Monthly Archives: October 2016

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Path of Blessing

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“You know these things – now do them! That is the path of blessing” (John 13:17).

These words of Jesus are as binding on us who follow Him today as they were on the disciples who actually heard Him speak them.

You will remember the setting. Jesus had just washed the feet of His disciples as an example of servanthood that He wanted them to observe and to learn. And that is the lesson we do well to ponder: service for others.

Except for the good we can do others, in the power and with the enabling of God’s Holy Spirit, what really is the purpose of our being left here on earth? And miracle of miracles, when we do that which is right – serve others, in Christ’s name – our own personal problems seem minor and relatively unimportant.

Loneliness and depression have their quickest cure in the realm of helping others. No matter what our problem – physical, spiritual, or material – it is quite likely we can find others whose plights are worse. By giving of ourselves in their behalf, we forget about our own troubles, which are usually resolved in the process.

Simple, is it not, that we are to do those things the Lord commands us to do? When we read and study His Word, we can find our just what they are.

Bible Reading: John 13:12-16

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will not be content with just admiring the example Jesus has set before us, but will seek to obey His commands to be a doer if the Word as well.

 

http://www.cru.org

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – The Wrong Way to Right Wrongs

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Read: 1 Corinthians 6:1-11

If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people? Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! 1 Corinthians 6:1-3

The apostle does not use the word stupid here, but his implication is that these people are very foolish for doing what they are doing. They were obviously engaging in lawsuits, dragging them before the Roman courts, and having all their quarrels and dirty linen washed in public and settled by a secular court. This, the apostle says, is foolish, and he has two reasons for implying this.

First, he implies that it is an act of audacious boldness: Dare any one of you having a grievance against his brother take it to a law court to settle? His clear implication is that this is an audacious act; it is an outrageous act; it is a bold, daring thing to do. Paul implies that, of course, by the word he uses — that one who does such is uncaring; he has reached the point where he does not care what anybody thinks or feels and he is acting regardless of the injuries that may be done to others. Paul then suggests, in the two questions he asks, that anybody who does such a thing is really an ignorant person: Do you not know that the church is going to judge the world, and do not you know that the church is going to judge angels?

These questions he asks imply a certain degree of knowledge that the Corinthians ought to have had. Do you not know, he says, that the saints will judge the world? Surely he is referring to those passages both in the Gospels and in the Epistles where we are clearly told that when the Lord returns the saints are going to share the throne of judgment with him. We are to rule and to reign with Christ, entering into judgment with him. We are not told whether we are all assigned a little throne to sit on, and have a certain number of people come to us, or whether we divide up according to the alphabet. We are, however, to enter into the mind and heart of God as he examines the motives and hearts, the thoughts and innermost desires and urges of men. In Chapter 4, remember, Paul said that we are not to judge before the Lord who will examine the motives, the hidden things of the heart. But we are learning how to do that, and that is the point Paul is raising here. He does not mean to put down the systems of justice that were practiced in that day or any day. Paul admired and honored Roman law — he himself called upon it for defense on occasion — but he is saying that human law by its very nature has to deal with trivial, superficial things, with actions, and not with urges and deep, hidden motives.

Continue reading Ray Stedman – The Wrong Way to Right Wrongs →

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – The State’s Place

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Read: Colossians 1:15-23

For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities . . . (v. 16)

Governments do a lot of good. Today I mailed a letter, which will be delivered courtesy of my government. I also deposited my paycheck, which is only worth anything because my government backs the currency and enforces the contracts between my employers, my bank, and me. But governments also destroy people. Time and again, I have met prisoners who were deeply convinced, not only that they committed a crime for which they must repent, but that they were subhuman garbage, unworthy of decent treatment. They learned this from the government that houses them, that wields godlike power over their moment-to-moment existence, and that, often enough, turns a blind eye when they are abused, raped, or exploited while incarcerated.

