Monthly Archives: October 2016

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Until His Work Is Done

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Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. —Philippians 1:6

Sometimes I start projects with great enthusiasm, only to lose interest and move on to something else. I’m thankful God never does that with us. He always completes what He starts. In Hebrews 12:2 we are told we should be “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” God finishes what He begins.

But sometimes the Devil whispers into a believer’s ear, “You’re not going to make it as a Christian. You’re going to crash and burn.” That is a lie. The Bible says that God “is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy” (Jude 24). And we are told in Philippians 1:6, “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

Storms will come into every life, into the lives of both believers and nonbelievers. The rain will fall and the winds will blow. But it is only the child of God who can lay hold of Romans 8:28, which says, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Nonbelievers can quote that verse if they’d like, but it has no relevance to them whatsoever. Only Christians can lay hold of that promise.

Storms come and storms go. For some, life itself is one long storm. They may be facing very difficult circumstances. It could be a disability. It could be some tragedy that has befallen them and has altered their very existence.

There is hope, because no matter what you are going through right now, storms don’t last forever. God is in control. You will get to the other side.

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Is Our Source for Life

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“Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8a)

Maria turned on the faucet for her mom. Then she slowly followed the hose to where her mom was watering the flowers. “How was your day, Maria?” her mom asked.

“Not very good,” Maria said. “Jessica ruined it.”

“Jessica ruined your whole day. Hmm. How did Jessica do that?”

“She didn’t want to sit by me or play with me today. She played with Sarah instead. Jessica’s supposed to be my best friend!” Maria glanced at the flowers. “That flower needs some water, Mom. It looks brown.”

“My hose doesn’t reach that plant,” she said. “I need to replant that flower before it dies.”

“Oh,” Maria said. “Anyway, it’s going to be a bad year. I am the only third-grader without a best friend.”

“I know how important Jessica’s friendship is to you, sweetie. I’m sure she will still be your friend if you talk to her about it.” Mom started rolling up the hose, and they walked back to the house. “But Maria, don’t let this ruin your year – or even your day. You can still be happy even if Jessica is being unkind.”

“But it’s so hard! How can I be happy when Jessica is being mean to me?”

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – God Is Our Source for Life →

The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – Warmth and Desire

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Today’s Scripture: Psalm 42:1

“As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.”

In the life of the godly person, this desire for God produces an aura of warmth. Godliness is never austere and cold. Such an idea comes from a false sense of legalistic morality erroneously called godliness. The person who spends time with God radiates his glory in a manner that is always warm and inviting, never cold and forbidding.

This longing for God also produces a desire to glorify God and to please him. In the same breath, Paul expressed the desire to know Christ as well as to be like him (Philippians 3:10). This is God’s ultimate objective for us and is the object of the Spirit’s work in us. In Isaiah 26:9, the prophet proclaimed his desire for the Lord: “My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks you.” Immediately before this expression of desire for the Lord, he expresses a desire for his glory: “your name and renown are the desire of our hearts” (verse 8, NIV). Renown has to do with one’s reputation, fame, and eminence—or in God’s case, with his glory. The prophet could not separate in his heart his desire for God’s glory and his desire for God himself. These two yearnings go hand in hand.

This is devotion to God—the fear of God, which is an attitude of reverence and awe, veneration, and honor toward him, coupled with an apprehension deep within our souls of the love of God for us, demonstrated preeminently in Christ’s atoning death. These two attitudes complement and reinforce each other, producing within our souls an intense desire for this one who is so awesome in his glory and majesty, yet so condescending in his love and mercy.

 

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – Our Great God

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Today’s Scripture: 2 Samuel 21-24

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. – Psalm 23:1

David’s life was something like a roller coaster. At one point we find him on the mountaintop, rejoicing in a great victory. Turn the page and we find him in the pit, despairing of life and harassed by his enemies. Through it all there is one constant. David knew God in a personal way, and he praised God and worshiped Him for who He is.

