Monthly Archives: May 2017

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – What Israel taught me about Memorial Day

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Today, thousands of men and women carrying the names of fallen soldiers will conclude a thirty-one-day relay across a total of 6,200 miles. Organized by the nonprofit “Carry The Load,” the two routes began in Seattle, Washington and West Point, New York. They will meet in Dallas today for a Memorial Day March.

Last year, their event raised more than $2 million to build homes for veterans, provide adaptive training for injured soldiers, and support mental health programs. Their goal this year is to raise $2.5 million.

Their commitment is what Memorial Day in America should be all about.

Known as “America’s most solemn occasion,” this day has been set aside to remember the 1.3 million men and women who died in the service of our nation. This is the very least we can do for those who died for us and for those who grieve their loss. I am frankly concerned that in recent years Memorial Day seems to have become less about our fallen heroes and more about a three-day weekend to start the summer.

Contrast our holiday with the way Israel commemorates Yom HaZikaron, its Memorial Day, each year on April 30. Candles are lit in homes, schools, and synagogues. A siren is heard all over the country. When they hear it, Israelis stop everything. Those driving on roads and highways stop, get out of their cars, and stand in silence as they remember those who have died for their country.

Continue reading Denison Forum – What Israel taught me about Memorial Day →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Process of Sanctification

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Hebrews 5:11-14

Many modern-day inventions are designed to help us accomplish tasks more quickly. The microwave, for example, shortens cooking time drastically, while washing machines and computers speed up other chores. New technology has the added effect of increasing life’s already fast pace as well as our desire for instant solutions.

Not every process, however, lends itself to acceleration. Consider our growth in Christ, which is known as sanctification. Being a Christian is neither an event nor a quick fix. Rather, it is a journey. There are things for us to learn along the way, and while we may unwisely choose a longer path than necessary, there really are no shortcuts.

Sadly, some people grow little after salvation. They are not encouraged in their faith or discipled well. Others fail to pursue maturity through prayer, meditation on Scripture, and fellowship. God is not pleased when His children opt for complacency. That’s why His Word tells us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18).

Consider how spiritual development benefits believers. By learning God’s ways, we can walk in obedience and live contented, purposeful lives for His glory. We also gain the ability to discern truth from distortion.

Do you notice any change in your life and character since the day you were saved? Are you able to detect spiritual growth over the last year? Your heavenly Father wants to mature you. So make a continuous effort to cooperate with Him by reading Scripture, praying, fellowshipping, and repenting of all known sin in your life.

Bible in One Year: Nehemiah 8-10

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Not One Sparrow

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Read: Matthew 10:28–33

Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 4–6; John 10:24–42

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants.—Psalm 116:15

My mother, so dignified and proper her entire life, now lay in a hospice bed, held captive by debilitating age. Struggling for breath, her declining condition contradicted the gorgeous spring day that danced invitingly on the other side of the windowpane.

All the emotional preparation in the world cannot sufficiently brace us for the stark reality of goodbye. Death is such an indignity! I thought.

I diverted my gaze to the birdfeeder outside the window. A grosbeak flitted close to help itself to some seed. Instantly a familiar phrase popped into my mind: “Not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it” (Matt. 10:29 nlt). Jesus had said that to His disciples as He gave them marching orders for a mission to Judea, but the principle applies to all of us. “You are worth more than many sparrows,” He told them (v. 31).

My mom stirred and opened her eyes. Reaching back to her childhood, she used a Dutch term of endearment for her own mother and declared, “Muti’s dead!”

“Yes,” my wife agreed. “She’s with Jesus now.” Uncertain, Mom continued. “And Joyce and Jim?” she questioned of her sister and brother. “Yes, they’re with Jesus too,” said my wife. “But we’ll be with them soon!”

Continue reading Our Daily Bread — Not One Sparrow →

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Help!

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For I the Lord your God hold your right hand; I am the Lord, Who says to you, Fear not; I will help you!—Isaiah 41:13

No matter how well we may think we run our lives, the truth is that we need help with everything. We need all kinds of help in our everyday lives. Often, realizing how much help we need takes a long time. We like to believe we can do whatever needs to be done independently and without assistance.

However, the Lord sent us a Divine Helper; therefore, we must need help. Jesus Himself continually intercedes for us as He sits at the right hand of God (see Hebrews 7:25; Romans 8:34), and that tells us that we continually need God’s intervention in our lives. We are actually very needy and totally unable to handle life properly on our own.

Although we may seem to manage ourselves and our lives well for awhile, sooner or later something happens and things begin to fall apart if we are living in our own strength instead of receiving divine help.

Many times, we do fine until trouble comes. It may come in the form of a broken marriage, the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, or something else that is important to us. But eventually, we all reach a point where we have to recognize our neediness.

