Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – Lexus Think About This

September 2, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Romans 8:18

Joyce Meyer – No More Insecurity

September 2, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

And they who know Your name [who have experience and acquaintance with Your mercy] will lean on and confidently put their trust in You, for You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek (inquire of and for) You [on the authority of God’s Word and the right of their necessity].- Psalm 9:10

Every one of us has experienced a measure of insecurity. At one time or another, we all want to step out and do something, but at the thought of it, insecurity freezes us in our tracks. But this is not the plan of God for our lives. He wants us to step out in faith and confidence.

Insecurity tries to torment us into being so doubtful and miserable we will be prevented from doing what God wants us to do and receiving all God has for us.

We can live without insecurity by building our faith on what God has said in His Word. When we open our mouth and confess what the Lord says to us and about us, God’s Word will give us the power to overcome fear, insecurity, and uncertainty.

If you find yourself trying to avoid confronting some issue in your life because of dread or insecurity, I encourage you to pray and ask God to do for you what He has promised in His Word—to go before you and pave the way.

Ask God to strengthen you in the inner man, that His might and power may fill you, and that you may not be overcome with the temptations to give in to fear.

From the book Closer to God Each Day by Joyce Meyer

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Girlfriends in God

Girlfriends in God – The Granddaddy Sin

September 2, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Today’s Truth

God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.

James 4:6

Friend to Friend

I once dated a fellow who drove me up the wall with his boasting. He would ask, “What did you think of that touchdown I made? Have you ever seen anybody run so fast and dodge so many people before crossing into the end zone?” He invited me to spend the weekend with his family by saying, “If it’s okay with you, my dad will fly us down in our fifteen-passenger Lear jet, and we can spend a couple of days on our seven-and-a-half-million-dollar yacht, which by the way, is the largest one in the Florida Keys.” After three months of dating, I was ready to slap some duct tape on his mouth, bind his hands and feet, and throw him off his seven-and-a-half-million-dollar yacht.

Boasting is a form of pride. The more pride we have, the more we despise it in others. While this boy desperately needed to get over himself, I must admit that I am guilty of this same sort of boasting. I’m just slightly more clever in how I do it. I’ve manipulated conversations in order to casually mention an accomplishment, name drop, or detail a “humble” act of service. I’ve said things like, “I am so excited! I’ve been invited to speak at the largest home-school convention in the country.” Realizing how that might sound, I’ll quickly add a spiritual cover-up to divert attention from my proud motive. “What an amazing opportunity to encourage others for God’s glory.” I may have fooled the listener, but I certainly haven’t fooled God.

Pride is the granddaddy of all sins—typically the sin from which all other sins originate. It was pride that caused Satan to become Satan. It was pride that caused the fall of Israel. And, as much as we hate to admit it, it is often pride that blocks the Holy Spirit from moving in our lives. It’s the sin with the strongest grip, the sin we loathe when we see it in others, and the sin we often refuse to see in ourselves.

Jesus demonstrated humility during his time on earth, setting an example for us to follow. His time on earth was not spent seeking glory from people. John records that Jesus said, “I do not accept glory from human beings” (John 5:41), and he made it clear that his purpose for humbling himself was not to do his own will, but the will of the Father (6:38). He did not come to receive honor and praise, but avoided it like the plague. “After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, ‘Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.’ Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself” (6:14-15).

Continue reading Girlfriends in God – The Granddaddy Sin →

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – None of These Diseases

September 2, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in His sight, and wilt give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee” (Exodus 15:26, KJV).

Prior to a recent minor operation the surgeon came to my hospital room for prayer and to explain the nature of the hernia correction. He explained, “It is God alone who heals. It is my responsibility, along with my staff, to treat and care for you.”

In his excellent book, None of These Diseases, Dr. S.I. McMillen abundantly amplifies and proves the point of this promise: that if we always do that which is right in God’s sight, at the very least our health will be greatly improved.

This highly qualified physician contends that most of our physical problems are caused by stress, but the person who is doing that which is right in God’s sight is not likely to be continually under stress – at least not the kind of stress that impairs one physically.