David’s words give us a marvelous portrait of God. There is none like Him; no one can be compared to the Lord. The promises of men may go unfulfilled, but the Word of the Lord is true and trustworthy. David goes on to say: God is my rock, my strength and power, my hiding place, my fortress in whom I am safe, my high tower, my stronghold. Am I in distress? God is my deliverer. Are the fiery darts of the enemy pelting me? God is my shield. Am I pursued by the enemy of my soul? The Lord is my refuge.

What does all this mean to me? If the problems of life threaten to sink me under the load, He is my support; I can cast all my cares upon Him. If I’ve lost my direction in the dark, His Word is my lamp, showing me the way. If I am oppressed, He saves me from him who seeks the ruin of my soul.

If the Lord is our God, we will submit our will to Him and depend on His power, wisdom, and goodness to see us safely home.

Prayer

Lord, I want to be like David. When my soul is downcast, put a song of praise in my mouth, and show me how to worship You for the great God that You are. Amen.

To Ponder

The very God that David described is my God. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

 

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BreakPoint

BreakPoint –  InterVarsity Upholds Christian Teaching, and Many Don’t Like It

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Recently on BreakPoint, we told you how Baptist ethicist David Gushee proclaimed there was no more middle ground on LGBT issues. He’s right. You either approve of so-called sexually progressive ideas or you don’t—and if you don’t, you’ve placed yourself in the bigoted, wrong-side-of-history category.

That’s exactly what happened with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. Earlier this month, IV informed employees that they were expected to align with traditional Christian teaching on marriage and human sexuality. If they couldn’t, they were asked to come forward.

TIME magazine reported on the announcement this way. “One of the largest evangelical organizations on college campuses nationwide “has told its 1,300 staff members they will be fired if they personally support gay marriage or otherwise disagree with its newly detailed positions on sexuality starting on November 11.” They called it a “theological purge.”

But they completely misreported the story.

This was no out-of-nowhere,  drop-the-bomb announcement. IV conducted a four-year study of human sexuality and the Bible to write a 20 page position paper, that wasn’t limited to beliefs about homosexuality or same-sex marriage. They then initiated an 18-month process of communicating their positions to staff, which was simply a clarified version of what they’d always held on these issues. “The goal,” according to IV, “was to clarify our position while also providing ample time for those whose convictions differed to seek out better-fitting ministry opportunities.”

Staff were given the paper in March 2015, not last week. And they offered to help those who didn’t align with their convictions with their transition to different employment.

In other words, IV affirmed what Christians have always believed about sexuality until culturally yesterday. As expected, some staff—though as I understand it, very few—didn’t align with the new policy. Some were upset, which is to be expected. But I don’t know a single organization, much less a Christian organization, that doesn’t expect employees to align with their values.

Continue reading BreakPoint –  InterVarsity Upholds Christian Teaching, and Many Don’t Like It →

Today in the Word

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – LIVING FAITHFULLY IN SUFFERING

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Read 1 PETER 4:12–19

Tariku Fufa was thirteen years old when he decided to follow Jesus. Upon hearing the news, his father gave him an ultimatum: “Tariku, I give you a choice between Jesus and family.” When the boy remained firm in his commitment to Christ, his father beat him, cut his face with a knife, and threw him out into the streets of Begi, Ethiopia, to fend for himself. Without his medication, Tariku nearly died from an asthma attack, but felt God’s assurance that He had something else in store for this young man.

Believers in many parts of the world today know from painful experience what it means to suffer for the name of Christ. Our passage today contains two shocking messages about Christian suffering, specifically opposition from others because they know from our lives and our testimony that we are identified with Jesus.

First, we should not be surprised or find it strange that suffering befalls those who follow Jesus (v. 12). But in fact, many of us do assume that our Christian faith and good lives will make us popular and successful. As Peter has outlined throughout this letter, when we identify with Christ, our lives no longer align with the world’s values. And our Savior Himself suffered unjustly.

The second shocking message is that when we suffer, we should praise God (v. 16). It’s important to note that this is not Christian stoicism or fatalism. Just as Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane (and in keeping with the prayers in the Psalms), we can ask God to protect and deliver us. But our perspective on being persecuted because we follow Christ should be shaped by praise: gratitude that we have the privilege of being identified with Jesus, and thankfulness that our God will be faithful (vv. 16–19).