If we want to live life the way God intended—filled with righteousness, peace, and joy (see Romans 14:17), we have to admit that we need help and we have to receive it from the Holy Spirit, the One God sent to help us.

From the book Hearing from God Each Morning: 365 Daily Devotions by Joyce Meyer.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Real Life, Radiant Health

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“I have been crucified with Christ; and I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me. And the real life I now have within this body is a result of my trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

George Muller was asked the secret of his fruitful service for the Lord. “There was a day when I died,” he said, “utterly died.”

As he spoke, he bent lower and lower until he almost touched the floor.

“I died to George Muller,” he continued, “his opinions, preferences, tastes and will – died to the world, its approval or censure – died to the approval or blame even of my brethren and friends – and since then I have studied only to show myself approved unto God.”

With that kind of obedience to God and His inspired Word, it is small wonder that that great man of faith, George Muller, saw God perform miracle after miracle in his behalf, helping to support hundreds and even thousands of orphans simply by trusting God to provide.

Men and women of the world today would pay literally millions of dollars for the real life and radiant health promised in Proverbs 4:20-22 to the believer for simple faith and trust in God. “Listen, son of mine, to what I say. Listen carefully. Keep these thoughts ever in mind; let them penetrate deep within your heart, for they will mean real life for you, and radiant health.” To me, these verses encourage reading, studying, memorizing and meditating upon the Word of God.

Being crucified with Christ and hiding His Word in our hearts will not only keep us from sin, but it will also promote real life and radiant health for us, which we will want to share with others.

Bible Reading: Proverbs 4:23-27, 5:1-2

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: By faith, I will recognize that I have been crucified with Christ and will keep His thoughts in my mind throughout this day, meditating on His promises and faithfulness

 

http://www.cru.org

Today in the Word

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – SETTLING THE LAND EAST OF THE JORDAN RIVER

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Read Numbers 32

At noon on May 22, 1889, more than 50,000 people poured into the Oklahoma Territory, rushing to stake their claims to cheap land offered by the federal government. It was the beginning of the Oklahoma Land Rush. Those who illegally slipped into the territory early were called “Sooners,” which became the state’s nickname.

The Reubenites and Gadites came to Moses to stake their claims to land on the east side of the Jordan River. This land had been conquered as part of Israel’s early military victories. The problem, from Moses’ perspective, was that allowing them to do so might discourage the rest of the nation from obeying God and entering Canaan, thus repeating the previous generation’s disobedience (vv. 6–15).

How could he approve their request and yet avoid this danger? The Reubenites and Gadites responded with a wise solution: They promised to cross the Jordan River with the rest of the nation, going to war along with their brothers even though their inheritance was already won. This answered the obedience question, showing their genuine commitment to God’s plan and promise. It also answered the political question, showing their genuine commitment to the other tribes and acknowledging that the entire nation had won the land to which they now wished to stake a claim (v. 18).

Continue reading Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – SETTLING THE LAND EAST OF THE JORDAN RIVER →

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – The Master Was a Servant

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“If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.” (John 13:14-15)

Can you imagine washing someone’s dirty, slimy feet? This is what Jesus did. Jesus and His disciples were sitting and eating their last dinner together. Jesus stood up from the table, wrapped His robe around His waist, and kneeled down. He took a bowl of water and started to wash His disciples feet. Doesn’t that seem kind of gross? Why would He do that?

In Jesus’ day, people did not own shoes like we do today. They would wear either sandals or maybe no shoes at all. They did not have nice paved sidewalks and roads, either. What do you think your feet would look like if you walked around in the dirt all day with only a pair of sandals on? You would probably need to wash your feet, too! You probably would not be very excited about cleaning someone else’s feet. But Jesus did just that. He got down on the floor and washed all of the disciples’ feet. Once their feet were clean, He told them that He was giving them an example to follow. He was not teaching the disciples to go around cleaning everyone’s feet. He was teaching them to serve the needs of others over their own needs or desires.

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – The Master Was a Servant →

Streams in the Desert

Streams in the Desert for Kids – Lazy Is as Lazy Does

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Hebrews 6:12

Sometimes it’s interesting to look up a word in the dictionary and see what it really means. “Lazy” means “not easily aroused to activity.” A lazy person just doesn’t want to try very hard. For example, lazy students don’t make much effort in school; they don’t study very hard or do their homework well. They might even try to get someone else to do it for them!

There is something inside all of us that wants to be lazy. But the Bible teaches that we must not be lazy when it comes to our faith. Instead, we need to be willing to make an effort. We are to follow the examples of people in the Bible who demonstrated faith and patience, even when they had problems. That’s how they grew strong spiritually. It’s good advice because being lazy—especially being lazy about prayer and reading our Bibles—in the long run doesn’t feel good. There’s nothing like jumping in, doing a task well, and then feeling the satisfaction of a job well done.

