Daily Archives: October 5, 2016

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Brokenness: The Principle

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John 12:24-25

Brokenness hurts, and most of us would rather live without any seasons of pain. Yet during such times, God often does His greatest work in our lives, reshaping and realigning us for His divine purposes.

Jesus beautifully explains the principle of brokenness in today’s passage, where He compares our life to a single grain of wheat. If we hold a kernel in our hands, nothing will happen. If we carefully place it in a jar or on a shelf for safekeeping, it will just sit there indefinitely. In its safety, the grain will essentially be useless.

However, if that kernel is placed in the soil where its protective layer is stripped away, something amazing happens. Before long, a little sprout will emerge from the earth and start to grow into something different, useful, and beautiful. Moreover, that new stalk will produce more grains that can be planted, and the stalks they produce will do the same. It’s an amazing cycle of life, wherein a single kernel can lead to countless stalks of wheat. But it has to start with the brokenness of one grain.

Jesus did not just speak this example; He lived it. By sacrificing Himself, He was broken and placed in the ground. From that brokenness came new life for us all. From that one “grain,” countless new believers, each with a new life, have sprung forth.

Are you feeling broken today? If so, remember the principle of the broken grain. God has certainly not abandoned you; instead, He may be leading you into a season of new growth.

Bible in One Year: Matthew 8-10

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Good Medicine

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Read: Ephesians 4:25-32

Bible in a Year: Isaiah 23-25; Philippians 1

A cheerful heart is good medicine.—Proverbs 17:22

Careless driving, rising tempers, and use of foul language among some taxi and minibus drivers are a constant source of traffic fights in our city of Accra, Ghana. But one traffic incident I witnessed took a different turn. A bus was almost hit by a careless taxi driver. I expected the bus driver to get angry and yell at the other driver, but he didn’t. Instead, the bus driver relaxed his stern face and smiled broadly at the guilty-looking taxi driver. And the smile worked wonders. With a raised hand, the taxi driver apologized, smiled back, and moved away—the tension diffused.

A smile has a fascinating effect on our brain chemistry. Researchers have found that “when we smile it releases brain chemicals called endorphins which have an actual physiological relaxing effect.” Not only can a smile diffuse a tense situation, but it can also diffuse tension within us. Our emotions affect us as well as others. The Bible teaches us to “get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another” (Eph. 4:31-32).

When anger or tension or bitterness threatens our relationship with the Lord and with others, it helps to remember that “a cheerful heart is good medicine” for our own joy and well-being. —Lawrence Darmani

Think about a time when you were angry with someone or when you had an argument. How did you feel inside? What parts of your life did it affect?

We find joy when we learn to live in Jesus’s love.

INSIGHT: Paul tells his readers to “get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice” (Eph. 4:31). The Greek word translated “get rid of” is artheto, and it means to lift something for the purpose of carrying it off or putting it away. Getting rid of sinful and destructive behavior requires that we allow the Holy Spirit to remove those things that mark our former life (4:17-24) so that the compassion and forgiveness of Christ (v. 32) will flourish. Dennis Moles

 

http://www.odb.org

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Right and Left

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A mother bowed before Jesus with a request. Her sons were under the tutelage of the rabbi who was stirring the city with words of another kingdom, and she wanted to assure them a place. Kneeling, she uttered, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”(1)

This exchange I remember well, and I confess, often with an air of superiority. What a silly concern. The overzealous mother, and the sons who seemed to be standing in the wing as she asked, were rightly told they didn’t quite get it. Jesus’s response seemed to be aimed at both mother and sons alike: “You don’t know what you are asking,” he said to them. Christ had come to be a servant, humbling himself as a sacrifice. For a people who didn’t understand, he came to show the way. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” Jesus asked them. “We can,” they answered, still having no idea what was coming, much less what they had just agreed they could drink. The right and left seats were the least of their worries.

