Daily Archives: March 8, 2017

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley –Living by Faith

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Genesis 15:6

Abraham is one of the people in the Old Testament who have had a great impact on my spiritual walk. In his life, I see the necessity of living by faith.

Separation is oftentimes a part of our development as Christians. Before we can take on something new, the Lord may ask us to let go of something we already have. In Genesis 12:1-3, God told Abraham he was going on a journey that would require leaving his country, his people, and his father’s household. Obedience meant saying goodbye to relationships and things dear to him. The only family members who traveled with him were his wife and nephew; the life he knew in his homeland was left behind. But this godly man did not hesitate. His strong faith enabled him to say yes to what the Lord commanded.

Moving ahead in the midst of uncertainty can be another aspect of following the Lord. Abraham was told to travel without knowing his destination. Try to imagine explaining to friends that you’re moving away but have no idea where you are going. This lack of detail did not stop Abraham. Unwavering trust in his heavenly Father enabled him to answer the divine call wholeheartedly—even though specific details were lacking. Abraham was spiritually ready to answer affirmatively when God called.

Following God requires living by faith. That means: trusting the Holy Spirit to guide us when we don’t see how all the pieces fit together (John 16:13); believing that God always works for our good and His glory (Rom. 8:28); and desiring to please our Father. Will you be ready when He calls?

Bible in One Year: Joshua 10-12

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Painting a Portrait

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Read: Philippians 2:1–11

Bible in a Year: Deuteronomy 5–7; Mark 11:1–18

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.—Philippians 2:5

The National Portrait Gallery in London, England, houses a treasure of paintings from across the centuries, including 166 images of Winston Churchill, 94 of William Shakespeare, and 20 of George Washington. With the older portraits, we may wonder: Is that what these individuals really looked like?

For instance, there are eight paintings of Scottish patriot William Wallace (c. 1270-1305), but we obviously don’t have photographs to compare them to. How do we know if the artists accurately represented Wallace?

Something similar might be happening with the likeness of Jesus. Without realizing it, those who believe in Him are leaving an impression of Him on others. Not with brushes and oils, but with attitudes, actions, and relationships.

Are we painting a portrait that represents the likeness of His heart? This was the concern of the apostle Paul. “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus,” he wrote (Phil. 2:5). With a desire to accurately represent our Lord, he urged His followers to reflect the humility, self-sacrifice, and compassion of Jesus for others.

It has been said, “We are the only Jesus some people will ever see.” As we “in humility value others above [ourselves]” (v. 3), we will show the world the heart and attitude of Jesus Himself. —Bill Crowder

Father, please build the heart of Christ into my heart that those around me will see Him clearly and desire to know Him too.

Christ’s sacrifice of Himself motivates us to sacrifice ourselves for others.

INSIGHT: The church at Philippi, established by Paul during his second missionary journey, was a growing and faithful community that had actively supported Paul’s ministry (Phil. 1:5; 4:15-18). In this thank-you letter, Paul encouraged the Philippians to continue to grow and mature in their faith, even in the midst of persecution. He exhorted them, “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ” (1:27), so that they would “shine . . . like stars in the sky” (2:15). He urged them to imitate Christ in sacrificial love, unity, humility, and service.  Sim Kay Tee

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Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – On International Women’s Day

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In 2002, a year after the September 11th attacks, I had the opportunity to intern for the Office of Public Liaison at the White House. Organizing briefings for various constituency groups, I learned about several issues impacting the country, including the economy, healthcare, and various bills up for a vote. But the area that really grabbed me was International Women’s and Children’s Issues.

I remember well a briefing we organized for the President to greet about twenty women the administration had brought in from Afghanistan to complete a funded computer training course. The intent and hope was that it would better equip them to obtain a good job when they returned back to their home country. President Bush did not want media present in the room, so there were no cameras or the energy of media activity.

The room was quiet with hushed whispers and when the President came out on stage, to his surprise, every one of the women stood to their feet to applaud him, and then just as quickly fell to the floor on their knees before him, tears streaming down their cheeks in demonstration of their gratitude for what they felt he had given them. He was clearly taken aback, and uncomfortably tried to urge them to stand back to their feet, eye to eye with him.

I will never forget that image. I remember the impression of the appreciation on their faces, faces that revealed this was likely the first time they had felt so respected, and perhaps the first time they had experienced this from a male figure. It was powerful. It was redemptive. It made me want to be part of something that could inspire that kind of expression on the face of another who had been victimized, exploited, underprivileged, or silenced.

But I had no idea how deep, how horrific the problem of human slavery had become around the world. I felt a responsibility and a call to participate, as well as a recognition of the privilege and gift it was to be able to do so. I explored different avenues of opportunity and landed at Wellspring International and the opportunity to help create a meaningful way for individuals to respond to some of the urgent and tragic needs of humanity around the world.

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Joyce Meyer – Positive Minds

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Jesus said, Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed.…—Matthew 8:13

Sometimes when I stand behind the pulpit, and before I speak, I pause and my gaze sweeps across the audience. I look at the faces of the people. I love to see the bright smiles and expressions of anticipation, but there are always a few who look downtrodden and discouraged. I don’t know anything about them and I don’t want to judge them, but their faces look sad. They look as if they have lost hope and expect nothing positive to happen—and too often, they get exactly what they expect.

