Monthly Archives: October 2016

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – The Importance of Confession

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“If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us” (1 John 1:10).

Confession is the first step toward defeating sin.

It is often true that the hardest part of dealing with a problem is admitting that you have one. Beginning with Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:11-13), people have denied responsibility for their sins, and our generation is no exception. To acknowledge that one is a sinner, guilty of breaking God’s holy law, is not popular. People call sin by a myriad of other names, futilely hoping to define it out of existence. They do so, motivated by their innate awareness that there is a moral law and that there are consequences for violating it (Rom. 1:32).

But God’s people have always recognized the necessity of confession. After committing the terrible sins of adultery and murder, David acknowledged to Nathan the prophet, “I have sinned against the Lord” (2 Sam. 12:13). Later he cried out to God, “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against Thee, Thee only, I have sinned, and done what is evil in Thy sight” (Ps. 51:3-4). Faced with a vision of the awesome majesty and holiness of God, Isaiah declared, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips” (Isa. 6:5). Daniel was a man of unparalleled integrity, yet part of his prayer life involved confessing his sin (Dan. 9:20). Peter, the acknowledged leader of the apostles, said to Jesus, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” (Luke 5:8). The apostle Paul, the godliest man who ever lived (except for Jesus Christ), wrote this about himself: “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all” (1 Tim. 1:15).

The examples of those godly men illustrate a fundamental biblical truth: constant confession of sin characterizes true Christians (1 John 1:9). Those who claim to be believers but refuse to confess their sins deceive themselves (1 John 1:8) and make God a liar (1 John 1:10).

Suggestions for Prayer

Confess and forsake your sins today, and experience the blessedness of God’s forgiveness (Prov. 28:13).

For Further Study

Read and meditate on Nehemiah’s masterful prayer of confession in Nehemiah 1.

 

http://www.gty.org

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Humility Values Others Above Itself 

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Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Philippians 2:3-4

I work with a person who regularly asks me, “How can I pray for you?” Knowing they are genuine in their concern—I seek to share a vulnerable, heartfelt response about issues—both professionally and personally, that feed my anxieties. Invariably—my friend smiles—looks into my eyes, deep down into my soul and says, “Let me pray for you right now.” I stand delightfully amazed, but in my heart I kneel in humble gratitude to my heavenly Father. When a friend values my needs above their own—I feel the need to prayerfully do the same for other needy souls.

Since the Spirit has designed our hearts to put others above ourselves with acts of kindness, words of affirmation and gifts befitting the occasion, we are able to be comforted by love and to comfort in love. Just as bees instinctively swirl around the ripest fruit, so a life ripe with love encounters people (with a unique story) in need of care. This is not inherent to our natural operating system—for only a heart loved first by God can authentically and consistently esteem others above themselves. Fresh iterations of love must be downloaded and installed into our soul.

“Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves” (Romans 12:10).

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – Humility Values Others Above Itself  →

Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – Better Than Feelings

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He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

Psalm 23:3b

Recommended Reading

Psalm 19:7-11

Aleister Crowley was an early-twentieth-century British artist, novelist, and occultist. He founded a religion he called Thelema and saw himself as a prophet who would guide humanity into an age of self-realization. The Beatles were fans—Crowley was one of those appearing on the cover of the famous “Sgt. Pepper’s” album cover. Supposedly, the guiding rule of his religion was, “’Do what thou wilt’ shall be the whole of the Law.” Many people trace one of the guiding maxims of the 1960s—“If it feels good, do it”—back to Crowley.

“The Sixties” took that principle to heart and many today still do. How often do we hear people explain a decision by saying, “It just felt right”? But is “feeling good” enough of a guiding principle for life? Think about your own feelings: Today you feel good and tomorrow you don’t. The decision you make today, you wouldn’t make tomorrow. We need something more permanent, consistent, and dependable as a guiding principle for life. The psalmist trusted in God’s guidance (Psalm 23:3b) and in God’s Word (Psalm 19:7-11).

Don’t get caught up in the religion of “anything goes.” Establish your life on the guiding principles of God and His Word.

Men give advice; God gives guidance.