“I am the Lord that healeth thee.” And He is the same yesterday, today and forever. That would indicate that His healing is available for all today – which of course brings up that sticky question of method and means.

Whatever our persuasion about this, the fact remains that if we really do believe that it is God who heals, then it should follow that He would be our first resource in time of physical need. And it may well be that His direction would take us to the physician. But He alone would be the healer.

Bible Reading: Exodus 15:22-26

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: As I approach each task today, I will make a conscious effort to be concerned about doing that which is right in God’s sight.

http://www.cru.org

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – Not Ashamed

September 2, 2016 broboinhawaii 1 Comment

Read: Romans 1:8-17

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed — a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith. Romans 1:16-17

This quotation from Habakkuk that Paul uses is the great fact that he is expounding in the gospel. He is not ashamed of it, and that is a way of saying that he is proud of it.

Paul especially is not ashamed of the gospel in Rome because the Romans appreciated power, just as Americans do. The Romans prided themselves on their power. They had military power that could conquer all the nations that stood in their path; they had a tremendous program of road-building; they had some of the greatest law-makers of history; they had the power to write literature and create art. But Paul knew that the Romans also were powerless when it came to changing hearts. They were powerless to eliminate slavery. They were powerless to change the stubborn, hostile, hateful hearts of men and eliminate violence. Paul says that is why he is so proud of the gospel — because it is the power of God to do those very things that men cannot do. We never need to apologize for the gospel. It is absolutely without rival.

Paul is not ashamed of the gospel because it reveals a righteousness from God. Righteousness is an old word that we don’t understand very much. I would like to substitute for it the word worth, a worth before God. A sense of acceptance before God that He has given to you. You can’t earn it, you certainly don’t deserve it, but it is given. God really accepts you because of the gospel, because of the good news of the work of Jesus Christ on our behalf. Therefore, it is something that you, or I, or anybody else can have, and it is complete, perfect.

The last thing Paul says is that this righteousness is received by faith. It is not something we can ever earn; it is something we can take anytime we need it, and that is good news. Our worth before God is not simply something we receive once, by faith, at the beginning of our Christian lives. It is also something we remind ourselves of every time we feel depressed, despairing, discouraged, defeated, etc. God has loved us, restored us, and we have perfect standing in his sight. He already accepts us and loves us as much as he possibly can; nothing more can be added to it. That is the righteousness that is revealed in the gospel, by faith, to all who believe, no matter what their background or training may be.

Father, I pray that I may understand how hopeless, how dark and bitter my condition would be were it not for the gospel of the grace of God. Help me to know that nothing could have saved me from the wicked machinations of the evil one had it not been for the intervention of the gospel of grace.

Life Application

When we consider the magnitude of God’s gift of unearned, undeserved righteousness, are we responding with gratitude and worship? How does it affect the habits of our hearts and our actions?

http://www.raystedman.org/

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – The Power of Poetry

September 2, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Read: Luke 11:1-4

Lord, teach us to pray. (v. 1)

“A poem . . . begins with a lump in the throat,” wrote Robert Frost in a letter to a friend. That line in itself conveys several truths about the way great poetry works. It is focused emotion: it conveys strong feeling in a minimum of words. It stimulates the imagination by use of metaphor and imagery. Its meaning is not always obvious; it forces the reader to think about what the poet is trying to say.

In his poem “Prayer (1)” George Herbert used the sonnet form, a type of poem that follows some of the strictest rules of poetic composition. An English (or Shakespearian) sonnet has three four-line stanzas with a regular rhyming pattern, followed by a rhyming couplet (two-line conclusion).

Each line of Herbert’s sonnet on prayer has one or more images for prayer. As Michael Wilcock leads us through the poem phrase by phrase over the coming days, we have the opportunity to let the poetry work its magic—to deepen our thinking, expand our imagination, engage our emotions—and lead us into praying more often and with greater feeling and understanding.

“Lord, teach us to pray,” Jesus’ disciples once asked. George Herbert’s poem, with Michael Wilcock’s devotional reflections, can do just that.