APPLY THE WORD

Six years later, Tariku’s father asked his forgive- ness. Concluding that it was a miracle he was alive, Tariku’s siblings and many in his village accepted Christ. Today he ministers to Africans in 23 countries. Pray for persecuted believers around the world, for God’s protection and reasons to praise His name.

http://www.todayintheword.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – DALLAS CHURCH CRITICIZED FOR DISCIPLINING GAY MEMBER

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On October 9, 2015, a member of Watermark Church in Dallas received a letter responding to his homosexual lifestyle. The letter noted that the church had worked with the man over several years to help him repent of such relationships.

However, the man’s decision to continue in a homosexual relationship caused the church to remove him from its membership and to treat him “as we would anyone who is living out of fellowship with God.” The congregation is praying “that repentance comes quickly and that you do not continue choosing a path of destruction and one that leads you away from the authority and care of the church.”

On the one-year anniversary of receiving the letter, the man described his anger on Facebook: “You are tarnishing the name of God to Christians and non-Christians alike; you should be ashamed of yourselves! Do not forget, Jesus was a [sic] angry with people just like you who said certain groups of people were not worthy to be followers of Him.”

Dallas Morning News columnist Jacquielynn Floyd was highly critical of the church in a column under the headline, “Watermark megachurch banned a gay man that it didn’t deserve to have as a member.” Floyd stated: “A church that chooses a path leading it to harass and condemn its own blameless members isn’t doing itself any favors. Running around trying to change turtles into ducks seems out of step with established science and enlightened interpretation of Scripture.”

Yesterday, Watermark Pastor Todd Wagner responded. Todd and I have been friends for years, and I greatly admire his passion for Christ, his congregation, and his community. I urge you to read his entire column in the Dallas Morning News.

Todd explains that the former member made clear to the church that “he no longer believed same-sex sexual activity was inappropriate for a follower of Jesus Christ and no longer desired to turn from it.” As a result, “Like any member whose beliefs move away from the core commitments, biblical convictions, and values of Watermark, it became appropriate to formally acknowledge his desire not to pursue faithfulness to Christ with us.”

Continue reading Denison Forum – DALLAS CHURCH CRITICIZED FOR DISCIPLINING GAY MEMBER →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Sifted for Service

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2 Chronicles 32:1-31

In one way or another, we are all being sifted by the circumstances that God allows to come our way. Sifting is never comfortable, because it exposes the chaff in our lives. And every bit of chaff is destined for unquenchable fire. The Lord will go to any lengths to uncover this debris and consume it. We rarely know where it is lurking until God exposes it and then gives us the opportunity to deal with it.

King Hezekiah was given such a chance at the pinnacle of his astonishing career. He had just witnessed the Lord bringing about a spectacular victory over Sennacherib and the Assyrian hosts. After that, God healed him from a mortal illness, and then Hezekiah was also offered a supernatural sign that actually drove the shadow 10 steps backward on the sundial. (See Isa. 38:8.)

On the heels of these miracles, emissaries from Babylon approached him with flattery. Would Hezekiah resist giving in to pride, or was he too consumed with his own importance? The sacred record reads, “In the matter of the envoys of the rulers of Babylon … God left him alone only to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart” (2 Chron. 32:31). As a result of this test, the chaff of self-importance was revealed.

Do you ever feel abandoned by God? Worse still, do you sometimes feel as if you are being sifted by Satan? Yes, the enemy sifts, but remember that Jesus Christ is praying for you. Furthermore, the winnowing fork is in His hand, so not a hair of your head will perish (Luke 3:17; Luke 21:18).

Bible in One Year: Mark 8-9

 

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Keep Up the Good Work

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Read: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

Bible in a Year: Isaiah 47-49; 1 Thessalonians 4

We . . . urge you . . . to do this more and more.—1 Thessalonians 4:1

My son loves to read. If he reads more books than what is required at school, he receives an award certificate. That bit of encouragement motivates him to keep up the good work.

When Paul wrote to the Thessalonians he motivated them not with an award but with words of encouragement. He said, “Brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more” (1 Thess. 4:1). These Christians were pleasing God through their lives, and Paul encouraged them to continue to live more and more for Him.