Author Donald Miller once realized that the right and left seats beside Jesus were also the least of his worries. He wittily explains how he never pictured himself as bothering with the seats of honor or the politics of heaven, and considered himself the better for it. In a moment of honesty, he realized he just wasn’t all that interested. He pictured himself more readily being off somewhere on a remote and rolling hillside, exploring, or fishing, or maybe even napping. The seats of honor could be given to someone else. Miller eventually realized this might not be the most corrective option.

I suspect many of us hold similar pictures. Sure, we follow Jesus, but are at times unconcerned with how closely we follow, indifferent about the gap between his steps and ours, so long as we are at least claiming to follow. At times we are probably much more like James and John than we want to admit—unaware and incorrect. Perhaps to our casual wish to be uninvolved with seats and honors in heaven, Jesus would say the same to us: “You don’t know what you’re saying.” Maybe we don’t always get it either.

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Right and Left →

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Children of Darkness

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“If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth” (1 John 1:6).

Those who deny the reality of their sin affirm the unreality of their salvation.

Ours is a society that rejects the concept of individual responsibility. People blame society, their parents, their genes—anything but their own actions and choices—for their problems. The biblical teaching that all people are responsible for breaking God’s holy law is scoffed at as primitive, unsophisticated, and harmful to a healthy self-esteem.

Even some who claim to be Christians refuse to acknowledge their sin. They say, “I make mistakes. But I’m a good person. Surely God won’t reject me!” Such people are tragically deceived and will miss out on salvation; those who don’t see themselves as lost will not seek God’s gracious salvation. In the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17).

The apostle John gives three characteristics of those who deny their sin.

First, they walk in darkness (1 John 1:6). That reveals that they are not saved, since only those who “walk in the light” are cleansed from their sins by the blood of Christ (1 John 1:7).

Second, they are self-deceived (1 John 1:8). The Bible makes it unmistakably clear that all people are sinners (2 Chron. 6:36; Rom. 3:23); there are no exceptions (Rom. 3:12).

Third, they defame God, making Him out to be a liar (1 John 1:10) by denying what His Word affirms—that they are sinners. That is a serious, blasphemous accusation to make against the God who cannot lie (Titus 1:2), whose word is truth (John 17:17).

In Luke 18, Jesus described two men praying in the temple. One, a proud, self-righteous Pharisee, denied his sin. The other, a despised tax-gatherer, cried out, “God, be merciful to me, the sinner!” Which of the two do you identify with?

Suggestions for Prayer

Thank God, “who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).

For Further Study

Read the following passages: John 8:12; Acts 26:18; Ephesians 5:1-2, 8; Colossians 1:12-13; 1 Thessalonians 5:4-5. Is it possible for a Christian to habitually walk in darkness (lead a life of continuous, unrepentant sin)? Explain.

 

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Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Appointed by God 

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And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth. Revelation 11:3

The Lord seeks out disciples who are sensitive to His heart—those ready and willing to follow His next appointment to witness and serve. God seeks sincere seekers, so He can entrust them with His favor. He recruits submissive star players for His team, so let your heart rest in the hand of your heavenly Father. You will endure under the mighty hand of the Almighty, but out from under His authority, hope shrivels and help fades away. Gladly accept God’s next appointment.

Just as Jesus sent out His disciples in pairs, so the Lord appoints two witnesses to proclaim His truth for three and a half years. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, these bold prophets will have the ability to destroy their enemies and cause plagues to infect the earth as evidence of God’s presence and mankind’s stubborn heart. Once the two witnesses finish their assignment from heaven, the beast will arise from hell to attack, overpower and kill them. What the devil deems as dead—the Spirit is able to bring back to life. Divine appointments may die to be revived again.

“The Lord has sought out a man after His own heart and appointed him ruler of His people.” (1 Samuel 13:14).