The poem is printed below in its entirety.

Prayer (I)

BY GEORGE HERBERT

Prayer the Church’s banquet, Angels’ age,

God’s breath in man returning to his birth,

The soul in paraphrase, heart in pilgrimage,

The Christian plummet sounding heav’n and earth;

Engine against th’ Almighty, sinner’s tower,

Reversed thunder, Christ-side-piercing spear,

The six-days-world transposing in an hour,

A kind of tune, which all things hear and fear;

Softness, and peace, and joy, and love, and bliss,

Exalted Manna, gladness of the best,

Heaven in ordinary, man well drest,

The milky way, the bird of Paradise,

Church-bells beyond the stars heard, the soul’s blood.

The land of spices; something understood.

Prayer:

“Lord, teach me to pray.”

Author: Rev. David Bast

https://woh.org/

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Go and Sin No More

September 2, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”—John 8:11

I’ve heard some Christians say, “God loves me the way I am, and this is just the way I am.” Yes, God does love us the way we are, but He wants to change us.

Jesus said to the woman who had been caught in the act of adultery, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more” (John 8:11). How could He say this? She was still immoral; she simply was caught in the act. He could say this because in a short time, on the cross of Calvary, He would personally take upon Himself the very condemnation she should have faced.

Notice something else that is very important. He did not say to her, “Go and sin no more, and as a result, I will not condemn you.” In that case, who could ever live up to that requirement? Nor did He say, “Just go your merry way, and the next time you mess up, I hope I will see you again.”

Rather, Jesus was saying, “Neither do I condemn you. Now, as a recognition of that, go and sin no more.” His act of forgiveness was followed by a challenge. This is important, because implicit in His statement was a warning not to keep living that lifestyle.

Jesus is saying the same to us. We are to leave our lifestyle of sin. It doesn’t mean we have to be perfect, because no one is. It doesn’t mean we need to be sinless. But it should mean we will sin less. God wants to change us. The Bible says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Our identity should not be in what we were but who we are.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Is the Only Perfect Hero

September 2, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)

They call him the Man of Steel. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, Superman is the ultimate strong and powerful guy. As long as there’s none of that nasty green Kryptonite nearby to suck away his stunning strength, Superman can do whatever it takes to rescue people in any kind of danger. And not only does he fly and have incredible muscles, but he also actually seems to care about using his powers not to make himself look good, but to help people.

We love Superman because we know we need a hero: someone who knows when we need help, is powerful enough to be able to help us, and cares enough to want to help. In the movies and on TV, Superman does all of those things. But he does not do any of them perfectly. For example, he knows when people need help – but only because he hears about it from someone else. He is powerful enough to help people – but only in one place at a time. If a child were being kidnapped on one side of Metropolis at the exact same moment that a woman’s car was being stolen on the other side of the city, he would have to choose to help either the child or the woman. He could not do both, even if he wanted to.

Superman is a good hero, but he is only a man – and not even a real man, just a pretend character on TV and in movies. He is only an imitation of the one Hero we all need: a God Who knows everything, Who can do anything He wants to, and who loves His children perfectly. That God is our refuge: we can run to Him for shelter when we’re facing something scary or painful. He is our strength: we can call on Him when we are weak. He is always near when we are in trouble: He doesn’t have to fly to where we are, because He is already there. We can count on Him to be our ultimate Hero.

God, my Refuge and Strength, is better than any make-believe hero.

My Response:

» Do I turn to God for help when I am in trouble, or do I try to solve my problems by myself?

http://kids4truth.com/home.aspx

The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – The Best Defense

September 2, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Today’s Scripture: 1 Corinthians 16:13

“Be watchful.”

With all the enemies from the world and from Satan arrayed against us, and a guerrilla army of flesh within our own hearts, how can we effectively watch against the temptations that constantly beset us? The old adage “The best defense is a good offense” is good advice for watching against temptation. The best offense is meditation on the Word of God and prayer. It’s surely no coincidence that they’re the only two spiritual exercises that we are encouraged to do continually. We’re to meditate on God’s Word “day and night” (Psalm 1:2), and Paul exhorted us to “pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17, NIV).