Maybe today you and I are giving our best to know and love and please our Father. Let’s take Paul’s words as an incentive to continue on in our faith.

But let’s go one step further. Who might we encourage today with Paul’s words? Does someone come to mind who is diligent in following the Lord and seeking to please Him? Write a note or make a phone call and urge this person to keep on in their faith journey with Him. What you say may be just what they need to continue following and serving Jesus. —Keila Ochoa

Dear Lord, thank You for encouraging me through Your Word to keep living for You.

Encourage someone today to keep living for God.

INSIGHT: We may get weary (as if on a hamster’s running wheel) sticking to sameness over and over again. Yet when what we are doing is worthwhile, it’s worth doing “more and more” (1 Thess. 4:1). Not only do we reap rewards (in this life and the coming one), but we also have the opportunity to hear our Lord’s eventual “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matt. 25:23). Jim Townsend

 

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John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – You Can Count on It

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“Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:11).

You must act on what you know to be true.

A foundational biblical principle is that people must understand the truth before they can live it out in their lives. Put another way, duty is always based on doctrine. The first ten verses of Romans 6 lay the solid foundation of truth upon which believers can build their lives. Several times so far (vv. 3, 5, 6, 8) Paul has exhorted Christians to understand the truth of their union with Christ in His death and resurrection. Now he exhorts us to act on it.

“Consider” translates a Greek word that means “to calculate,” “to compute,” “to take into account.” Paul urges believers to come to a settled conviction about their death to sin through their union with Christ.

Why do some question the liberating truth that in Christ they are dead to sin? Some are victimized by an inadequate view of salvation, seeing it as a mere change in their legal standing before God. Salvation involves far more, however; it involves a transformation of life. Those who believe their Christian life to be a constant battle between their old and new selves will not be able to consider themselves dead to sin. The accusations of Satan (Rev. 12:10) and conscience also make it very difficult for some to count on their death to sin. But the biggest difficulty Christians face in believing sin is a defeated enemy is their constant battle with it. That struggle makes it hard to believe we’re really dead to sin’s power (Rom. 7:15-24). Nevertheless, the Bible teaches that Christ’s holiness imputed to believers has released us from sin’s dominion. Therefore, Christians can choose not to sin and are never forced to sin.

Consider yourself to be dead to sin, and experience the blessings of triumph over temptation (1 Cor. 10:13), sin (which can never cause you to lose your salvation, Heb. 7:25), and death (John 11:25-26).

Suggestions for Prayer

Thank God for His gracious provision of salvation in Jesus Christ.

For Further Study

Read the following passages: Hosea 4:6; Isaiah 1:3; Colossians 3:8-10. What do they teach about the importance of doctrinal knowledge in the Christian life?

 

http://www.gty.org

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Profitable Patience 

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Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:14

Life is normally lived waiting. We wait in lines; a teenager waits for his or her next birthday; we wait for job promotions; we wait for news from the doctor; we wait for the next meal; we wait for our future spouse; we wait for a lawsuit to be settled; we wait for a meeting to conclude; we wait for those who have yet to keep their commitment. Every time we turn around we have an opportunity to wait. Why wait? Because most of the time, it’s what’s best and most beneficial. A vegetable gardener is a prisoner to waiting, but this is an asset, not a liability. A tomato is much tastier when it is red, large, and juicy, rather than green, small, and hard. The smart gardener will wait for the vegetables to ripen, though he will nurture the soil along the way and keep out the weeds.

There is a waiting cycle that must be completed before there is worthwhile fruit. If you didn’t have to wait, you may have been satisfied with how things have always been done. Now you have the opportunity to think differently. Maybe there are other people or resources that can contribute to your project or plan. So, when things do not go as planned, see it as an opportunity to improve the plan. Or the very thing may be to provide help to another, as waiting is a lesson in loving others in spite of themselves; even providing valued assistance during this parenthesis in your own life.

Most important, learn how to wait for the Lord. What a valuable asset to wait upon. The Lord God Almighty is worth the wait.