Keep your heart tender towards God with constant cultivation in the commands of Christ. You remain useful to your heavenly Father by staying sensitive to the Spirit’s service appointments. The Lord is not looking at your outward appearance, but at your inward beauty of integrity. Perhaps your mind needs cleansing from the seduction of the sensual and renewed with submission to the Spirit. Also, keep your pride in check with humble acts of service at home.

Because the Holy Spirit seeks you out, you are wise to turn toward Him and move in His direction. Obedience to God always moves towards God, while disobedience to God always moves away from God. The Lord may be seeking you to replace another unwilling servant of His. So, remain humble as opportunities to serve Him open up. Your added responsibilities make you more responsible to represent Christ well. So, surrender to God’s search for your heart.

“Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you” (Job 22:21).

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for appointing me to serve in this season of life.

Application: I am available and willing to follow God’s appointments to humbly serve and witness for Him. Whom can I partner with in Kingdom minded ministry?

Related Readings: 2 Chronicles 30:8; Isaiah 26:12; John 4:23; Philippians 3:3

 

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Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – Hope Givers

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She has done what she could.

Mark 14:8a

Recommended Reading

Colossians 3:12-17

Wess Stafford wrote about a teacher assigned to work with a hospitalized schoolchild on nouns and adverbs. Arriving at the hospital, she was taken to the burn unit. She had to scrub and put on sterile attire, and she found the schoolboy in pain. The teacher felt apprehensive, but she told the boy, “I’m the special visiting hospital teacher, and your teacher sent me to help you with your nouns and adverbs.” She went through the material with him and then left, feeling little had been accomplished.

The next morning when she returned, the nurses met her and said, “Since you were here yesterday his whole attitude has changed. He’s fighting back, responding to treatment…it’s as though he’s decided to live.”

What had happened? The boy himself later explained: “They wouldn’t send a special teacher to work on nouns and adverbs with a dying boy, now, would they?”1

Sometimes we impart hope to others by just showing up with compassion and doing what we can in the name of Christ. When we do what we can, He will bless what we do and all we do.

There is something fundamentally wrong with claiming to love God without a passion to love people.

Wess Stafford

1Wess Stafford, Just a Minute (Chicago: Moody, 2012), 145-146.

Read-Thru-the-Bible

Matthew 10 – 11

 

http://www.davidjeremiah.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – The Wisdom in Waiting Quietly

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But Mary was keeping within herself all these things (sayings), weighing and pondering them in her heart.— Luke 2:19

There is great wisdom in learning to quietly ponder what you feel the Lord has spoken to you, especially when you’re not sure exactly how it will work out.

You may feel that God has promised something for your children, spoken a new direction for your career, instructed you to make some changes in your character— whatever it is, if you’ll trust God, wait patiently, and ponder what the Lord has spoken, He will show you exactly how to cooperate with His plan.

Mary had some pretty amazing things happen in her life. She was just a teenage girl who loved God when an angel of the Lord appeared to her and told her she was going to be the mother of the Son of God. But whatever Mary may have thought or felt, she trusted God, saying, May it be done to me according to your word (Luke 1:38 NASB ).

When God speaks something to us, many times we need to keep it to ourselves. If He tells us things we don’t really understand, things that seem to make no sense, we can follow the example of Mary. We can do a little more pondering instead of running to others for advice. The doubt of others can ruin your faith. Sometimes the best thing you can do is quietly hold on to God’s promise and ask Him to make it clearer to you in His perfect timing.

When God calls you to do something, He also gives you the faith to do it.

From the book Closer to God Each Day by Joyce Meyer.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Girlfriends in God

Girlfriends in God – The Disappointment of Shattered Dreams

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Today’s Truth

The LORD is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does.

Psalm 145:17

Friend to Friend

Everyone will experience discouragement at some point in life. It will look as different and unique as the fingerprints on your hand, but disappointments will come.