Leonard Ravenhill

Read-Thru-the-Bible

Matthew 5 – 6

 

http://www.davidjeremiah.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Passing Judgment

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Do not judge and criticize and condemn others, so that you may not be judged and criticized and condemned yourselves. For just as you judge and criticize and condemn others, you will be judged and criticized and condemned, and in accordance with the measure you [use to] deal out to others, it will be dealt out again to you.— Matthew 7:1-2

I believe that pointing a finger at someone in judgment is often the way some people cover up their own weaknesses. Their theory seems to be, “Judge others before they have a chance to judge you.” I remember a girl in our neighborhood who constantly pointed to obese people and said terrible things about them. She was plump herself, and I often wondered if she criticized others in an effort to keep people from noticing her own weight.

I grew up in a family where judgment and criticism were a part of everyday life. So I became an expert at deciding how other people should live. The devil loves to keep us busy, mentally judging the faults of others. And the shortcomings in other people are often easy to see, especially when we’re looking for them.

There was a time when I enjoyed sitting in the mall, observing people as they walked by. I could usually find something wrong with every one of them. I could point out bad hairstyles, out-of-style clothes, and any number of other “problems.” When we choose to be judgmental, we will find that there is no end to the possibilities.

Notice I used the words “choose to be judgmental,” because that’s exactly what I did. If anyone had called me a judgmental or critical person, I would have denied it, because I wasn’t aware of my negative attitude. I thought I was just giving my innocent opinion. At that time, I wasn’t aware that I had a choice about my thoughts.

Another thing I didn’t think about then was the uselessness of my opinions. I didn’t help anyone by pointing out to my friends what I perceived to be other people’s shortcomings. I now know that we can choose the thoughts we want to focus on. We can’t always choose the thoughts that come to our minds, but we can decide to let them stay and fester or we can push them aside.

Continue reading Joyce Meyer – Passing Judgment →

Girlfriends in God

Girlfriends in God – Oh, How He Loves

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Today’s Truth

By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

John 13:35

Friend to Friend

Grandchildren often remind me how to find joy in the simple things of life. When our twin grandchildren were about two years old, I took them on a little shopping trip. When Mimi comes for a visit, there is always a shopping trip on the agenda. Lelia and Jaydan piled into the car, and we headed to the store. I think I was more excited than they were. That’s how grandmothers are.

Once inside the store, we grabbed a shopping cart, and off we went in search of treasures. In other words, we needed toys!

As we headed to the toy section of the store, we passed the pharmacy – which reminded me that I needed to pick up some vitamins. The twins were very patient as I searched the pharmacy shelves and found what I needed. I tossed the box of vitamins in the cart and said, “Let’s go! The toys are just ahead!”

When we reached the first aisle of the toy section, I reminded Lelia and Jaydan that they could each pick one very special toy for Mimi to buy. Jaydan headed straight for the “crucks” and cars. No surprise there! But Lelia didn’t seem very interested in looking at much of anything. Now that was surprising!

As I tried to figure out what the problem could possibly be, I spotted something pink out of the corner of my eye. A closer look revealed a small pink box of Hello Kitty Band-Aids clutched tightly in Lelia’s little hands. Judging from the slightly crumpled box, I knew she had been holding her treasure for some time.

Continue reading Girlfriends in God – Oh, How He Loves →

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – The Key to Blessing

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“He replied, ‘Yes, but even more blessed are all who hear the Word of God and put it into practice'” (Luke 11:28).

If you and I could know only one rule that would guarantee us real happiness, no doubt this should be it. Because the meaning of this promise is the same in or out of context, we shall share briefly the out-of-context guarantee contained therein.

Man’s chief happiness – his, or her, highest honor – is to obey the Word of God. No earthly honor or achievement can compare with the blessing, meaning in and fulfillment that come from obeying the Word and Will of God.

Implicit in putting into practice – or obeying – the Word of God is the matter of knowing the Word of God. This, of course, implies reading, studying, meditating upon and even memorizing the Scriptures. If we are neglecting this phase of the Christian life, we are omitting a vitally important part of spiritual nurture, without which it is impossible to live a supernatural life.

Something about the Word refreshes, cleanses, uplifts the heart and soul of each one of us when we spend time in its pages. God made it – and us – that way. No matter how many times we may have read the Word of God, even the entire Bible, there is something remarkably fresh and new about it every time we read it.

If somehow we lack the discipline to do what we should about the Word, we may pray ceaselessly for the Holy Spirit to illumine its truths to our minds and apply them to our lives.

Bible Reading: James 1:22-25

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will not neglect God’s Word but will consider it a necessary ingredient to the life of the Spirit -supernatural living.