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – Profitable Patience  →

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – The Gift of Righteousness

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…[Righteousness, standing acceptable to God] will be granted and credited to us also who believe in (trust in, adhere to, and rely on) God, Who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.

—Romans 4:24

One of the first revelations God gave me in the Word was on righteousness. By “revelation,” I mean something you understand to the point that it becomes part of you. The knowledge isn’t only in your mind, but it is in your heart. You are assured of a truth.

Righteousness is God’s gift to us. It is “granted and credited” to us by virtue of our believing in what God did for us through His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus, Who knew no sin, became sin so that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Above all else, the devil does not want us to walk in the reality that we are in right standing with God. He wants us to feel insecure, ashamed, guilty, and condemned so that we shrink from God instead of enjoying closeness with Him.

Jesus wants us to know that we are right with God because of what He has done for us. He wants us to enjoy Him and enjoy living in relationship with Him. Receive the gift of God’s forgiveness, mercy, and right standing today and embark on a journey of freedom and joy.

You can have a revelation of the gift of righteousness by meditating on God’s Word and believing what it says about who you are in Christ.

From the book Closer to God Each Day by Joyce Meyer

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – You Are Indwelt by God Himself!

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“Haven’t you yet learned that your body is the home of the Holy Spirit God gave you, and that He lives within you? Your own body does not belong to you” (1 Corinthians 6:19).

The Bible teaches that there is one God manifested in three persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – and that God lives within everyone who has received Christ.

One of the most important truths I have learned as a Christian is that this omnipotent, holy, righteous, loving, triune God – our heavenly Father, our risen Savior and Holy Spirit, Creator of heaven and earth – comes to dwell within sinful man at the moment he receives Christ! And, through Christ’s blood, sinful man is made righteous at the moment of the new birth!

Meditate with me upon what this means. When you fully grasp that the God of love, grace, wisdom, power and majesty dwells within you waiting to release His matchless love and mighty power is absolutely awesome.

You are His temple, and if you invite Him to, He will actually walk around in your body, think with your mind, love with your heart, speak with your lips and continue to seek and save the lost, for whom He gave His life 2,000 years ago. Incredible! Incomprehensible to our finite minds, this truth is so clearly emphasized in the Word of God and demonstrated in the lives of all who trust and obey Him that there can be no doubt. If you have received Christ, God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – now indwells you and your body has become His temple.

Bible Reading: Acts 2:37-40

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will begin every day by acknowledging that my body is a temple of God. I will invite the Lord Jesus Christ to walk around in my body, think with my mind, love with my heart, speak with my lips and continue to seek and save the lost through me. I will invite the Holy Spirit to empower and enable me to live a holy, supernatural life and be a fruitful witness of God’s love and grace – that my life will bring praise, honor, worship and glory to God the Father.

 

http://www.cru.org

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – With God

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Read: 1 Corinthians 7:10-24

Were you a slave when you were called? Don’t let it trouble you — although if you can gain your freedom, do so. For the one who was a slave when called to faith in the Lord is the Lord’s freed person; similarly, the one who was free when called is Christ’s slave. You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of human beings. Brothers and sisters, each person, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation they were in when God called them. 1 Corinthians 7:21-24

Paul is dealing here with the common problem of slavery in that day, and yet what he says is interesting. Basically, what he says is, To be a slave or to be free is not the overriding consideration of life: it is what you are inside that counts. In the novel Roots, and in the television portrayal of that book, it was very evident that some of the slaves who were believers in Christ were much more noble, more loving, more compassionate, more understanding, demonstrated more integrity than their free masters. This whole passage calls us to the fact that that is the true freedom.

Paul is not denying the possibility that God may so arrange things that an opportunity for freedom is given. If so, Take it, he says. Basically, it is a gift of God. Christianity, though it is revolutionary, it is not designed to be radically so. It is not a violent overthrow of systems of the past, but it is designed to free from within. This is what the apostle is saying. So if you are in a situation that is difficult to handle, and hard to bear, remember that is only external; it is only temporary and passing, and you can be free in Christ in a most beautiful and effective and influential way.