The Rome that held Paul captive was an empire of unprecedented power in the ancient world. For Paul, a prisoner, to remember and assert that it existed for Christ, the Word by whom and for whom all things were created, was utterly radical. Jesus reminds us of the state’s true size. It is subordinate to him; it exists to glorify him. When the state stops doing so—when, for example, it abuses the image of God, including those images of God who live in prison—Christians have a duty to push back.

Prayer:

Lord, for our sake you became a prisoner. Needle our conscience until we demand prison conditions not wholly unfit for you.

Author: Phil Christman

 

https://woh.org/

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – A Word to Singles

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I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible.—1 Corinthians 7:35

Is it better to be single or to be married? There are actually advantages and disadvantages to both, but let me take a moment to address singles today.

When you are married, you make a commitment that is to be taken seriously. We are told in 1 Corinthians 7:32–33, “An unmarried man can spend his time doing the Lord’s work and thinking how to please him. But a married man has to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please his wife.”

Paul is not saying it is a bad thing to be married. He is saying when you are married you have to think of someone besides yourself. A husband has to think about how to please his wife. A wife has to think about how to please her husband. That doesn’t mean you can’t still please the Lord. But it does mean that now you have limitations in your life that you did not have before.

When you are single, you are mobile. In many ways, you are free. That is good. Use your mobility for God’s glory. Use your extra time to serve and grow closer to Him.

What you don’t want to do is get into a relationship with a nonbeliever because you are impatient. We are told in 2 Corinthians 6:14–15, “Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever?”

Here is what happens when couples are not matched up spiritually. In most cases, the believer is not going to pull the nonbeliever up to faith; the nonbeliever is going to pull the believer down.

So, if you are a single Christian, wait on the Lord for the person He is going to bring to you. Start praying for them today. Pray for wisdom to discern the right person and the right moment.

James Dobson said it well: “Don’t marry the person you think you can live with. Marry only the individual you think you can’t live without.”

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Loved First

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“We love him, because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)

Have your mom and dad ever told you that they “love you more” than you could ever love them, or that they have loved you longer? If so, they are probably right. You cannot even remember knowing your parents when you were first born, or – some of you – when you were first adopted, and you are probably still learning how to love them rightly. Your parents loved you first. They brought you into their home, and you belong to them. You are learning to respond to them with love in return. But they will always be the ones who loved you first, not the other way around.

Who “invented” love? Who created it? 1 John 4 reminds us that God did. God IS love. He is the Source of perfect love. And He loves people even when they are not lovable! Could a human being ever think up on his own the idea of God’s love? No. Could we ever earn God’s love? No. Could we keep loving others if it were not for God’s help and what He has done in loving us first – before we were even able to love Him?

What are your thoughts when you remember that God is the Source of all love, and that He chose to love you when you were unlovely and unloving?

It makes the tears run down one’s cheeks to think that we should have an interest in that decree and council of the Almighty Three, when every one that should be blood-bought had its name inscribed in God’s eternal book. Come, soul, I bid thee now exercise thy wings a little, and see if this does not make thee love God. He thought of thee before thou hadst a being. When as yet the sun and the moon were not, – when the sun, the moon, and the stars slept in the mind of God, like unborn forests in an acorn cup, when the old sea was not yet born, long ere this infant world lay in its swaddling bands of mist, then God had inscribed thy name upon the heart and upon the hands of Christ indelibly, to remain for ever. And does not this make thee love God?
~ Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – God Loved First →

The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – Incredible Inheritance

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Today’s Scripture: Ephesians 3:8

“To me . . . this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.”

Years ago our pastor told about a southern plantation owner who left a $50,000 inheritance (perhaps equivalent to half a million dollars today) to a former slave who’d served him faithfully all his life. The estate’s lawyer duly notified the old man and told him the money was deposited at a local bank.

Weeks went by, and the former slave never called for any of his inheritance. Finally, the banker called him in and told him again he had $50,000 available to draw on at any time. “Sir,” the old man replied, “do you think I can have fifty cents to buy a sack of cornmeal?&quot.

