress or success. He runs to greet you with warm acceptance, so throw yourself into His arms. Cast your cares on Christ and abandon your life to the Lord. Invite His affections to become your affections. Yes, enjoy His sweet embrace!

“I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow” (Jeremiah 31:13).

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I receive your love and affection. Thanks for your comforting hugs just when I need them.

Application: What hurt is in need of a hug from my compassionate heavenly Father? Who needs a reassuring hug of comfort from me?

Related Readings: Psalm 23:4; Jeremiah 8:18; Zechariah 10:2; 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

 

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Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – Be Strong and Do It!

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Be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear nor be dismayed.

1 Chronicles 28:20

Recommended Reading

1 Chronicles 28:20-21

Near the end of his life, evangelist George Whitefield grew weak but refused to give up. His prayer was: “Lord, I am weary in Thy work but not of Thy work. If I have not yet finished my course, let me go and speak for Thee once more in the fields….” Writing to a friend, Whitefield said, “O to stand fast in the faith…and be strong.”

That’s what we need too—the determination to stand strong till the end. Scripture repeatedly counsels us to take courage and be strong. We may become weary while serving the Lord, but we mustn’t grow weary of serving the Lord. We’re to follow the sample of David, who, in a time of crisis, “strengthened himself in the LORD his God” (1 Samuel 30:6).

Later, in 1 Chronicles 28:20, David advised Solomon to keep going in the strength of the Lord. The New International Version translates 1 Chronicles 28:20 like this: “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you.”

Be strong and courageous today, and He will strengthen your hands.

What! Get to heaven on your own strength? Why, you might as well try to climb to the moon on a rope of sand!

George Whitefield

Read-Thru-the-Bible

Hosea 10 – 14

 

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Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Changes: Oh, the Possibilities!

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My father became a Christian when he was 83 years old. There were many times throughout the years when I thought, “He will never change!” But I kept praying for him. And thank God, eventually, he did change—he experienced the greatest transformation of all.

My father became a Christian when he was 83 years old. There were many times throughout the years when I thought, “He will never change!” But I kept praying for him. And thank God, eventually, he did change—he experienced the greatest transformation of all.

To be transformed means you are changed entirely from the inside out. When we become born-again Christians, 2 Corinthians 5:17 (AMP) says we are “a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!”

The Holy Spirit comes to live in us, and He works in us—transforming our mind, will and emotions—so we become more like Jesus day by day. As we grow spiritually, the good work that’s happening inside us can be seen through the way we live, and we become testimonies of what God has done.

Sadly, many times people don’t believe they can be completely changed. And often they don’t believe other people can change. But the only thing that never changes is God (Hebrews 13:8). And He wants us to dare to believe that He “is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]” (Ephesians 3:20 AMP).

The question is what are you expecting God to do for you? Maybe you’re having a hard time believing that your kids can change, your marriage can improve or that you can ever lose weight, get a better job or get completely out of debt.

But Jeremiah 29:11 says God’s thoughts and plans for us are “for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.” He has a good plan for you, and you can dare to believe He can heal you anywhere you hurt and help you with every problem you face. It’s time to start expecting more from God than you’ve ever believed He would do for you before.

Continue reading Joyce Meyer – Changes: Oh, the Possibilities! →

Girlfriends in God

Girlfriends in God – Grace Times Grace

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Friday Friend

Today’s Truth

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

2 Peter 1:2

Friend to Friend

When my daughter Noelle was in 3rd grade, she had a clever multiplication exercise called “Minuto Loco” which means crazy minute in Spanish.

The kids had to see how many multiplication problems they could solve in one minute. The first “Minuto Loco” exercise was on the twos. Once they mastered the twos, they could move on to threes and so forth.

But my daughter had a problem. She was getting stuck after only a few seconds and her incomplete sheet bore testimony that multiplication was not her favorite subject. Most of her other classmates were at a higher number than she was.

My husband James went into full-on tutor mode. He made flashcards. He printed out multiplication practice sheets. Each weeknight, he would drill Noelle for a few minutes.

Maybe you are facing a problem like my daughter Noelle. You’re completely stumped. You have problems at work. You’re wondering how to fulfill all your commitments and remain sane. You wish things were better with a friend or family member. Thinking of solutions is like staring at a blank piece of paper. The good news is you are not alone. You have a tutor in the Holy Spirit who can teach, comfort, and guide you.

Invite God’s multiplication to work in your favor.

Grace times grace. Grace may be defined as the unmerited or undeserving favor of God to those who are under condemnation.

Peace times peace. Peace is the concept of being complete or sound. It’s not just the absence of hostility; it’s the presence of harmony and living well. The Apostle Peter greeted believers with the words “Grace and peace be multiplied to you.” He knew the believers needed that encouragement and likewise, modern believers do too.

Continue reading Girlfriends in God – Grace Times Grace →

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – The Bond of Love

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“Let me assure you that no one has ever given up anything – home, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, or property – for love of Me and to tell others the Good News, who won’t be given back, a hundred times over, homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and land – with persecution! All these will be his here on earth, and in the world to come he shall have eternal life” (Mark 10:29,30).

Having admonished His disciples to follow Him even at the cost of leaving everything – including mothers and families – behind, Christ is now affirming His consistency with the disciples. Obviously He loved His own mother dearly – one of His last acts before He died on the cross was to be sure that the apostle John would take care of her. Yet the bond of love which Jesus felt toward His disciples, a bond which continues today toward those who truly seek Him with all their hearts, transcends even the bond of love which one experiences in flesh-and-blood relationships, unless those relationships are also rooted in the love of Christ.

Romans 5:8 explains the basis for this bond. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit ignites the hearts of true disciples with supernatural love, (agape)in action. That bond of love builds a spiritual family relationship that transcends all others, a relationship that is truly supernatural. In this way our Lord fulfills His promise that everything that is given up to follow Him will be given back a hundred times over in this life.

Bible Reading: Matthew 12:46-50

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: In every way I will seek to obey the commands of my Father in heaven with the certainty that greater bonds of love will unite my heart with many brothers and sisters. This will demonstrate to the world the validity of the revolutionary, supernatural power of the love of God ignited in our hearts through the Holy Spirit.

 

http://www.cru.org

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – True Baptism

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Read: Romans 6:3-7

Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. Romans 6:3-4

It is always interesting to me that when some people hear the word baptism they immediately smell water. When I was a boy in Montana, I had a horse that could smell water from farther away than any animal I ever saw. There are people who are like that. Whenever they read these passages, and see the word baptism, they smell water, but there is no water here. This is a dry passage.

This passage is dealing, of course, with the question of how we died to sin, how we became separated from being in Adam, how we became joined in Christ. No water can do that. That requires something far more potent than water. It is, therefore, a description for us of what is called the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Paul wrote to the Corinthians: For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body — whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free — and we were all given the one Spirit to drink, (1 Corinthians 12:13). He says twice that all believers were baptized into one body. We were placed into Christ. You are not a Christian if that isn’t true of you. People today who say you need to experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit after you become a believer do not understand the Scriptures. There is no way to become a believer without being baptized with the Spirit.

Notice some things that Paul says about the baptism of the Spirit in this passage: First, he says that we are expected to know about it. Don’t you know… Paul asks. He expects these Roman Christians, who had never met him or been taught personally by him, to know this fact. It is something new Christians ought to know.

Continue reading Ray Stedman – True Baptism →