There is power in the Word of God to keep us from sin: “I have stored up your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11). For every temptation that you face, there are specific passages of Scripture that address that issue. If you’re not aware of some, ask your pastor or another mature Christian to help you find them. Then memorize those verses, meditate on them, and pray over them every day, asking the Holy Spirit to bring them to your mind in times of need. Ask, also, that he will strengthen your will to enable you to obey the Word that he brings to your mind. All of us are being influenced by sinful society, so we want to do all we can to continually bring the Word of God to bear upon our thinking.

Also remember that Jesus told us to watch and pray against temptation (Matthew 26:41). We aren’t capable of watching by ourselves. “Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain” (Psalm 127:1). Even with our best diligence, we need the extra dimension of the Lord watching for us. (Excerpt taken from The Discipline of Grace)

https://www.navigators.org/Home

The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – When God Speaks

September 2, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Today’s Scripture: Luke 1-2

Today, if you hear his voice… – Psalm 95:7

There were four hundred years of silence between the writing of Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament, and the announcement of the birth of Jesus. I guess that’s what makes the Christmas story, and particularly what happened to the shepherds, so amazing.

Listen to the familiar words beginning in Luke 2:8:

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, an angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (KJV)

This announcement to the shepherds was the first public word from the Lord in four hundred years! Do you suppose the shepherds might have doubted that it really was the voice of God?

Sometimes we have the idea that God speaks only to pastors or to missionaries or to special people who seem to have it all together. Not so! God wants to talk to you, but you’ve got to meet Him halfway. So open your Bible, open your heart, and let Him speak to you today.

Prayer

Lord, prepare my heart to hear Your voice and obey it. Amen.

To Ponder

Why does God choose some of the most unlikely people to carry out His purposes?

https://www.navigators.org/Home

BreakPoint

BreakPoint – What Has Changed Since BreakPoint Began 25 Years Ago?

September 2, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

On September 2, 1991, Chuck Colson took to the radio airwaves with his first BreakPoint commentary. That’s 25 years ago today.

But think of all that has changed since then. Technology? My goodness. The World Wide Web was only available to research universities. No Google. No Amazon.

And mobile phones were the size of your shoe! If you had to make a call on the road, you needed coins and a phone booth. And people still wrote letters to each other. On paper. With pens.

George Bush the First was president. Operation Desert Storm had just taken place. No 9/11. No Afghanistan. We didn’t know what jihadism was. And about a month after Chuck’s first BreakPoint, some governor from Arkansas announced he planned to run for president.

And culturally… well. Same-sex “marriage,” transgender bathrooms, these were simply unimaginable. And the idea that the government and major corporations would punish those who opposed such things—that would have been conspiracy thinking.

So much has changed since then. But the reason Eric Metaxas and I offer BreakPoint every day hasn’t.

Let me ask this: As Christians, we know things are not right with the world. But can we put our finger on why?

Or let me ask this: In the midst of our daily lives of responsibilities and distractions, when is the last time we stepped back and asked, “What is the purpose of life? What’s all of this for?”

Continue reading BreakPoint – What Has Changed Since BreakPoint Began 25 Years Ago? →

Moody Global Ministries

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

September 2, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Read ESTHER 1:9–12

After being imprisoned and threatened with execution in Iran, American journalist Roxana Saberi falsely confessed to being a spy. Later she recanted, even though she knew that telling the truth would jeopardize her freedom. And indeed, rather than release her as promised, her captors kept her in prison for months. She said about that harrowing time: “I would rather tell the truth and stay in prison instead of telling lies to be free.”

Standing for what’s right takes courage. The book of Esther includes the stories of two women who challenged corrupt rulers. The first woman we meet is Queen Vashti. We know that she was an incredibly beautiful woman. Just as King Xerxes lavishly decorated his palace with only the best that money could buy, he also insisted that the women in his life be physically attractive. He demanded only the best.