That story illustrates the plight of many Christians today. Paul wrote of preaching “the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8) —referring not to financial wealth but to the glorious truths of the gospel. It’s as if each of us has $50,000 available in the gospel, yet most of us are hoping we can squeeze out fifty cents’ worth. We don’t understand the riches of the Gospel any more than the former slave understood his inheritance.

Suppose also that the slave was not only poverty-stricken but also deep in debt for back rent. With his inheritance, he could not only pay off the debt but also buy his house. His inheritance far surpasses his debt. This is the truth of the Gospel. We owe an enormous spiritual debt to God; there’s no way we can repay it. The gospel tells us Jesus Christ paid our debt, but it also tells us far more: We’re no longer enemies and objects of God’s wrath. We’re now his sons and daughters, heirs with Christ to all his unsearchable riches. This is the good news of the Gospel.

 

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – Words of Life

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Today’s Scripture: Genesis 48-50

These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and…when you lie down and when you get up. – Deuteronomy 6:6-7

Do you like flattery, or would you rather have someone shoot straight with you? Maybe your answer is, “Well, I’d like them to shoot straight, but not too straight.” The truth is sometimes hard to take.

Genesis 48-50 shows us Jacob, the ancient patriarch, gathering his sons to his side and shooting straight by giving each of them a word from God. Jacob did not hesitate to tell his sons the truth, even though, in some cases, it was not pleasant and, I’m sure, not easy to do. He is an Old Testament example of the New Testament words of Paul urging us to speak the truth in love.

Today there is such a mad scramble to protect a person’s self-image that often the truth of the matter gets compromised. But in the Scriptures we see ourselves as we really are in the context of God’s love and holiness.

May we lead our families into the Word and daily expose them to the truths found in Scripture. Who can know the impact it will have on their lives?

Prayer

Lord, so often I make time for everything else but reading Your Word and listening to Your voice. Help me to put You first in my life and to lead my family by the light of Your Word. Amen.

To Ponder

What better thing can I do than encourage my family to hunger for the eternal Word of God?

 

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BreakPoint

BreakPoint – No Pooh-Poohing Biblical History: The Lachish Latrine

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The late Chuck Colson was known for many things: his role in the Watergate scandal, his subsequent conversion to Christ; his work with prisoners around the world, and his efforts in promoting a Christian worldview.

But to his closest associates, Chuck was also known for his sense of humor. He loved practical jokes, and as odd as this sounds, jokes about bathroom mishaps—the kind of potty humor made famous by humorist Dave Barry.

So for this and many other reasons, I really wish Chuck were around to deliver this particular commentary.

You see, archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority, digging in the remains of what was once the biblical city of Tel Lachish, made a startling discovery that confirmed the biblical text in a most startling way: They found an ancient toilet.

To fully appreciate the significance of the find, we need to go back in time to the eighth century before Christ. King Hezekiah, one of only a handful of post-Davidic kings that earns the Bible’s seal of approval, initiated series of reforms aimed at eradicating syncretism in Judah.

At the heart of these reform efforts was eliminating what the Bible called “high places” or bamot in Hebrew. These were cultic sites containing an altar, usually located, as the English name suggests, on a hill or a ridge.

While ostensibly dedicated to the worship of YHWH, over time the sites, and the worship that occurred at them, became syncretistic: pagan deities were honored alongside YHWH. Thus we are told that asherim, or “Asherah Poles,” cultic objects dedicated to the worship of the Canaanite goddess of fertility, were erected at these sites.

Hezekiah was commended because “He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles.”

And that brings me back to the discovery at Tel Lachish. Archaeologists found a “large room that appears to have been a shrine. The room contained two four-horned altars, whose horns had been intentionally damaged.” Excavation leader Sa’ar Ganor “believes that the destroyed altars corroborate biblical references to King Hezekiah’s reforms: his efforts to centralize worship in Jerusalem and abolish it elsewhere.”