I understand those discouraged people; I was once one of them.

Here’s a simple fact I’ve learned: Positive minds produce positive lives, but negative minds produce negative lives. The New Testament tells the story of a Roman soldier whose servant was sick, and the soldier wanted Jesus to heal him. That wasn’t uncommon—many wanted Jesus to heal them or their loved ones in those days. But this soldier, instead of asking Jesus to come to his servant, expressed his belief that if Jesus would just speak the word, his servant would be healed (see Matthew 8:8). Jesus marveled at his faith and sent out His word to heal the servant. The soldier’s positive mindset—his faith—brought positive results. He expected healing, and that’s exactly what happened.

Too often, we cry to Jesus to heal us, to take care of our finances, or to deliver us from problems, but we don’t fully expect the good things to happen. We allow our minds to focus on the negative aspects. Doubt and unbelief war against our minds and steal our faith if we allow it.

As I wrote in my book Battlefield of the Mind, many years ago I was extremely negative. I used to say that if I had two positive thoughts in a row, my mind would get in a cramp. That’s an exaggeration, of course, but that’s how I saw myself. I lived with the same philosophy that other people have: If we don’t expect anything good to happen, we won’t be disappointed when it doesn’t.

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Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – You Can Bear It

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“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able: but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13, KJV).

I find great comfort and encouragement in this promise from God, one of my favorite Scriptures. Believing in this promise has saved me from falling into sin more times than I could ever begin to count.

As Christians, we are on the offensive. We do not have to cringe, trembling in our boots, wondering when Satan is going to attack again and what form it will take. We are the ones on the move. We are to be the aggressors, for we have God’s promise that the gates of hell shall not prevail against us (Matthew 16:18).

There is no stronghold of Satan that cannot be recaptured for our Lord, who promises to fight for us. God’s Word reminds us that all authority in heaven and on earth is given to the Lord Jesus, and He promises always to be with us, never to leave us.

Satan would have you believe that there is no hope for you. You are discouraged, you have financial problems physical problems, sorrow from losing loved ones. The whole world seems to be caving in on you, and Satan says, “God doesn’t love or care for you. He can’t help you. You’re on your own. You might as well give up.”

When that temptation comes, we cry out to God in believing prayer and we resist the enemy who is the author of depression. He is the author of negative thinking. He is the author of criticism, lies and all things that are contrary to the will of God.

If we are going to take a proper offense, we must live in the power of the Holy Spirit. That is the reason our Savior – after commanding the disciples to go and preach the gospel to all men everywhere – also commanded them to wait in Jerusalem until they were endued with power from on high. “Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Act 1:8, KJV).

The key to escaping temptation and resisting sin is faith in the faithfulness of God to keep His promise that you will not be tempted more than you are able to bear.

Bible Reading: I Corinthians 10:9-12

TODAY’S ACTION POINT:  I will not go into the spiritual battle unarmed, but will count on God’s Holy Spirit to make a way of escape when temptation comes. I will tell others how they too can be victorious over temptation.

http://www.cru.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – You Can Live Forgiven

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Do you know God’s grace? If you do, you can live boldly, live robustly; his safety net will break your fall. Nothing fosters courage like a clear grasp of grace. And nothing fosters fear like an ignorance of mercy.

May I speak candidly? If you haven’t accepted God’s forgiveness, you’re doomed to live in fear. No pill, pep talk, or possession can set the sinner’s heart at ease. You may deaden the fear, but you can’t remove it. Only God’s grace can. The Bible says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:8 NKJV).

Your prayer can be as simple as. . .”Dear Father, please forgive me. I place my soul in your hands and trust in your grace. Through Jesus I pray. Amen.”

Then having received God’s forgiveness, live forgiven!

From Max on Life

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – My response to ‘A Day Without a Woman’

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According to this morning’s Washington Post, some women will refuse to smile today. Some schools will be closed in Washington, DC, and Alexandria, Virginia. Some restaurants are shrinking their menus as women go on strike. Rallies will be held around the country.

Today has been designated “A Day Without a Woman.” Organizers are encouraging women to take the day off work, shop exclusively at “small, women- and minority-owned businesses,” and wear red “in solidarity.” The emphasis is timed to coincide with International Women’s Day.

The day is meant to recognize “the enormous value that women of all backgrounds add to our socioeconomic system—while receiving lower wages and experiencing greater inequities, vulnerability to discrimination, sexual harassment and job insecurity.” It is organized by the same people who created the Women’s March on Washington last January in support of abortion and other women’s “rights.”

While I disagree with the organizers on a host of moral issues, I agree with them that the value of women in our culture cannot be overstated.

If women stopped working, 53 percent of the American workforce would disappear. More than three-quarters of our public school teachers would not be in the classroom. Eighty-five percent of our nation’s obstetricians, 75 percent of our pediatricians, 57 percent of our psychiatrists, and 58 percent of our family doctors would no longer see patients. Thirty-six million volunteers would no longer volunteer.

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