Daily Archives: May 21, 2017

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley –The Importance of Prayer Partners

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Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Keeping your arms raised for a period of time might not seem like a difficult task—until you try it. No matter how strong you are, you’ll eventually find it impossible to hold them up, as if a 20-pound weight were strapped to each one.

In Exodus 17:8-16, Moses was faithfully praying on a hill while his soldiers were below, fighting the Amalekites. As long as his arms were raised, the Israelites prevailed. But he couldn’t maintain this posture on his own for very long. He needed Aaron and Hur to hold up his hands.

The Lord never expected Moses to do the job by himself. Nor is He going to let any one of us be absolutely independent—that isn’t how He operates. God has built His church in such a way that the world will recognize Christians by their love toward one another (John 13:35). As we ultimately depend on God, we likewise interdepend upon each other.

Everybody needs an Aaron and a Hur—people who can hold up our drooping arms and help us in our intercessions before the Lord. We don’t need helpers who react with judgmental comments or platitudes. Rather, our prayer partners should simply come alongside and intercede with and for us.

Ask God to bring people into your life who can faithfully and lovingly lift you up in prayer without judging you or expecting anything in return. And if you’re not in Moses’ situation right now, perhaps you can be someone else’s Aaron or Hur. Why not ask God to lead you to a person who would appreciate intercession?

Bible in One Year: 2 Chronicles 32-34

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Seeing God

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Read: Exodus 34:1–9

Bible in a Year: 1 Chronicles 13–15; John 7:1–27

The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished.—Numbers 14:18

Caricature artists set up their easels in public places and draw pictures of people who are willing to pay a modest price for a humorous image of themselves. Their drawings amuse us because they exaggerate one or more of our physical features in a way that is recognizable but funny.

Caricatures of God, on the other hand, are not funny. Exaggerating one of His attributes presents a distorted view that people easily dismiss. Like a caricature, a distorted view of God is not taken seriously. Those who see God portrayed only as an angry and demanding judge are easily lured away by someone who emphasizes mercy. Those who see God as a kindhearted grandfather will reject that image when they need justice. Those who see God as an intellectual idea rather than a living, loving being eventually find other ideas more appealing. Those who see God as a best friend often leave Him behind when they find human friends who are more to their liking.

God declares Himself to be merciful and gracious, but also just in punishing the guilty (Ex. 34:6-7).

As we put our faith into action, we need to avoid portraying God as having only our favorite attributes. We must worship all of God, not just what we like. —Julie Ackerman Link

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I worship You. You are holy, just, kind, and loving. You are God alone.

God is God alone.

INSIGHT: Have you been trying to see the form of God through the fog of your life? If so, you’re in good company. According to the apostle Paul, all of our present knowledge is seen “through a glass darkly” (1 Cor. 13:12 kjv). But since Jesus came, we don’t have to strain so much to believe in the goodness, justice, and compassion of the God Moses described. Now, in Jesus’s suffering and death, we can see far more clearly how God patiently loves us, allowing us to experience the consequences of sin while He Himself bears in our place the ultimate judgment that all sin deserves.  Mart DeHaan

 

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Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Disappointed? Get Reappointed

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Man’s steps are ordered by the Lord. How then can a man understand his way?—Proverbs 20:24

This Scripture has stabilized my emotions many times when I was in a hurry to get somewhere and found myself at a standstill in traffic on the highway. Initially, I get a sinking feeling, then I get aggravated, and then I say, “Well, since my steps are ordered by the Lord, I will calm down and thank God that I am right where He wants me.” I also remind myself that God may be saving me from an accident farther down the road by keeping me where I am. Trusting God is absolutely wonderful because it soothes our wild thoughts and emotions when things don’t go the way we had planned.

I learned long ago that with God on our side, even though we will experience disappointments in life, we can always get “reappointed.” If you or I have a doctor’s appointment and he has an emergency and has to cancel, we simply make another appointment. Life can be that way, too. Trusting that God has a good plan for us, and that our steps are ordered by Him, is the key to preventing disappointment from turning into despair. How do you react when you get disappointed? How long does it take for you to make a transition and get reappointed? Are you acting on the Word of God or merely reacting emotionally to the circumstance? Are you controlled by what is around you, or by Jesus, Who lives inside you?

Trusting God completely and believing that His plan for you is right is infinitely better than trusting your own plan. It is impossible to be mad at someone you really believe has your best interest in mind. And God is always for us, never against us. He is the only One Who can help you and truly comfort you; therefore, it is much better to run to Him in your disappointment than away from Him.

Trust in Him: Trust God to reappoint you—when you do, it will calm your thoughts and emotions.

From the book Trusting God Day by Day by Joyce Meyer.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – We can Have Real Peace

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“So now, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith in His promises, we can have real peace with Him because of what Jesus Christ our Lord had done for us” (Romans 5:1).

When Arthur DeMoss, one of my very best friends and one of our Lord’s choicest servants, went to be with the Lord, as the result of an unexpected heart attack, all of us were shocked. The word reached me in Austria, where I was meeting with our European staff. Immediately, I flew back to the United States for the memorial service.

As I participated in that service, I looked over the large audience, about half of whom had been introduced to Christ through the ministry of this man whom we had all come to honor.