Continue reading BreakPoint – No Pooh-Poohing Biblical History: The Lachish Latrine →

Moody Global Ministries

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – SALVATION LIVING: BLESSING OTHERS

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Read 1 PETER 3:8–12

Social media has intensified the scope of public insults. While politicians and celebrities have traded public barbs for centuries, today millions of followers on Facebook or Instagram can follow the barrage of insults in real time. Some websites have started lists such as “Top Ten Twitter Wars!” or “The Ten Most Epic Celebrity Twitter Fights!”

Our natural reaction when attacked is to strike back. We want to win the Twitter war. We want to have the last word. We want to hurt the other guy worse than he hurt us. Our text for today challenges us to the standard of salvation living instead. All of us— both the most and the least powerful in our society—should live in a way that follows the example of Jesus and blesses others (v. 8).

First, the community of believers should be characterized by love, humility, compassion, and harmony. As Peter will discuss in much of the rest of this letter, Christians will encounter opposition from others. All the more important, then, that hostility, pride, and discord be rooted out from the church. We are called to emulate the character of Christ, and these qualities of love and humility are essential for Christian community to support one another and be a witness to the world.

Next, Peter addresses the Christian response to attacks from those outside the church. New Testament scholars describe these insults as “weapons typically employed in . . . publicly shaming and discrediting those who are different or regarded as one’s competitors.” Peter draws from Psalm 34 to remind believers that the ultimate audience for their speech is the Lord, not their accusers (vv. 10–12). Instead of responding with insults to defend their honor, believers should respond with a blessing, knowing that God will hear and defend them.

APPLY THE WORD

Winning a battle of insults is worth less than inheriting the blessing of God (v. 9). As a way to help form your heart and mind toward love and humility, consider committing verses 10 through 12 to memory. This process of memorizing and meditating on Scripture can remind us to focus on the Lord, not our opponents.

 

http://www.todayintheword.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – WHAT AMERICA DOESN’T UNDERSTAND ABOUT TIM TEBOW

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Tim Tebow is making headlines yet again. He was signing autographs on Tuesday after playing in a minor league baseball game when he saw a fan having what appeared to be a seizure. Tebow talked and prayed with him until paramedics arrived, then promised to check on him later. “God bless you, buddy,” he said. As Tebow headed for the team bus, fans saluted him. “That was class,” one said.

ESPN has more on the story this morning, quoting Tebow’s explanation for his actions: “People are what’s important. And an opportunity to help someone is more important than anything that I could have possibly done on a baseball diamond that day.”

Why is America so fascinated with Tim Tebow?

Part of the answer is his prodigious athletic talent. He was the first college sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy. He led the University of Florida to two national titles in three years. As quarterback of the Denver Broncos, he led his team to its first AFC West title and playoff game since 2005.

After limited playing time with three other NFL teams, he announced this year that he would pursue baseball. On the first pitch of his first game as a professional baseball player, he hit a home run. The video went viral immediately.

Part of the answer is his public faith. During college games, he often wore biblical references on his “eye black,” the paint many players wear to help shield their eyes from the sun. When he wore “John 3:16” for one game, the verse became the highest-ranked Google search term over the next twenty-four hours, generating 90 million searches. His custom of kneeling in prayer on the sideline became a national phenomenon. His commitment to remaining a virgin until marriage generated national headlines.

Continue reading Denison Forum – WHAT AMERICA DOESN’T UNDERSTAND ABOUT TIM TEBOW →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Message of the Cross

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John 19:1-27

Rome used the cross as a brutal method for executing criminals. Through Jesus’ sacrificial act, its message became one of hope and life for those who believe in Him.

The cross meant various things to different people in the gospel account. To Pilate, Judea’s governor, it was the place where an innocent man had died. The Pharisees and Sadducees, on the other hand, saw the cross as the way to eliminate a problem—it meant that the radical rabbi was finished, and their position and authority were no longer threatened.