Dear Lord, Help me to be faithful to my work, both at home and in school and help me to remember to pray and read the Bible so that I can be everything you want me to be. Amen.

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – King of Kings

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Revelation 19:11-16

In today’s passage from Revelation 19, we see Jesus exalted as the King of Kings. He is shown returning to earth to rescue His people, judge the wicked, and set up His kingdom. As heaven opens, Christ rides out on a white horse in power and great glory. This appearance is nothing like His quiet arrival in Bethlehem as a helpless baby. This time, “every eye will see Him” (Revelation 1:7), as He comes to bring inescapable judgment.

The exalted King is not coming alone. The armies of heaven—who are clothed in the fine linen of the bride of Christ (Revelation 19:7-8)—are following Him on white horses. If you are a Christian, you will be in this army of saints and angels. This describes the fulfillment of the promise that says believers are going to rule and reign with Him (Revelation 5:10).

One day, Jesus will literally reign on this earth as King. But even before that time, He comes to rule in the heart of every believer. Sometimes Christians try to keep Him exclusively in the role of Savior, but salvation is just the beginning of all the blessings the Lord has in store for us. Only in submission and obedience to Christ’s authority will we be transformed into His image and live a life worthy of His rewards (Revelation 22:12).

In all practicality, who is the king of your life? Who is it that guides your decisions and directs your path? The Creator has a plan and purpose for your life, which can be discovered only by living under the authority of Jesus Christ. May His kingdom come and His will be done—on earth and in your heart.

Bible in One Year: Nehemiah 4-7

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Dysfunctional

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Read: Romans 3:10–26

Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 1–3; John 10:1–23

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.—Romans 3:23

The word dysfunctional is often used to describe individuals, families, relationships, organizations, and even governments. While functional means it’s in proper working order, dysfunctional is the opposite—it’s broken, not working properly, unable to do what it was designed to do.

In his letter to the Romans, the apostle Paul begins by describing a spiritually dysfunctional humanity (1:18-32). We are all part of that rebellious company: “All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one. . . . For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (3:12, 23).

The good news is that “all are justified freely by [God’s] grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus . . . to be received by faith” (vv. 24-25). When we invite Christ into our lives and accept God’s offer of forgiveness and new life, we are on the path to becoming the person He created us to be. We don’t immediately become perfect, but we no longer have to remain broken and dysfunctional.

Through the Holy Spirit we receive daily strength to honor God in what we say and do and to “put off [our] old self . . . to be made new in the attitude of [our] minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:22-24). —David McCasland

Lord, in our dysfunctional lives we turn to You for restoration and strength. Thank You for Your amazing grace and love!

Drawing close to Christ helps us to live as He designed us.

INSIGHT: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control are the fruit the Spirit grows in our lives because we “belong to Christ Jesus” (Gal. 5:22-24). In what area can you ask the Spirit to help you grow? J.R. Hudberg

 

http://www.odb.org

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Think Again: A Kaleidoscope of Colors

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When our son was only four years old and we moved to a different city, he raised a question that brought rounds of laughter from the whole family, and even prompted a wistful thought. Driving in the car one day, right out of the blue he turned to my wife (who is from Canada) and said, “Mummy, when do we turn black?” Caught completely off guard she said, “I don’t know what you mean.” “Well,” sounded the pensive, albeit innocent, childish voice, “You are white, we are beige, and Daddy is brown—when do we turn black?”

How nice it would be if life did provide such a sequence of colors! In his young mind, magnificently untainted by years of biases and indoctrinations, he saw life as a time-released kaleidoscope of colors and apparently envisioned the possibility of each of us experiencing the joys and hurts of all. How much more understanding of each other we would be if each of us could live for a time within another’s world and be subsumed in someone else’s life story?

The multiplicity of ethnicities offers many delights—how intriguing are the various cuisines, traditions, art, accents and literature of our world. In the West, globalization has brought the riches of pluralism to our neighborhoods and iPhones. As one speaker I heard once quipped, where else but in Los Angeles (or I might add, Toronto or London) would you find a fast food stand where a Korean is selling kosher tacos?

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Think Again: A Kaleidoscope of Colors →

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Stop Trying and Start Trusting

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[Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.—Philippians 2:13

Most of us desire the good life God has planned for us, but we recognize areas in our lives that need to be changed. Many times you set out to make those changes, yet in spite of your best efforts, you seem powerless to make it happen.

Trying to bring about change through your own strength and plans will always result in frustration. God is waiting for you to stop trying to change and start trusting Him to change you.