 

http://www.cru.org

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – God’s Nonsense

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Read: 1 Corinthians 1:18-25

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate. 1 Corinthians 1:18-19

The theme of this section is the power of the cross, and Paul is going to show clearly what the cross does in human thinking and in human affairs. The cross has become the symbol of Christianity today. Women wear it on chains around their necks; we use it as decorations. We have become so familiar with the cross that we have forgotten much of the impact it had in the first century. It was, for these early Christians, and for those among whom they lived, a horrible symbol. If you had used it then as a symbol it would have made people shudder. We would get much closer to it today if we substituted a symbol of an electric chair for the cross. Wouldn’t it be strange driving across this country to see church steeples with electric chairs on top?

The cross is significant in Christianity because it exposes the fundamental conflict of life. The cross gets down below all our surface attempts at compromise and cuts through all human disagreement. Once you confront the cross and its meaning, you find yourself unable to escape that final judgment of life as to whether you are committed to error or committed to truth.

We must understand what Paul means by the word of the cross. First of all, it means the basic announcement of the crucifixion of Jesus. There are many religious groups based upon various philosophical concepts. But when you come to Christianity you do not start with philosophy, you start with facts of history that cannot be thrown out. One of them is the incarnation of Jesus, the fact that he was born as a man and came among us. Another of the great facts of our faith is the crucifixion. Jesus died. It was done at a certain point of time in history and cannot be evaded. This is part of the word of the cross. He did not deserve it, but by the judgment of the Romans and Jews alike he was put to death for a crime that he did not commit.

Continue reading Ray Stedman – God’s Nonsense →

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – God the Liberator

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Read: Acts 16:25-27

And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. (v. 26)

In my work with prisoners, I’ve met people locked up, like Paul, unjustly. I’ve met wrongdoers who were themselves the victims of greater wrongdoing, whether by parents, abusive husbands, systemic racism, or other prisoners. A few times (less often than TV would have you believe) I have met people in bondage to real evil, people who actively and habitually identified with their worst impulses—but that’s still bondage, perhaps the worst kind. The one thing I have in common with all these people is that I am a sinner. I too need deliverance.

When I think of these things, I find myself growing frustrated with biblical miracle accounts, such as the one we read today. If God rescued Paul and his cellmates in this dramatic fashion, why won’t he do likewise for me and you? We have no answer for this question except the knowledge that our Savior suffers with us. But as for this miracle, it’s no easy delivery. Paul was saved from imprisonment only to take up again a life of inconvenience, rootlessness, exile, intermittent torture, and further imprisonment. He did so because he knew and loved Christ Jesus, a person whom this miracle, like all miracles, reveals to us. Christ is the one who, in his own time, unfastens all the bonds.

Prayer:

Lord, every one of us needs to be freed from something. Show us how you are already accomplishing our freedom, and direct us to your liberating work in the lives of those around us.

Author: Phil Christman

 

https://woh.org/

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Is Your Marriage Alive?

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Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

—Ephesians 5:14–16

In Ephesians 5, Paul tells us to awake from spiritual lethargy. I want to apply these verses specifically to marriage today.

You can’t sleepwalk through marriage. Show me a marriage that is strong and vibrant and thriving, and I will show you a marriage that people are giving attention to.

It’s sort of like making a fire. You begin with some kindling and newspaper and twigs, and then add some logs to it. Once the fire is going, you put another log on it. And another. You continue to feed it over time. In the same way, if a marriage is strong, especially over a period of time, it is because the husband and wife keep putting logs on the fire. They cultivate their romance. They strengthen the marriage.

If you stop feeding the fire, it will start to weaken. You must constantly give it attention. You must be proactive, not merely reactive. When the husband neglects his role and the wife neglects hers, one problem turns into another, and soon it gets worse and worse. Eventually it reaches a state of crisis.

It’s best to engage in “preventative maintenance” and strengthen the marriage every day. Verses 15 and 16 tell us how: by “walking circumspectly” and “redeeming the time.” To “walk circumspectly” conveys the idea of looking, examining, and investigating something with great care. It’s like the attention you would give to the words of a contract before signing it. “Redeeming the time” refers to making the most of every opportunity.

Are you examining your marriage carefully, paying attention to detail? Are you taking advantage of every opportunity to strengthen your marriage? Are you making sure you have done everything you can do?

Don’t sleepwalk through marriage; tend the fires to keep it alive and strong.