When Judas Iscariot heard that Jesus was condemned to die, he became greatly distressed. I believe the betrayer had thought his actions would force Jesus to declare His kingdom, with Judas taking a high position in the new government. Instead, his error in judgment crushed any personal ambition.

In that culture, the cross represented shameful crime. Knowing the perfection of her son’s life and His identity as the Son of God, Mary must have been certain it was undeserved. She also no doubt saw it as fulfillment of prophecy: When Jesus was just days old, Simeon had prophesied that a sword would one day pierce Mary’s soul. (See Luke 2:34-35.) The cross brought that about.

To Jesus’ disciples, the crucifixion was the time when their beloved friend and Messiah died. Their close relationship with Jesus seemed to end, as did their dream of being freed from Roman jurisdiction.

What response would you give to the question, “What does the cross mean to you?” Is it the place where a good man lost his life, a troublemaker was eliminated, or the Son of God died to save you?

Bible in One Year: Matthew 27-28

 

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Warning!

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Read: 1 Samuel 25:1-12

Bible in a Year: Isaiah 39-40; Colossians 4

His name means Fool, and folly goes with him!—1 Samuel 25:25

The following warnings have been found on consumer products:

“Remove child before folding.” (baby stroller)

“Does not supply oxygen.” (dust mask)

“Never operate your speakerphone while driving.” (hands-free cell phone product called the “Drive ’n’ Talk”)

“This product moves when used.” (scooter)

An appropriate warning label that Nabal could have worn would have been: “Expect folly from a fool” (see 1 Sam. 25). He certainly was irrational as he addressed David. On the run from Saul, David had provided security detail for the sheep of a wealthy man named Nabal. When David learned that Nabal was shearing those sheep and celebrating with a feast, he sent ten of his men to politely ask for food as remuneration for these duties (vv. 4-8).

Nabal’s response to David’s request was beyond rude. He said, “Who is this David? . . . Why should I take my bread and water, and the meat . . . , and give it to men coming from who knows where?” (vv. 10-11). He broke the hospitality code of the day by not inviting David to the feast, disrespected him by calling out insults, and essentially stole from him by not paying him for his work.

Continue reading Our Daily Bread — Warning! →

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Religion à la Carte

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There is a covered bridge in Georgia that extends over a scenic rushing stream. A well-worn trail leads its visitors to a succession of small cascading waterfalls over a series of massive rocks. Sitting atop one of these rocks, my husband turned to me and asked, “Do you ever think of the springs in France when you see a bottle of Evian for sale?”

My answer caught me more off guard than his question. No, I really hadn’t ever thought of the springs, or the production, or for that matter, the importing that goes into the twenty-some kinds of bottled water we see on our grocery store shelves. In fact, I don’t usually think about the origins of anything I consume.

Sociologists call this growing trend of perspective (or lack there of) commodification, the progression of thought whereby the commodities we consume are seen in abstraction from their origins. For instance, when most of us think of chocolate, we rarely see it as having a context beyond our consumption of it. The land where it came from, the conditions of its production, and the community or laborers who produce it are realities disassociated with the commodity. In a world dominated by consumption, commodification is becoming more and more of an unconscious worldview, and one which is shaping habits of interpretation across the board.

Author and cultural observer Vincent Miller writes of how such a manner of seeing and interpreting is also making us more comfortable with engaging religion as commodity, lifting certain portions of a religious tradition from its context and historical background for the sake of one’s individual use or interest.(1) Thus just as chocolate or bottled water is easily and unconsciously viewed as detached and even different from its origin and context, parts and pieces of religious traditions are increasingly being seen as goods from which we can pick and choose, commodities disassociated from the historical realities and contexts from which they arise. Such habits of interpretation might explain the current fascination with diverse and isolated spiritual practices; it could also explain the man on television who recently expressed his desire to design a tattoo portraying his version of the Crucifixion. Jesus, the cross, and the resurrection become commodities isolatable from first century Palestine, detachable from the context of the Old Testament, or optionally a part of the Christian story at all. When consuming religion, we prefer à la carte.