In the crowd, I saw one face that stood out – a face that was most radiant of all. It was Art’s widow, Nancy. She was sitting in the front row with their seven children. Her radiant countenance was a demonstration to me of the supernatural joy and peace which God gives in such times of extreme grief.

Nancy and Art were the greatest of lovers and friends. They had been deeply in love since their courtship and were almost inseparable whether in the building of the business, in the rearing of their family or in their burden for evangelism and the souls of men.

Yet, in this time of Nancy’s greatest sorrow, the evidence that she was filled with the Spirit radiated from her countenance. She was experiencing the supernatural peace of God – love’s security, which is available to all of God’s children.

Bible Reading: Romans 5:2-11

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will claim by faith God’s peace – not only for me but also for family and friends in need of such peace – and seek to introduce others to the One who is the Prince of Peace.

 

http://www.cru.org

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Is Rich in Grace

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“That in the ages to come he [God] might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:7)

Not very long ago, a six-year-old boy named Andrew was saving money for a trip to Mexico with his family. His grandmother paid him a few dollars for doing some chores for her, and then right before he left on the trip, she decided to give him some extra spending money. When he saw how much it was, he couldn’t believe it. “Wow, twenty dollars!” he hollered, dancing around in a circle. He ran home to show his mom the $20 bill. “Look, Mom! Now I know what it feels like to be rich!”

Maybe getting a crisp $20 bill when it was not even your birthday would make you feel rich, too. Or maybe it would take a $100 bill. Maybe it might take a million before you would feel “rich.” No matter how much money you got, though, your riches could never compare to God’s. Not only does God own everything in the world, He has another kind of riches: riches of grace.

Grace is giving something good to someone who does not deserve it. Every person who is now saved once lived in total disobedience to God. Their lives were all about pleasing themselves and ignoring God. It does not seem fair that those people would get any special attention from Him, much less the chance to be in heaven with Him.

If God were fair, He would not give those people anything good. They do not deserve anything except to be punished! But God is not fair; He does not give people what they deserve. Instead, He is gracious. He does not give up on people who couldn’t care less about Him. Because He loves them – even though they are “dead in sins” – He gives them life.

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – God Is Rich in Grace →

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Show Up 

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When he [the king] saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter.     Esther 5:2

Successful living is about showing up, which means you arrive at the appointed time, ideally a little early. Your mode of operation is to say less and do more, as your actions speak for themselves. You show up for work as a diligent employee even when you don’t feel like it. You show up for a first date in spite of all the unknowns. You show up on behalf of another even though they may not expect your sincere concern. You show up to exercise when your body begs you to stay in bed. You show up for a funeral when you don’t know what to say. You show up for church even when you feel guilty and insecure.

Make it a priority to show up, and you may be surprised at the result. Eager athletes show up on the bench next to the coach. Those who show up at the right place, at the right time, are the ones who experience God’s best. You may meet a new friend or become reacquainted with an old one, which may lead to an unexpected opportunity. So show up, shut up, and listen up.

You especially need to show up for God. Be relentless about not missing your God time. Show up for God when you are sleepy, lazy, or lonely. Your desire may be waning, but after you show up, your “want to” will grow. Show up for God, and watch Him show up. It takes time to show up for God, but it is time well worth the effort and expense. You can’t afford to not show up for your Savior. Perish the thought that anyone would stand up Jesus. Our Lord is not one to be left waiting. How unwise to rush right past God on the way to orchestrate oblivion or rearrange obstacles. He is waiting patiently for you to show up and be loved by Him. Slow down and show up. Then pour out your heart to Jesus.

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – Show Up  →

Today in the Word

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – BALAAM AND HIS DONKEY

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Read Numbers 22:1-23:26

You might remember Francis the Talking Mule, star of seven popular movies during the 1950s. Francis was a U.S. Army mule who befriended a young soldier named Peter. Francis would talk to Peter—but only to Peter, which of course led to many humorous and difficult situations.

The only donkey that has actually talked in real life belonged to Balaam. Balaam was a pagan diviner or soothsayer, a person who claimed to be able to foretell the future and to have some influence with the gods and divinities.

The Moabites and Midianites were petrified. They had heard of Israel’s recent victories and feared they would be next to be overrun by the “horde” (22:4). They felt they needed supernatural help, and they decided to pay for Balaam to use his skill to pronounce a curse on their enemies. Though Balaam was not a follower of God, apparently he knew His voice when he heard it. The Lord told him not to dare to curse people whom He had blessed (22:9–12). Despite his greed (see 2 Peter 2:15–16), Balaam at first obeyed, perhaps out of fear or concern for his reputation—a curse that didn’t work would be bad for business. But when offered a higher price, he couldn’t resist moving in the desired direction.

The famous episode with his talking donkey took place on the way to deliver his curses (22:21–35). God mercifully sent this miraculous warning to impress upon Balaam the seriousness of His previous command not to curse Israel (23:19). His “path [was] a reckless one” (22:32), flirting with disobedience. In a bit of divine comedy, Balaam ended up not cursing but blessing the Israelites multiple times!

APPLY THE WORD

As Balak and Balaam discovered, God is the King of kings, whether or not people or nations acknowledge His rule or even believe in His existence. Praise the Lord today for His sovereignty. Rejoice that you can have a personal relationship with God. And thank Him for His guidance and protection in your life.

 

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