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Is Always Available

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

What does it mean when someone is not available? Maybe your mom has taught you to take a telephone message for her when she cannot come to the phone. She has probably told you to say something like this: “I’m sorry, but Mom is not available right now. May I please take a message?” When you tell someone that your mom is “not available,” it may mean that she is not at home, or it may mean that she is giving the dog a bath and is up to her elbows in soapy water. Whatever Mom is doing, the point is that the person trying to call her cannot reach her. The caller will have to wait or try again later.

Sometimes we cannot reach people when we need them. We get their answering machines or their voice mail messages when we try to call them. But God is never out of reach when we call on His name. The Bible tells us that He is “a very present help” – especially when we are in trouble. One translation of the Bible has this wording in the margin: “abundantly available for help.” When you go to God in prayer and ask Him for help, He is always available! In fact, He is very or abundantly available. He is ready, willing, and eager to help you. You must come in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ (John 14:6). You also must not be hanging onto any sin that you are unwilling to confess when you come to Him (Psalm 66:18). But as long as you are coming in obedience to these conditions, you can come to Him for help any time at all.

What kind of trouble can God help you with? Maybe you have started attending a new school, church, or club, and maybe you’re finding it hard to make friends. God can help you reach out to others. Maybe you are upset because your brother or sister treated you unfairly. God can help you forgive and love in return. Maybe you are worried about a family member who is sick. God will listen to you and carry your burden for you so you don’t have to worry. Whatever your problem, nothing is too great or too small for God to care about and help you with. Don’t hesitate to come to Him and ask His help. He is always available to you.

God is always available to help us.

My Response:

» What problem do I need to take to God for His help?

 

http://kids4truth.com/home.aspx

The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – Submitting to His Discipline

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Today’s Scripture: James 4:6

“God . . . gives grace to the humble.”

It’s not enough to see God’s mighty hand behind our adversities, nor to view him as a loving Father disciplining his children. I’ve seen the doctrine of God’s sovereignty in the Scriptures for so many years that I instinctively see his hand behind every circumstance. I regularly acknowledge, almost reluctantly sometimes, that all hardship is God’s discipline, either corrective or remedial. The rub comes in submitting to it. Sometimes we resist it. But if we’re to appropriate God’s grace in our trial, we must first submit to his hand, which brought the trial.

God gives grace only to the humble, to those who are not only humble toward other people, but are humble, or submissive, under his mighty hand. John Lillie expressed this idea well: “?umble yourselves, therefore,’ receiving in silent, meek submission whatever humiliation it [God’s hand] may now lay upon you. For this is your time of trial, and, when paternal rod meets thus with the child-like spirit, will be surely followed by another time of healing and joy.” Then Dr. Lillie added this word of exhortation: “see that you do not frustrate the gracious purpose of God and lose the blessing of sorrow. Rather make that purpose yours also.”

After the death of my first wife, a friend sent me a sympathy card on which she had copied the following verse, apparently from an ancient hymn, which I’ve now put in my notebook to meditate on frequently when I pray: “Lord, I am willing to receive what you give, to lack what you withhold, to relinquish what you take, to suffer what you inflict, to be what you require.”

We must have that spirit if we are to humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand and receive the grace he has promised to give.

 

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – Love Without Limit

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Today’s Scripture: Jonah 3-4

“This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” – John 15:8

I know a man who was the pastor of a church in the South when he and his wife began to feel that God was calling them to Africa. They came up with the usual reasons why they shouldn’t go: They were too old–he was forty-five; they had too many children–seven. And yet, two facts kept coming back to their hearts: Those without Christ were really lost, and the Great Commission still stands. So they went, and faced some rather tough years.

They left their beautiful home for a bamboo hut in the jungle. Their health and the health of their children were threatened by parasites and tropical diseases. They found themselves walking for miles through steaming heat, crossing treacherous rivers in dugout canoes, sleeping in rat-infested native huts. They watched in helplessness as a young mother brought her newborn baby, convulsing in the early stages of tetanus, because an old grandmother had rubbed country medicine–a mixture of dirt, leaves, and cow manure–into the baby’s navel. They had to stand by and watch as a young girl drank the deadly poison of sassa wood to prove she was not a witch.

As this family stayed on and related in love to their lost and ignorant world, they began to see fruit. The lostness of these people had brought them to Africa, and Christ’s love sustained them through the hard times.