It is this ability to isolate and compartmentalize that also allows people to simultaneously affirm beliefs that would otherwise be contradictory. Miller cites an example from a Canadian survey that reports almost half of its participants asserting beliefs in both reincarnation and resurrection. Even a slight understanding of either concept would recognize them as incompatible, but in removing each from their traditions, the consumer mindset disorientedly and groundlessly insists on finding a way to embrace them both.

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Religion à la Carte →

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Baptized into Christ

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“Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?” (Romans 6:3).

Believers are united with Christ.

A person who believes Christians are free to continue sinning betrays a fundamental lack of understanding of what a Christian is. Christians are not merely guilty sinners declared righteous by God because Christ has satisfied the demands of God’s righteousness on their behalf. That truth, which theologians call justification, is indeed an essential one. But there is much more to salvation than justification. Believers are also placed into union with Jesus Christ.

Paul introduces this momentous truth by means of the analogy of water baptism. Some wrongly interpret this passage to teach that baptism itself places us into union with Christ. But Paul had just spent three chapters (Rom. 3—5) teaching that salvation is solely by faith in Christ. He would hardly then turn around in chapter 6 and teach that it was by ritual. The apostle, as he did in 1 Corinthians 10:1-2, used baptism in a metaphorical sense. (The Greek word translated “baptism” simply means “to immerse,” not necessarily in water.)

Paul also uses other metaphors to describe believers’ union with Christ. In Galatians 3:27 he says believers have put on Christ, while 1 Corinthians 6:17 says Christians are joined to Him. But none is so graphic as that of baptism; the leaving of one environment (air) and entering another (water) symbolizes believers leaving Satan’s realm (Eph. 2:2) and entering that of the Lord Jesus Christ.

What does our union with Christ mean in our everyday lives? First, it provides the means of fellowship with both Jesus and the Father (1 John 1:3). It also should motivate us to avoid sinning. In 1 Corinthians 6:15, Paul chided the Corinthians for their lax view of sexual sin: “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? May it never be!” Finally, our union with Christ provides hope of future glory (Rev. 3:21).

What a blessed privilege and awesome responsibility is ours, to have our lives inextricably bound with the Son of God (Col. 3:3)!

Suggestions for Prayer

Praise God for all the blessings resulting from your union with Christ.

For Further Study

Read 2 Peter 1:3-4. In light of our union with Christ, do we lack anything necessary for living the Christian life?

 

http://www.gty.org

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Pride Comes Before A Fall

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That ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. Revelation 12:9

A pedestal of pride looks down on other inferior souls. It is a position of self-worship that threatens integrity and influence. Like a drug, pride is addictive and impairs good judgment. If it could be packaged as a pill in a prescription bottle the label would read, “Warning, taken too often in large doses may lead to a great fall, even death.” If we don’t wake up from this narcissistic dream it will turn into a hellish nightmare. Relationships will be wrecked and reputations will be ruined.

Similar to the serpent in the Garden of Eden, the shifty devil is enemy to the woman and all who are under her influence. The dragon (Satan) tries to devour the woman’s son, but He is protected by God and exalted to His heavenly throne (12:4-5). This war in heaven, prompted by Satan’s pride to usurp God’s authority (Isaiah 14:12-15), results in his fall to earth with a third of the angels with him. Pride left unchecked brings heartache and a hellish descent to its prey.

“So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12)!

A prayerful posture dethrones pride and replaces it with humility. By faith, Jesus is able to storm the gates of hell, take captive the enemy and release us from the prison of pride. The Lord lifts us out of the slimy pit of pride and sets us on His solid rock of righteousness. It is firm, because our feet are solidly planted on the ground of grace. Thus, we are careful to see ourselves as God sees us: needy and dependent on His Spirit.