Continue reading Ray Stedman – With God →

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – In the Beginning

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Read: Genesis 1:1, 31

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. (v. 1)

Our earthly life begins with conception and ends with death. In between we experience beginnings and endings, gains and losses. Over the next couple of weeks we will examine various passages of Scripture to see how God offers us hope, help and healing in times of loss, endings, and new beginnings.

The first four words of the Bible are “In the beginning, God.” God is eternal and has no beginning or end. He was present prior to the beginning of this world. He was there to start all beginnings when he created the heavens and the earth. Ponder that for a moment. Before you were conceived, before you began school, started your first job, entered into marriage, or became a parent, God preceded all of your beginnings. He created the world and declared it “very good” (v. 31). Sin, corruption, evil, and death were unknown. Yet in this world, all our beginnings will eventually end, sooner or later, for one reason or another. Living in a fallen world tainted by sin includes loss and death—which ends every earthly endeavor.

God has acted to give us hope in the beginnings and endings of life. He has sent us a Savior—Jesus Christ—the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End (Rev. 22:13). In the starts and finishes, the pain of loss, and even the sting of death, Jesus is our lasting hope.

Prayer:

Eternal God, thank you for being with me in the beginnings and endings of life. Amen.

Author: Steve Petroelje

 

https://woh.org/

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Wants Your Heart

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“For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.” (Ezra 7:10)

God’s people were not doing well. They had fallen into sin and were facing many enemies. They were discouraged and needed help. And so God sent a man named Ezra to help His people. (Ezra’s name actually means “to help.”) Why did God choose to use Ezra in such a great way? Maybe the reason is found in Ezra 7:10 – “For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.”

The word “prepared” tells us that sometime in Ezra’s life, probably when he was a boy, he decided something about the direction in life – he “set his heart.” Did you know that it is never too early to purpose in your heart that you want to serve the Lord? Most missionaries around the world gave their lives to Christ when they were young people.

But what did Ezra “prepare his heart” to do? He decided to do three things. First, he wanted to “seek the law of the Lord.” That means that he wanted to become an expert at knowing the Word of God! Have you ever decided to become an expert at something? Jason and Evan spent a lot of time playing a game called foosball or table soccer. They liked to team up and try to win against the teenagers, often making the older boys feel very silly to have been beaten by 10-year-olds. Jason and Evan had decided to become experts at foosball, and they did it!

Sports and games can be great fun and good exercise. But think how much better it must be for a young person to decide that the most important goal is to be an “expert” at trusting and obeying God’s Word? There is nothing more worthwhile than that!

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – God Wants Your Heart →

The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – Dust to Glory

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Today’s Scripture: Ephesians 2:1,4-5

“You were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked. But God . . . made us alive together with Christ.”

The word Gospel essentially means “good news,” specifically about our relationship with God. We all like good news, especially if it addresses bad news we’ve just received. If you’ve just been told you have cancer, it’s good news when the doctor tells you it’s a type that readily responds to treatment.

The Gospel is like that. It’s good news that directly addresses our ultimate bad news. The Bible tells us we were in deep trouble with God; we were unrighteous and ungodly, and God’s wrath is revealed “against all the godlessness and wickedness of men”; in fact, we were “by nature objects of [God’s] wrath” (Romans 1:18, NIV; Ephesians 2:3, NIV). Coming into the world as a baby, before you’d ever done anything bad, you were an object of God’s wrath. That’s the bad news. .

Then the Bible tells us that God has provided a solution far surpassing our problem. The good news always outweighs the bad—as in Ephesians 2:1-9. After telling us we were objects of God’s wrath, Paul added: “But . . . God, who is rich in mercy . . . raised us up with Christ, and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” (NIV). That is surely a dust-to-glory story. What greater contrast could there be than an object of God’s wrath seated with his Son in glory?