This is not a love that casually says, “Be ye warmed and filled,” but a love characterized by sacrifice–a Christ-inspired and God-given love that knows no limits.

Prayer

Lord, increase my faith and strengthen my discipleship. Amen.

To Ponder

If Christ has called us to a labor, it is of eternal consequence.

 

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BreakPoint

BreakPoint – Homeschooling, the Feds, and You: Who Knows Best?

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Recently, US Secretary of Education John King, while speaking at a press conference, remarked that although some homeschool situations are just fine, in general, “Students who are homeschooled are not getting the kind of the rapid instructional experience they would get in school.”

King also said that part of the school experience is learning how to deal with and build relationships with peers and teachers—implying that homeschoolers don’t get this kind of experience.

Now, before I go on, in the interest of full disclosure, I’ll tell you that my wife and I homeschool our three daughters. To be specific, we’re part of a community of homeschooling families with a hybrid model that shares resources and that journeys together. We think our daughters are receiving a first-rate education. I say that not just so you know I’ve got a horse in the race, but because my wife and I have personal experience. We know this world. We live in it.

But back to the Secretary’s comments. It’s not clear what he meant by “rapid instructional experience,” but that can mean a sort of checklist approach—plowing through the material, cramming for standardized tests, and hitting every mandated topic. In that sense, he’s right. Many homeschoolers don’t get “rapid instruction” of this sort, but that’s not really education in the first place.

But what has me most concerned about the Secretary’s remarks is the classic “we know better than you” attitude so endemic among governmental elites—whether it’s telling us what kind of healthcare we need, or how to teach our young ones about the most intimate of human relations.

Let me be clear: The federal government’s ever-growing reach into our children’s education is a bi-partisan effort. The Department of Education was established by Jimmy Carter. George W. Bush signed the disastrous “No Child Left Behind” initiative into law. And Common Core, which many argue will leave kids unprepared for college, has both Republican and Democratic support.

Continue reading BreakPoint – Homeschooling, the Feds, and You: Who Knows Best? →

Moody Global Ministries

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – THE GOSPEL AND SALVATION

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Read 1 PETER 1:10–12

Mapmaking in the sixteenth century was a mix of information gathered by explorers and educated guesses about previously undocumented parts of the world. One persistent mystery for European mapmakers was what lay between the Americas and Asia—was it a land border? A vast body of water? Were the two continents connected? The Italian mapmaker Gastaldi is thought to be the first to draw a map of the Bering Strait in 1563, though his atlas was not published until it was discovered in a private collection of manuscripts in the 1920s.

Like those early mapmakers, the Old Testament prophets had some information about the coming of Jesus and the message of the gospel, but the Holy Spirit did not reveal the full details to them. They had to trust by faith that the message they were given would bless readers hundreds and even thousands of years later. As we look back at the Old Testament today, we see Christ revealed there.

For instance, Isaiah 53, from which our key verse today is taken, paints a powerful portrait of the Savior who died for sins on our behalf. This chapter predicts “the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow” (v. 11; Isa. 53:10–12). Our salvation rests on this gospel: that Jesus, the Son of God, willingly became human in order to die for our sins, and God raised Him from the dead. He promises eternal life in relationship with God to all who trust Him (vv. 3–5, 12).

Peter mentions the gospel here in part to encourage his readers to rejoice in their identity. Yes, they were suffering—but so had Jesus. And just as Jesus was raised to glory, so too would His followers be given a glorious inheritance of salvation that is worth more than gold.

APPLY THE WORD

Some think the Old Testament isn’t relevant for Christians or that it features an angry god who punishes people. Neither view is correct; 1 Peter says that it is filled with grace and points to Jesus. Read Isaiah 53, and follow Peter’s example by praising God that the gospel was made possible through the suffering and glory of Christ.

 

http://www.todayintheword.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – KIM KARDASHIAN ROBBED AT GUNPOINT IN PARIS

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Kanye West was performing last night in Queens when an assistant pulled him aside. He then bolted from the stage, citing a “family emergency.” Some disappointed fans were suspicious that the drama was a publicity stunt.

Now we know what the “family emergency” was: five gunmen tied up his wife, Kim Kardashian, in her Paris hotel room. They locked her in the bathroom, then stole a jewelry box containing valuables worth about $6.7 million and a ring worth about $4.4 million. Their crime is dominating headlines this morning.