You will stand firm by faith in Christ and trust that He is in control. Let go and let God make you whole. Let go and the Lord will take you further faster. Let go and Christ will make you content. Let go and the Spirit will show you the way. Let go and Jesus will give you joy. Let go of pride, replace it with humility, and you will stand firm by faith. Pride has no place in the personality of a child of God. You are the result of grace alone—the Lord lifts up the humble to stand firm in Him.

“He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand” (Psalm 40:2).

Prayer: Heavenly Father, occupy my heart and mind with Jesus and remove my prideful occupation with self.

Application: What pedestals of pride in my life need to be removed and replaced with a humble heart?

Related Readings: 1 Samuel 17:42; Psalm 18:27; Proverbs 16:18; Isaiah 13:11; Romans 12:16

 

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Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – “Something So Glorious…”

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For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout….

1 Thessalonians 4:16

Recommended Reading

1 Thessalonians 4:13-16

In her book Not Good If Detached, Corrie ten Boom told of a woman reading her Bible one morning and studying the Rapture of the Church in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. As the passage came alive to her, she became caught up in its truths and didn’t hear the doorbell. After a while, it registered and she went to the door to find an impatient milkman. “You must be getting deaf, madam,” he said. “I had to ring three times.”

“I’m sorry,” she said. “It is not that I am deaf, but I have just read something in my Bible so glorious I forgot everything else. Do you know that it is possible that some day you may come to my door and I will no longer be here? Also you may find every Christian home empty. I’ve just read that when Jesus comes again we shall meet Him in the air. We shall be suddenly changed, and then we shall see Him face to face.”

We have a glorious future, and the Bible fuels our optimism by giving us more verses about our Lord’s return than we can count. He gives us strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow. Great is His faithfulness!

If you accept Jesus as your Savior, you, too, will become a child of God and be among those who will meet Him in the air.

Corrie ten Boom

Read-Thru-the-Bible

Matthew 27 – 28

 

http://www.davidjeremiah.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Exceedingly, Abundantly, Above and Beyond

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God…is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams].—Ephesians 3:20

When I pray about or simply meditate on all the people who are hurting, I have a strong desire to help them all. I sometimes feel that my desire is bigger than my ability, and it is—but it is not bigger than God’s ability! When the thing we are facing in our lives or ministries looms so big in our eyes that our mind goes “tilt,” we need to think in the spirit.

In the natural, many things are impossible. But in the supernatural, spiritual realm, with God nothing is impossible. God wants us to believe for great things, make big plans, and expect Him to do things so great it leaves us with our mouths hanging open in awe. James 4:2 tells us we have not because we ask not! We can be bold in our asking.

Sometimes in my meetings people will approach the altar for prayer and sheepishly ask if they can request two things. I tell them they can ask God for all they want to, as long as they trust Him to do it His way, in His timing. It is untold what people can do—people who don’t appear to be able to do anything.

God does not usually call people who are capable. If He did, He would not get the glory. He frequently chooses those who, in the natural, feel as if they are in completely over their heads but who are ready to stand up on the inside and take bold steps of faith as they get direction from God. We usually want to wait until we “feel ready” before we step out, but if we feel ready then we tend to lean on ourselves instead of on God.

Know your weaknesses and know God—know His strength and faithfulness. Above all else, don’t be a quitter.

From the book New Day, New You by Joyce Meyer.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Girlfriends in God

Girlfriends in God – The Gift of Prayer

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Today’s Truth

Then people brought little children to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them and pray for them.

Matthew 19:13

Friend to Friend

Praying for the people we love is one of the greatest gifts we can give them. And letting those people know we are praying for them is an important part of that gift. I was recently reminded that this truth applies to children as well.

Two of our grandchildren live in Kansas City, so we get to seem them every few days. My husband and I love it and are always looking for opportunities to spend time with them.