While Xerxes was holding a lavish seven-day banquet, the queen presided over a separate banquet for women (v. 9). On the last day of the banquet, a very drunk king called for his queen (v. 11). He demanded that she come to him so that he could display her before the attendees of his banquet. Some commentators interpret Xerxes’s request as a vulgar attempt to force the beautiful Queen Vashti to appear naked in front of these drunken men. Certainly his demand was insulting and embarrassing to Vashti, and she refused (v. 12).

Xerxes was not used to anyone denying his request. He was furious with Vashti. Not only had she disobeyed the king’s direct request, she had defied him in front of his guests. She undermined his illusion of total power and control. Queen Vashti was admired for her physical beauty. But what makes her stand apart in this text was her willingness to stand up to a despot.

APPLY THE WORD

When is it worthwhile to stand up for what you believe? At what cost? While many of us take the road of least resistance when it comes to conflict, sometimes it is necessary to do what is right, no matter the cost. Ultimately, our allegiance is to God. He can give us courage to stand up for what we believe, even when we are pressured to do wrong.

http://www.todayintheword.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – A VITAL LESSON CHRISTIANS CAN LEARN FROM ATHEISTS

September 2, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

According to Vox, the average restaurant meal is four times larger than in the 1950s. Apple will reportedly allow customers to order their new iPhone 7 in the color black. Ikea says that future homes will have vegetable planters lining their kitchen walls, furniture will double as exercise gear, and sensors throughout the house will respond instantly to our actions.

These stories illustrate the first rule of marketing: give the people what they want. Successful businesspeople know that they must connect their products to our interests, needs, and hopes before we will buy what they are selling.

Atheists are learning the same lesson.

Sean McDowell teaches apologetics at Biola University and is the author of over eighteen books. His latest blog post is titled “The New Face of Atheism.” According to Dr. McDowell, this “face” isn’t a person but a movement.

Rather than seeking to eradicate churches, this movement wants to create secular communities alongside them (the growth of atheist churches is an example). It emphasizes relationships and rituals more than rational arguments. While rejecting the truth of Christianity, it focuses more on practical issues than the big questions of life.

These atheists are on to something. Our postmodern culture is convinced that “truth” is personal and subjective. You cannot have a logical debate with someone who doesn’t trust logic. Of course, the claim that there is no such thing as truth is itself a truth claim. Nonetheless, more people than ever are focused on practical issues rather than philosophical arguments. Many atheists are riding the tide of this cultural shift.

Continue reading Denison Forum – A VITAL LESSON CHRISTIANS CAN LEARN FROM ATHEISTS →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Unconditional Love of God

September 1, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

1 John 4:7-10

One of the biggest struggles many people face is a feeling that the Lord couldn’t possibly love them. Yet, today’s reading clearly tells us He does. Far from just saying so with words, God has also given us ample proof. Creation itself is an expression of the awesome way He cares for us. He designed this earth as the perfect habitation for humanity and provides us with the necessities of life. But the highest expression of His love is manifested in His provision for our eternal needs. He sent His Son to redeem us from sin so that we could be forgiven and reconciled to God—and then live with Him in heaven forever.

Why, then, with all this evidence, do so many of us still doubt His love? Perhaps the reason is that we are looking at it from our own limited perspective: Since human beings cannot love others unconditionally, we doubt that the Lord can. After all, worldly logic considers it reasonable to be loving towards people who measure up to our standards but to hold ourselves aloof from those who don’t.

Or maybe we just feel unworthy of His love. Well, I have news for you: No one is worthy. God’s love is based not on whether we are deserving but on His character—we need to understand that love isn’t simply something God does; it’s who He is (1 John 4:8).

Divine love is a demonstration of God’s commitment to our greatest good. It’s like the ocean’s tide. You can stand on the shore and say, “I don’t believe in waves,” but that doesn’t stop them from coming. Likewise, nothing you do or feel will stop the Father’s love from washing over you.

Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 17-19

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — “Because You Prayed”

September 1, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Read: Isaiah 37:9-22, 33

Bible in a Year: Psalms 135-136; 1 Corinthians 12

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.—Philippians 4:6

What do you do with your worries? Do you turn them inward, or turn them upward?