  • Dropping your son off at a rehab center instead of college.
  • Signing divorce papers instead of planning an anniversary party.
  • Looking for a job rather than getting a raise.
  • Cuddling up with a good book rather than cozying up with a good husband.
  • Planning a funeral instead of planning a future.
  • Counting out food stamps instead of writing a check.
  • Moving up in your career rather than rocking a baby in your arms.

Yes, everyone will experience broken dreams at some point in their lives.

I had a dream of having a house full of giggling little girls and boisterous rowdy boys. After Steven was born, I felt that we were well on our way to making that dream a reality.

I loved being a mom! With Bambi-length eyelashes, chubby cheeks, and a shock of black hair (which later turned white), Steven had my heart in his tiny little fist the first time I laid eyes on him.

Continue reading Girlfriends in God – The Disappointment of Shattered Dreams →

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Yours Is the Kingdom

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“So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom” (Luke 12:32).

Do you like the picture, as I do, of being a part of God’s little flock? That makes Him our shepherd, of course, and it makes us His sheep. How apt a picture!

Often, I am sure, most of us must seem to wander like lost sheep – not knowing which way to turn. It is at such times, in particular, that I need to see the Lord Jesus Christ as my great Shepherd, tenderly watching over me in the midst of every kind of heartache and burden.

In Judea, it was common to see men tending sheep, looking over the flocks by day and night. The shepherd watched over them, defended them, provided for them, led them to green pastures and beside still water.

Jesus was – and is – the Good Shepherd. His flock was relatively small. Few really followed Him, compared to the multitude who ignored Him. Though small in number, they were not to fear because God was their Friend. He would provide for them. He purposed to give them the kingdom and they had nothing to fear.

Today, we are part of a large and growing flock with a great and loving Shepherd. Just to know that He watches over us – cares for us – is joy supreme.

Bible Reading: Luke 12:28-34

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: During the day I will deliberately look up into God’s heaven several times to see that great Shepherd of the sheep, the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

http://www.cru.org

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – God’s Wisdom

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Read: 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power. 1 Corinthians 2:3-5

This ought to be one of the most encouraging passages to any of us who have tried to be a witness as a Christian. Speaking of the things of Christ and the things of God is easy in a church like this where you are gathered with Christian friends because nobody objects. However, when you try to talk about these things with unbelievers, people who are committed to the philosophy of taking care of number one first and who are out to seek for fame or fortune or whatever it may be, you find it very difficult. You feel much personal weakness and fear and trembling. That is the way Paul felt, and that ought to be an encouragement to us.

The reason he felt like this is because what he was saying to them was not in line with what the world wants to hear about itself. It did not massage the ego of man; it did not make him sound like he was incredibly important. Paul deliberately rejected that approach which is wrong because it does not help man. Instead, he began to talk about this judgment of God upon the thinking, the attitudes, and the wisdom of man, and it left him feeling rejected. In a sense that is what Paul was suffering in Corinth. He came, but there was no great ego-pleasing reception for him, there were no dinners, there was no Academy Award given to him.

He tells us how he felt. He felt fearful, weak, and ineffective. He felt his words were not outstanding; he felt he did not impress anybody by the way he came at this. Have you ever felt that way? I have, many times. I have sat down with somebody to witness to him and I felt as if I had two tongues and they were stumbling over one another. I did not seem to have the right answers to things. I could only talk about how it affected me; I felt like I was doing nothing effective. Yet Paul was not discouraged. In the book of Acts we are told that after he had been in Corinth for a few months the Lord Jesus appeared to him in a vision and strengthened him and said to him, Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent, … and no man shall attack you to harm you, (Acts 18:9-10). Paul was afraid he was going to be beaten up as he had been in other cities. He was afraid of being branded as a religious fanatic. He did not like those feelings, nevertheless he faithfully began to talk about Jesus Christ.