Family emergencies seldom stay in the family. What happens in private usually becomes public.

Donald Trump’s personal tax returns are now part of the presidential campaign. Hillary Clinton has apologized repeatedly for her handling of private email.

David Petraeus spoke last Friday at the World Affairs Council of Dallas. A four-star general, he earned a Ph.D. from Princeton and eventually became director of the CIA, but resigned because of an extramarital affair that involved private mishandling of classified documents.

Gary Hart was a US Senator and frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1988 before an extramarital affair derailed his campaign. It was the same story for John Edwards in 2008. We’re all familiar with Bill Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky.

Continue reading Denison Forum – KIM KARDASHIAN ROBBED AT GUNPOINT IN PARIS →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Jesus Christ, the Seeking Savior

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John 3:16-17

In this busy and impersonal high-tech world, it seems easier than ever to ignore Jesus Christ. We are led to believe that every challenge can be met quickly and self-sufficiently, often through some online resource. After all, if we want to keep our eyes on the future, why seek a Savior from 2,000 years ago?

As we look to ourselves more and more for answers, we become increasingly susceptible to a dangerous trap—the idea that we can handle life on our own and don’t need Jesus. Nothing could be further from the truth.

All through the Bible, we see God taking the initiative in the salvation of man. None of us who are saved have sought Him out; we’ve just responded to the ways He has drawn us to Him (John 6:44). God made the first move: He chose to save us, and then our response followed.

Today’s passage underscores our need for Jesus—it clearly teaches that the Father gave His Son so we might be saved. Without Jesus, we would be utterly without hope of eternal life and would perish instead.

Now think about the Lord’s parting instructions to His disciples. Did He say to sit idly by and simply mention His name to anyone who walked past? No! He said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15). He wants the good news to go forth because He is still seeking the lost today.

Our omniscient, omnipotent Savior can meet needs better than the most capable among us. If you don’t know Jesus, He’s looking for you (Luke 19:10). If you do know Him, won’t you share His great news with the world?

Bible in One Year:Malachi 1-4

 

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — God’s Reminders

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Read: Mark 8:11-21

Bible in a Year: Isaiah 14-16; Ephesians 5:1-16

He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”—Mark 8:21

My friend Bob Horner refers to Jesus as “the Master Reminder.” And that is good, because we are so doubting and forgetful. No matter how often Jesus met the needs of the people who came to Him when He was here on earth, His first disciples feared they would somehow be left in need. After witnessing miracles, they failed to understand the greater meaning the Lord wanted them to remember.

On a journey across the Sea of Galilee, the disciples realized they had forgotten to bring bread and were talking about it. Jesus asked them, “Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember?” (Mark 8:17-18). Then He reminded them that when He fed five thousand people with five loaves, the disciples had collected twelve basketfuls of leftover pieces. And when He fed four thousand with seven loaves, they filled seven baskets with leftovers. Then “He said to them, ‘Do you still not understand?’” (v. 21).

The Lord’s miraculous provision for people’s physical needs pointed to the greater truth—that He was the Bread of Life and that His body would be “broken” for them and for us.

Every time we eat the bread and drink the cup during the Lord’s Supper, we are reminded of our Lord’s great love and provision for us. —David McCasland

In the Lord’s Supper, Jesus left us a great reminder of His sacrifice. Read about it in Matthew 26:17–30; Luke 22:14–20; 1 Corinthians 11:23–26.

Communion is the Lord’s reminder to us of His love and provision.

INSIGHT: In Mark 7-8, Mark records three stories that highlight Jesus’s ability to meet the needs of His followers: the exorcism of a demon-possessed girl (Mark 7:24-30), the healing of a deaf and mute man (7:31-37), and the feeding of four thousand people with seven simple loaves of bread (8:1-10). Mark tells these three stories in quick succession, underscoring Jesus’s ability to meet the needs of people in a variety of situations. The apostle John calls the miracles Jesus performed “signs.” Like all signs, they point to something. In the case of Jesus’s miracles, they point to His true identity. J.R. Hudberg

 

http://www.odb.org

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – The Plague of Plagues

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“But I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members” (Romans 7:23).

Sin is the deadliest plague ever to affect mankind.

Throughout history, deadly plagues have ravaged the human race. In just three years (1348-1350), the infamous “Black Death” (an outbreak of bubonic plague) killed half the population of Europe. In our own times, diseases such as AIDS have reached epidemic proportions.