When the brutal Assyrian King Sennacherib was preparing to destroy Jerusalem, he sent a message to King Hezekiah saying that Judah would be no different from all the other nations he had conquered. Hezekiah took this message to the temple in Jerusalem, and “spread it out before the Lord” (Isa. 37:14). He then prayed and asked for help from Almighty God.

Soon afterward Isaiah the prophet delivered this message to Hezekiah from the Lord: “Because you prayed about King Sennacherib of Assyria, the Lord has spoken” (Isa. 37:21-22 nlt). Scripture tells us that Hezekiah’s prayer was answered that very night. God intervened miraculously, conquering the enemy forces outside the city gates. The Assyrian army didn’t even “shoot an arrow” (v. 33). Sennacherib would leave Jerusalem, never to return.

Three words in God’s message to Hezekiah—“Because you prayed”—show us the best place to go with our worries. Because Hezekiah turned to God, He rescued him and his people. When we turn our worries into prayer, we discover that God is faithful in unexpected ways! —James Banks

Father, please help me to turn my worries into prayer. My problems are better in Your hands than in my own.

Prayer moves the hand that moves the world. E.M. Bounds

Share your thoughts on today’s devotional on Facebook or odb.org.

http://www.odb.org

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Explaining Emotion

September 1, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

In Daniel Goleman’s excellent book Emotional Intelligence he writes about the last moments of Gary and Mary Jean Chauncey battling the swirling waters of the river into which the Amtrak train they were on had plummeted. With every bit of energy they had, both fought desperately to save the life of their young daughter Andrea, who had cerebral palsy and was bound to a wheelchair. Somehow they managed to push her out into the arms of rescuers, but sadly, they themselves drowned.

Some would like to explain such heroism as evolution’s imprint, that we humans behave this way by virtue of evolutionary design for the survival of our progeny. One is hard-pressed not to ask, “Why did the healthier preserve the weaker and not themselves?” But even the author was unable to explain it all in mere Darwinistic terms. He added that “only love” could explain such an act.

In another story, you may recall the chess victory of the computer “Deep Blue” over the world champion Gary Kasparov, which caused many to compare the similarities of machines and humans. Yale professor David Gelertner disagreed. He explained:

“The idea that Deep Blue has a mind is absurd. How can an object that wants nothing, fears nothing, enjoys nothing, needs nothing, and cares about nothing have a mind? It can win at chess, but not because it wants to. It isn’t happy when it wins or sad when it loses. What are its [post]-match plans if it beats Kasparov? Is it hoping to take Deep Pink out for a night on the town?”

Gelertner continues: “The gap between the human and the surrogate is permanent and will never be closed. Machines will continue to make life easier, healthier, richer, and more puzzling. And humans will continue to care, ultimately, about the same things they always have: about themselves, about one another, and many of them, about God.”(1)

Is this not a unique capacity God has put within us? The capacity to feel? From the selfless sacrifice of loving parents to our own personal thought lives, we recognize that this ability is one aspect of the insurmountable differences between humans and machines. In the words of the biblical writer, it is we—and not our computers I might add—who have been made “a little lower than the angels.” Life, feeling, and thought are God’s gifts to us. And where we follow God’s thoughts, we feel and act in highest measure.

Ravi Zacharias is founder and chairman of the board of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.

(1) David Gelertner, “How Hard Is Chess?” Time Magazine, 19 May 1997.

http://www.rzim.org/

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – What About the Holy Spirit?

September 1, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And we know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit which He has given us” (1 John 3:24).

Because the Holy Spirit affects every area of the Christian life, it is vital that we have a balanced and correct view of His role.

The church’s understanding of the Spirit’s Person and ministry has been seriously distorted over the past few decades. Charismatics have given an undue emphasis to certain pentecostal gifts so that subjective experience is often elevated over objective scriptural truth.

At the same time, many non-charismatics have overreacted to charismatic excesses by almost ignoring the Holy Spirit. For most, an in-depth study of the Spirit does not fit with the pragmatic, psychological approach to solving spiritual problems.