Continue reading Ray Stedman – God’s Wisdom →

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – A Truthful Love

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Read: Acts 16:35-40

They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out. (v. 37)

Thus far, we have been looking at how the Bible portrays Paul’s experience in custody in order to know what it means to remember those in prison. Today’s Scripture presents Paul, still a prisoner, in a role that may make some of us uncomfortable: the one who lovingly confronts his oppressors with the truth about their own injustice.

Christian love, including the love of enemies, is sometimes presented—both by critics of Christianity and by Christians ourselves—as a kind of weakness or masochism. We still hear, for example, terrible stories of battered women being told by their pastors that “Christian love” requires them to stay and be silently beaten. Paul shows us a better way. He did not seek revenge; he did not ask God to smite the Philippians. He simply refused to let the system lie to itself about what it was doing. He insisted on staying where he was until the magistrates showed up in person to see their own botched handiwork.

Christian love forgives, but it doesn’t lie. It names mistreatment. And sometimes, in its honesty, it even embarrasses our fallen human systems into doing something like the right thing.

Prayer:

Lord, support those who have been unjustly treated and bring about righteousness through their witness. Save us from the pride that refuses to hear uncomfortable truths from the “wrong” mouths.

Author: Phil Christman

 

https://woh.org/

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Read Your Own Mail

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Submitting to one another in the fear of God.—Ephesians 5:21

Sometimes wives choke on the verse that says, “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.” They might say, “I don’t want to submit to my husband or anybody else.” But before God tells wives to submit to their husbands, God tells both husbands and wives to submit to one another in the reverence of God.

If you are a Spirit-filled person, you will be a submitting person.

Maybe when you think of submission, you equate it with some form of slavery. That is not what submission is in the Bible. Let me put it another way: If you are really filled with the Spirit, you will think of others over yourself. A Spirit-filled husband will put the needs of his wife above his own. A Spirit-filled wife will put the needs of her husband above her own. Both of them are putting the other in the first position.

In military language, it means, “to rank beneath.” It is not about superiority or inferiority. It is about order. It is about sacrifice. It is about obedience. It is not about you; it is about your mate. You want to hold them up. You want to support them.

A successful marriage is not so much about finding the right person as it is about being the right person.

It drives me crazy when I hear wives quote verses to their husbands about what he should be doing, or when the husband quotes verses to the wife about her role. Read your own verses and put them into practice.

Stop blaming your wife and instead be the best husband you can be. Stop blaming your husband and instead be the best wife you can be. Stop reading each other’s mail and just do what God tells you to do. You will be amazed at what will happen.

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Is a Rock for His People

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“As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him. For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God. The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.” (Psalm 18:30-31,46)

Jesus, I am resting, resting in the joy of what Thou art.

I am finding out the greatness of Thy loving heart.

Have you ever heard the song “Jesus, I Am Resting, Resting”? Like the psalmists in the Old Testament, we can sing songs about the heart of God. We can sing songs about His character traits and about His amazing works. What are some things about God’s goodness and greatness that you would think of as good reasons to sing?

In the song “Jesus, I Am Resting, Resting,” the writer is rejoicing that Jesus is Someone we can rest in, Someone whose loving heart is very great, Someone worthy of trust, and Someone Who gives joy. In King David’s psalm quoted above (Psalm 18), he rejoices that God’s way is perfect and that His Word has been tried (proven) to be steadfast. He describes God as a buckler (a safe place, a shelter, a fortress) for all who trust Him. More than once, David even calls the LORD a rock!

Do you know of anyone else like that? Anyone else whose ways are perfect? Anyone else who is a fortress for every single person who trusts in him? Anyone else who could be described as a rock? No one else is like that. Only God! That is why David says, “Who is God, save the LORD?” That means, “Who else could God possibly be, if He is not the LORD?”

People think different things are scary, and every child has his own set of fears. You might be afraid to get a shot at the doctor’s office, or maybe visiting a nursing home is scary for you. Maybe caves (or things that live in caves) make you afraid. Maybe you do not even like to cross the street!