We invited Justus and Hudson over to meet our new worship pastor and his wife who have a set of triplets and a little boy about the age of Hudson. We turned all of the kids loose in our fenced-in back yard. After a toddler version of soccer and several turns on the swing set, I called,

“Time for a break! I’ve got cookies!” Six sweaty little bodies came running. And that’s when I heard the scream!

Justus had fallen and and cut his leg. It wasn’t a deep cut, but it was a cut on my grandson’s leg, which meant it was a big deal to him and to me!

Scooping him up in my arms, we headed inside where I held him until he stopped crying. I cleaned the cut, covered it with an antiseptic cream, and carefully placed a Paw Patrol bandage on it. I then prayed for Jesus to heal the cut, a prayer that sealed the deal for our grandson. Justus smiled up at me and said, “Thanks, Mimi.”

I didn’t see Justus for several days, but when I showed up to baby-sit him and his little brother, the first thing Justus said was, “Mimi, He did it!” I had honestly forgotten all about the cut and my prayer for Jesus to make it well … but Justus hadn’t.

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Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – You Can Be Sure

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“And how can we be sure that we belong to Him? By looking within ourselves: are we really trying to do what He wants us to? Someone may say, ‘I am a Christian; I am on my way to heaven; I belong to Christ.’ But if he doesn’t do what Christ tells him to do, he is a liar. But those who do what Christ tells them to will learn to love God more and more. That is the way to know whether or not you are a Christian. Anyone who says He is a Christian should live as Christ did” (1 John 2:3-6).

I frequently counsel with people who assure me that they are Christians, but their life-styles betray their profession. In fact, Jesus refers to this kind of person in His parable of the wheat and tares (Matthew 13:24-30).

“I never knew you; depart from me,” He will say to people whose profession of Christian faith is insincere (Matthew 7:23, NAS). According to the Word of God, these people are confused, and we do them a great injustice if we do not hold before them the mirror of God’s Word. Our Scripture portion today is one of the most effective passages to help open their eyes.

If there has not been a difference in your life-style since you professed faith in Christ; if, even in your failure and sin – and we all fail and sin at times – you do not have a desire to obey God and live a life pleasing to Him, it is quite possible that the new birth has not taken place in your life. Test yourself if you are not sure; if you have not done so, you can experience the new birth simply by receiving Christ into your heart today. This applies more directly to carnal Christians.

Bible Reading: I John 3:18-24

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: To be absolutely certain of my relationship with Jesus Christ, I will take spiritual inventory of my life and seek to ascertain whether my life-style is consistent with that of the true believer and follower of Christ.

 

http://www.cru.org

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – Scandal in the Church

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Read: 1 Corinthians 5:1-13

I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people — not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. Expel the wicked person from among you. I Corinthians 5:9-13

Paul refers to a letter that he had written to them, a letter that is lost to us. In it, Paul had evidently said something about not associating with immoral people, and the Corinthians had taken it to mean (as many Christians seem to feel today), that they were not to have anything to do with unbelievers who lived immoral lives.

I am amazed at how that very attitude which Paul was attempting to correct here in this letter has pervaded the evangelical world. I meet people who refuse to have anybody come into their homes who is not a Christian — people who want nothing to do with anybody who lives in a way that is offensive to the Lord. I remember in my early pastorate going to a couple and asking them to open their home for a Bible class. The lady looked horrified and said, Oh! I could never do that. I asked, Why not? Why, she said, people who smoke would come in. My home is dedicated to God and I am not going to have any smoking going on there.

That is a misunderstanding of the very thing Paul is talking about. We cannot avoid the world — we were sent into it. The Lord Jesus said to his disciples, Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves, (Matthew 10:16 KJV). That is where we belong. Their habits may be offensive to us, but that is understandable. We do not have to pronounce judgment on them; God will do that. We are to love them and understand that they do not have any basis of knowledge for a change. We are not to demand it of them before we begin to show friendship and love and reach out to them to help them to see their need, to see the One who can answer the hunger of their hearts. What we offer the world is the gospel, not condemnation but the good news.

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