But we can’t afford to go to either extreme; otherwise we’ll miss out on what it really means to know the Spirit and to minister by His power. He is indispensable in saving us, enabling us to obey Jesus Christ, and ultimately perfecting us in glory. Paul urged the Galatian believers not to abandon the Holy Spirit but to lean completely on Him. “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” (Gal. 3:3).

Continue reading John MacArthur – Strength for Today – What About the Holy Spirit? →

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Upside Down Love

September 1, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw Jesus eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Mark 2:16-17

Whenever I read the Gospel accounts of Jesus’s life, I’m consistently struck by his ability to turn assumptions and value systems upside down. When we encounter Jesus, we learn that the things we thought were important and mattered most in this world are in fact so often out of step with his will and his coming Kingdom.

In the ancient world in which Jesus lived, the Pharisees were the religious faithful. As we would say today, they were “in church every Sunday.” They were the people who dedicated their entire lives to the pursuit of God and living by the law He gave to his people. Yet in their vigor and zeal they missed something profound: one can live entirely by the law of religion and miss the work of God in their midst and his invitation into radical, self-giving love.

We often speak of discipleship as a journey into Christ’s likeness. Yet, if we are honest, there are parts of Jesus’s life that make us incredibly uncomfortable. He spent most of his life in the parts of town that we seek to avoid. He hired co-workers in ministry that worked blue collar or socially unacceptable jobs. His closest friends were people who had been cast to the margins, men and women who were viewed as unlovable and unproductive members of society.

I can’t help but wonder if we are more like the Pharisees than we care to admit?

Do we cling to a system that says one’s worth and value in this world is dependent on how well they keep God’s rules or by how successful they are by economic and cultural standards? Though we might not say it, do we assume that God’s love and favor only rests upon those who “have it all together?”

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Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – Full Circle

September 1, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Ephesians 4:32

Joyce Meyer – Laying Down Your Life

September 1, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Anyone who loves his life loses it, but anyone who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. [Whoever has no love for, no concern for, no regard for his life here on earth, but despises it, preserves his life forever and ever.]- John 12:25

When we believe God is asking us to do something, we often begin with the questions: What am I going to have to give up if I do this? If I do this, what will it cost me? If I do this, how uncomfortable am I going to be?

The truth is that anything we do for God requires an investment. Part of loving Him involves a willingness to lay our lives down for Him. If God has been asking you to do something and you have been procrastinating because you know it will require sacrifice on your part, I urge you to go ahead and do it. Nothing feels better than knowing you have fully obeyed the Lord.

Do not be afraid of sacrifice when God calls you or puts something in your heart that He wants you to do. His plan for your life is greater than anything you can imagine. Be thankful that His plan is best and determine that you will pay the price and pass the test. I assure you, it is worth it.

Prayer of Thanks: I thank You today, Father, that no sacrifice I make for You will ever be without great benefit for my life. Fill me with the faith and strength to do all that You call me to do. I choose to obey Your voice in every single area of my life.

From the book The Power of Being Thankful by Joyce Meyer.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

DAILY DEVOTIONS, NEWS AND INFORMATION

Monthly Archives: September 2016

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – Lexus Think About This

Joyce Meyer – No More Insecurity

Girlfriends in God – The Granddaddy Sin

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – None of These Diseases

Ray Stedman – Not Ashamed

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – The Power of Poetry

Greg Laurie – Go and Sin No More

Kids 4 Truth International – God Is the Only Perfect Hero

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – The Best Defense

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – When God Speaks

BreakPoint – What Has Changed Since BreakPoint Began 25 Years Ago?

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

Denison Forum – A VITAL LESSON CHRISTIANS CAN LEARN FROM ATHEISTS

Charles Stanley – The Unconditional Love of God

Our Daily Bread — “Because You Prayed”

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Explaining Emotion

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – What About the Holy Spirit?

Wisdom Hunters – Upside Down Love

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – Full Circle

Joyce Meyer – Laying Down Your Life

Scriptures, Lessons, News and Links to help you survive.