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – God Is a Rock for His People →

The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – Hardship’s Harvest

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Today’s Scripture: Hebrews 12:11

“For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant.”

I once knew a person who would recount some of the adversities her family was facing and would then put on a forced smile and say, “But we are victorious.” She apparently thought believers should not admit pain. But the writer of Hebrews was honest. He said the discipline of hardship is painful.

“But later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11). This “fruit of righteousness” is essentially equivalent to sharing in his holiness. Discipline, then, is one of the chief means God uses to make us holy.

The discipline of hardship also produces peace for those who have been trained by it. This, wrote Philip Hughes, “bespeaks the rest and relaxation enjoyed by the victorious contestant once the conflict is over.” Hughes was speaking of the rest that comes to the believer when we go to be with the Lord. But there’s also a peace to be enjoyed in this life for those who have learned to endure adversity as the evidence of God’s fatherly hand upon them to make them more holy.

F.F. Bruce captured this thought well when he wrote, “The person who accepts discipline at the hand of God as something designed by his heavenly Father for his good will cease to feel resentful and rebellious; he has ‘calmed and quieted’ his soul [Psalm 131:2], which thus provides fertile soil for the cultivation of a righteous life, responsive to the will of God.”

The road to holiness is paved with adversity. If we want to be holy, we must expect the discipline of God through the heartaches and disappointments he brings or allows to come into our lives.

 

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – In the Light

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Today’s Scripture: Acts 24-26

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. – 2 Corinthians 4:6

I heard about an automobile dealer who attended a weekend Christian conference for men. Even though the man was a church member, he wasn’t particularly interested in the things of the Lord. He came as a favor to the friend who invited him.

During the weekend, something happened to this man. He had never heard the message of Christ explained in such a clear way before, and somewhere during that weekend–to put it in his own words–“The light went on.” He went away from the conference a changed man. He has a hunger for the Word now and has begun to memorize key portions. He’s studying the Bible with a group of other men, and he has begun to witness to his business associates and friends.

His story reminds me of the testimony of Paul as he stood before King Agrippa. On the road to Damascus, the light went on for Paul, and he was never the same. The Lord gave him a mission to help others see the light as well. Christ had appeared to him for a purpose: to go to the Gentiles and pass along the message that would open their eyes and turn them from the power of Satan to God.

In Acts 26:19, Paul said, “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven.” Paul’s words carry the sense of a continuing change–“not once have I been disobedient to the heavenly vision.” For Paul, that day marked a change in lifestyle, a change of purpose, and a divine call.

Prayer

Lord, I love Your light. Help me to continue to walk with You today. Amen.

To Ponder

Once you have seen the light, you can never be content unless you are walking in daily fellowship with Christ and sharing His love with others.

 

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BreakPoint

BreakPoint – The Web and Our Humanity: Take Time Away from the Screen

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Back in the mid-1990s, Andrew Sullivan, the former editor of the New Republic, learned he was HIV-positive. Twenty years later, a series of health issues, including infections that wouldn’t clear up, caused him to shut down his popular and influential blog, “The Dish.”

The ironic, or perhaps telling, thing was that his HIV infection had little, if anything, to do with his health troubles. What was making him sick was the Internet.

Sullivan tells this story in the cover story of the September 19th issue of New York Magazine, entitled “I Used to Be a Human Being.” In it he described his version of what is sometimes called “living in the web”: “For a decade and a half, I’d been a web obsessive, publishing blog posts multiple times a day, seven days a week . . . Each morning began with a full immersion in the stream of internet consciousness and news, jumping from site to site, tweet to tweet, breaking news story to hottest take . . .”

The “reward” for this obsessiveness was being among the first people to make a living and a career out of what has been called “Web 2.0.” He turned being a blogger into a being a “brand.”