But there is one plague that is far deadlier than all the others combined: sin. Sin has affected everyone who has ever lived (Rom. 3:19, 23). And unlike other plagues, sin kills everyone it infects (Rom. 5:12).

While sin invariably causes physical and (apart from faith in Christ) spiritual death, it has many other devastating consequences. Sin corrupts the mind (Jer. 17:9; Eph. 4:17-19), the will (cf. Jer. 44:16-17), and the affections (John 3:19; 1 John 2:15). Sin brings people under the control of Satan (John 8:44; Eph. 2:2) and makes them the objects of God’s wrath (Eph. 2:3). Sin robs people of peace (Isa. 48:22) and replaces it with misery (Job 5:7; Rom. 8:20).

Although as Christians we experience God’s gracious forgiveness, sin still has serious consequences in our lives. Sin grieves the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30), causes God not to answer our prayers (1 Peter 3:7), limits our ability to serve God (2 Tim. 2:20-21), or even disqualifies some from Christian service (1 Cor. 9:27). It also renders our worship hypocritical and unacceptable (Ps. 33:1; Isa. 1:14), causes God to withhold blessing (Jer. 5:25), robs us of joy (Ps. 51:12), subjects us to God’s chastening (Heb. 12:5-11), hinders our spiritual growth (1 Cor. 3:13), and pollutes our fellowship with Him (1 Cor. 10:21). Most significantly, sin causes our lives to dishonor Him (1 Cor. 6:19-20).

Every true Christian despises sin and yearns to be free from it. Do you realize the deadly nature of sin? I pray that the cry of your heart would echo that of Paul’s: “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?” (Rom. 7:24).

Suggestions for Prayer

Thank God for delivering you from sin, and pray that He would give you a holy hatred for it.

For Further Study

Read Romans 7—8.

  • How did Paul view his struggle with sin?
  • What was the key to overcoming it?

 

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Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – One in Spirit 

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After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself.    1 Samuel 18:1

Being one in spirit means you have reached a level of relational intimacy that few obtain. The loyalty, generosity, love, service, and depth of communication reach levels that are rare in relationships. For intimacy to grow, it is imperative that we get beyond the surface of self-indulgence, and move toward selfless acts of service. People become one in spirit when there is no score-keeping. There is no scorecard charting the rights and wrongs that have been committed. You know the other accepts you, and they love you as they love themselves. One in spirit means you are comfortable with one another’s company. There is a peace that penetrates your presence. Distractions diminish in importance when you experience oneness in spirit. There is an unspoken loyalty that leavens the relationship of those who are one in spirit. When one or the other is caught in the crossfire of life’s events, each knows his friend is close by to help.

Oneness in spirit means you hurt when your friend hurts. When he feels the barbs of rejection, you feel rejected; When she is the brunt of another’s anger, you are taken back by the anger; When he is jarred by jealousy, you feel the pain of jealousy; When she is ravished by disease, you are available any time. There is an energized empathy that engulfs the relationships of those who are one in spirit. It is not a sentimental sensitivity, but one that is based on the sensitivity of our Savior.

The oneness of spirit around the Spirit of God is the most meaningful. Jesus is the best facilitator for real relationships. He is the glue that brings hearts together in oneness for what’s best for God’s Kingdom. Christ is the catalyst for unity around what’s really important. His heart is for us to pray for unity around His will. Jesus has an intimate affect on friends who fear and love Him. Oneness around our one and only Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, brings us close together. His Spirit binds the spirits of believers together in a bond the world does not understand. As we grow closer to Christ, we grow closer to Christ’s followers. We are able to have oneness in relationships with those who are one with Christ. So, seek to go deep with those who are deep in the Lord.

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Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Obedience Brings Success

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Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God’s will in thought, purpose, and action).— 2 Timothy 3:16

The Bible says that we will reap what we sow. The dividing line between success and failure is doing what God tells us to do. We pray for fruit in our lives, but we don’t always want to pray for roots.

If we want our days to go right, we need to do whatever God tells us to do. If we don’t walk in obedience, then we can’t complain if we wind up in a mess. If we are lonely and God tells us to invite somebody over, but we decide it is too much trouble, then we will stay lonely.

Obedience brings the fruit of the Spirit in your life. Dig deep into God’s Word before you walk away from blessings today.

From the book Starting Your Day Right by Joyce Meyer.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org