This good news doesn’t begin when we die. It’s for now. We don’t have to feel guilt-ridden and insecure before God. We don’t have to wonder if He likes us. We can begin each day with the deeply encouraging realization, I’m accepted by God, not on the basis of my personal performance, but on the basis of the infinitely perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. (Excerpt taken from The Gospel for Real Life)

 

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – Staying on Course

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Today’s Scripture: 1 Samuel 20-23

For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end. – Psalm 48:14

In today’s passage we find David going to Jonathan to find out why Saul was trying to kill him. Listen to Jonathan’s answer: “You are not going to die! My father doesn’t do anything, great or small, without confiding in me. Why would he hide this from me? It’s not so!” Was Jonathan trying to lure David into a trap? No, of course not. If David could depend on the loyalty of anyone, it was that of Jonathan. Counsel can be wrong, even when given by someone who truly loves you and has your best interests at heart.

After my wife and I became Christians, we decided that I should quit my job and we should go to Northwestern College for some Bible training. Most of our friends and relatives tried to talk us out of it. They were well meaning, but misdirected. When we need to make decisions, we need to look to the God who guides us. The Bible says “in multitude of counselors there is safety” (Proverbs 24:6 KJV).

In addition to many counselors, we also must look for direction in the Bible and from the witness of the Holy Spirit.

A Christian seeking to know the will of God is like a ship captain who must line up three lights in order to make a safe approach into the harbor. For Christians, those three lights are the Bible, the witness of the Holy Spirit, and the counsel of godly friends. When the three lights look like one, then he is on the right course.

Prayer

Lord, “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path… My heart is set on keeping Your decrees to the very end” (Psalm 119:105,112). Amen.

To Ponder

We should carefully line up the “three lights” when seeking the right course.

 

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Today in the Word

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – LIVING TO SERVE OTHERS

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Read 1 PETER 4:7–11

A report from the bank HSBC in April indicated that British people spend fewer hours deciding whether to buy a house than they do on planning the menu for a dinner party. The process of mulling an offer for a new home took on average 26 hours, whereas the decisions about what food to serve to guests took 31 hours.

When we hear the word hospitality, we might think of a home with interior design fit for a magazine spread, an exquisite dinner party with several courses, and a hostess who has memorized Emily Post’s book Etiquette. Is that the exhortation from Peter in today’s reading? There’s nothing wrong with a gracious hostess inviting people into her well-appointed home for a lovely meal—but Scripture is calling Christians to something even better.

Peter has just instructed his readers to remain firm in rejecting their former pagan lifestyle. Now he tells them what to embrace: instead of drunkenness, be sober in order to pray. Instead of retaliating when wronged, choose love and forgiveness. Instead of the selfish pursuit of pleasure, offer hospitality to others even when it’s inconvenient (vv. 7–9). These are important disciplines and practices of the Christian life; prayer, love, and hospitality distinguish believers from the cultural values around them.

The final verses in this passage remind us that all believers contribute to the strengthening and encouragement of the church through the use of our gifts. They are one means God uses to put His grace into practice in the community of faith (v. 10). Every gift should be used “with the strength God provides,” which blesses others and brings glory to God (v. 11). Though oppressed, marginalized, and mocked by the culture, the church has the limitless grace of God and the victory through Christ.

APPLY THE WORD

How can you offer hospitality? The early church often offered travelers a safe place to stay; today missionaries often need a place to stay overnight. The early church needed people willing to host gatherings in their home; today small groups often need a place to meet. You could also share a meal with visitors, college students, or people in need.

 

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Streams in the Desert for Kids – God’s Secrets

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Psalm 25:14

Paleontologists study prehistoric life—that is, life that came before recorded history. They labor under harsh conditions, digging up ancient bones and fossils that help scientists understand more about God’s amazing diversity of creatures. This work isn’t easy: paleontologists work in the dust and the heat, digging slowly and carefully so they won’t damage any specimens. Because of this painstaking work, we have learned a great deal about life that came before us.

There are wonders and mysteries about God that we only get to know by being determined to learn about him. Those who fear God, dig deep into study about him, and pray and listen for his voice are the ones who get to know those secret mysteries and wonders. It’s like uncovering ancient bones or fossils that we didn’t even know existed until we started searching for them. Often people learn the most about God in hard times. What would you like to know about God and his great love?

Dear Lord, As I grow up, I want to know more about you. Please share your secrets, mysteries, and wonders with me. Amen.