The price was a “never-stopping,” “always updating” way of living that was incompatible not only with being healthy, but also, as the article’s title suggests, being truly human: “Vacations,” he wrote, “such as they were, had become mere opportunities for sleep,” and “my friendships had atrophied as my time away from the web dwindled.”

Finally, in January of 2015, he walked away, not only from blogging but to a large extent from the web itself. He even attended a silent retreat as a kind of detox.

If running people ragged was all that “living in the web” did to us, that would be bad enough. But Sullivan, like my BreakPoint colleague Shane Morris, is even more concerned about what it does to our souls. It has, in Sullivan’s words, caused “our oldest human skills to atrophy.”

Continue reading BreakPoint – The Web and Our Humanity: Take Time Away from the Screen →

Today in the Word

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word –SALVATION RELATIONSHIPS: PERFECT FATHER

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Read 1 PETER 1:17–21

The first formal celebrations and services to honor fathers were held in 1908, 1910, and 1912 in various places in the United States. But Father’s Day, held on the third Sunday of June, did not become an official national holiday until 1972. Congress had resisted earlier efforts, with some claiming it would make the celebration of fatherhood too commercialized.

Most people agree that celebrating the role of fathers is a good thing. But it’s also true that many people experience painful relationships with deeply imperfect human fathers. Thankfully, each of us is offered the opportunity to know the perfect heavenly Father, described in these verses.

Peter has used the word Father three times in this chapter to describe God, and each instance reveals another facet. In verse 2, God the Father is described as part of the Trinity, along with Jesus and the Holy Spirit. In verse 3, God is described as the Father of Jesus Christ, and in verse 17 He is identified as our Father. It’s important to see that God is not an abstraction or a distant Being—He is continually in relationship with Jesus and now also with us.

This perfect Father is not capricious or vicious (v. 17). As foreigners in this world, we too easily focus on those with earthly power, but we should instead remember that our reverence and awe is due to God. He is the one we are called to imitate, and He is the only one who knows all things and can judge perfectly in all situations (see Deut. 10:17; Gal. 2:6).

This perfect Father also has power over all things, including death (v. 21). In His love, He has redeemed us through the sacrifice of Jesus. And because He has raised Jesus from the dead, we have the confidence that He will also deliver us.

APPLY THE WORD

What an amazing thing to be chosen and loved by this perfect Father! Why not have a “Father’s Day” celebration to praise Him? He doesn’t want a tie or a barbecue set—just our faith, love, reverence, obedience, and praise. You could devote a few minutes today to praising your Father, or plan a gathering of praise with family and friends.

 

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – EIGHT-YEAR-OLD ACCEPTED TO UNIVERSITY THANKS TO VIRAL VIDEO

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Jordin Phipps is a third-grader in Garland, Texas. She recently recorded a video of a mantra she learned in school: “I will start my day in a positive way! I will be respectful with the words that I say! I will pay attention and I will do my best and I will study hard for every test!”

Her mother shared the video with her alma mater, the University of North Texas. The university has now announced that it is giving Jordin the President’s Award for Excellence in Leadership. It comes with a $10,000 scholarship and guarantees her admission to the college’s class of 2030.

When we do the right thing, life often repays the favor—even in the hardest challenges we face.

Residents on the East Coast are preparing for the arrival of Hurricane Matthew, the most powerful storm to approach the region in almost a decade. More than a million people are being evacuated before the storm strikes tomorrow. This tragedy presents a unique opportunity for God’s people to serve those in need, demonstrating God’s love in their compassion.

Meanwhile, Pope Francis is making headlines this morning with his visit to survivors of an earthquake that killed nearly 300 people in Italy last August. His trip was unusual in that it was unannounced. The pope wanted to meet personally with those affected by the tragedy. In one convalescent home, he greeted all sixty residents individually and had lunch with them. His message was simple: “Always look ahead. [Have] courage, and help each other. One walks better together, alone we go nowhere. Let’s go forward!”

Pope Francis is right: we must have courage and help each other.

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