If you need to make changes in your thoughts, attitudes, and behavior, understand that you can’t do it by yourself. Spend time with God and ask for His help—after all, if He can’t do it, it can’t be done. But He can . . . and He will!

From the book Ending Your Day Right by Joyce Meyer

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Wait Patiently and Confidently

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“But if we must keep trusting God for something that hasn’t happened yet, it teaches us to wait patiently and confidently” (Romans 8:25).

During my college days, I was not a believer. Only in retrospect can I appreciate in some measure the testimony of one of my professors, who was the head of the education department.

He and his wife were devout Christians. They had a Mongoloid child, whom they took with them wherever they went, and I am sure that their motivation for doing so – at least in part – was to give a testimony of the fruit of the Spirit, patience and love.

They loved the child dearly and felt that God had given them the responsibility and privilege to rear the child personally as a testimony of His grace, rather than placing her in a home for retarded children. The Bible teaches us that God never gives us a responsibility, a load or a burden without also giving us the ability to be victorious.

This professor and his wife bore their tremendous burden with joyful hearts. Wherever they went, they waited on the child, hand and foot. Instead of being embarrassed and humiliated, trying to hide the child in the closet, they unashamedly always took her with them, as a witness for Christ and as an example of His faithfulness and sufficiency.

They demonstrated patience and love by drawing upon the supernatural resources of the Holy Spirit in their close, moment-by-moment walk with God. Because of the working of the Holy Spirit in their lives, they were able to bear their trials supernaturally without grumbling or complaining. This is not to suggest that every dedicated Christian couple would be led of God to respond in the same way under similar circumstances. In their case, their lives communicated patience.

Bible Reading: Romans 8:18-24

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Knowing that God’s Holy Spirit indwells me and enables me to live supernaturally, I will claim by faith the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22,23) with special emphasis on patience for today and every day.

 

http://www.cru.org

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Wants Us to Forgive

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“And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.” (Mark 11:25-26)

A soft knock sounded on Michele’s door, and she rolled her eyes. She knew it was her sister, Joy. “Come in,” she mumbled.

“Michele?” Joy’s nose was all red from crying. “I’m sorry I played with your necklace and broke it. I’ll buy you a new one just as soon as I save up enough money. Would you please forgive me?”

Michele sighed. Why did Joy always have to be so quick to apologize? She did not want to accept Joy’s apology yet. She was still angry about the necklace. “I’m not ready to forgive you yet,” she said. “Come back later, when I’ve had more time to think about it.” Michele turned her back on Joy, and she heard a little sob as Joy quietly shut her door.

Several times in the Gospels, Jesus talked to His followers about the importance of forgiveness. He even told them that if they would not forgive each other, their prayers would be hindered (stopped or slowed down), and God would not forgive them. Why is it so important to God that we forgive each other?

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – God Wants Us to Forgive →

Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – Nameless Mothers in the Bible: Elisha and the Widow

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Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.
2 Kings 4:2

The Bible tells us much about her, but not her name. She was the widow of a student in Elisha’s School of the Prophets, and her husband’s death left her with two boys and no money. Her finances became so desperate she confided in Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD. And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves” (2 Kings 4:1).

Recommended Reading: 2 Kings 4:1-7

Elisha asked if she had anything left in the pantry, and she came up with a little bottle of olive oil. Under his instructions, she began pouring from that bottle, and the oil flowed and flowed, filling every pot, pan, jar, and vessel she could find. Selling the oil, she repaid her creditor and had money left over to raise her sons.

Sometimes as mothers or fathers, we cannot solve all the problems, meet the needs, or find the way. Sometimes as workers and leaders, our resources are easily depleted. Sometimes as Christians, we feel empty.

God knows how to fill empty vessels. When our hearts cry out to Him, He pours out the oil of joy without measure. If you’re empty, let Him fill you today with His Holy Spirit!

We have within us all that we need in the person of the Holy Spirit, represented by the little pot of oil.
Jill Briscoe

Read-Thru-the-Bible: Job 1 – 8

 

http://www.davidjeremiah.org/

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Exalted Lord

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Revelation 1:9-17

Revelation may be the most ignored book of the New Testament simply because it can be difficult to understand. But to avoid the treasures found in its pages is to miss some of the richest descriptions of our Lord that Scripture offers. We love seeing Him as the baby in the manger, and we recognize the importance of His death and resurrection, but the story doesn’t end there.

John was given a dramatic vision of the exalted Lord as He is now in heaven. Even though the apostle had shared an intimate friendship with Christ on earth, the sight of His Lord in this glorified state caused him to pass out in fear (Revelation 1:17).

In the heavenly scene, Jesus is portrayed as the Lord of His church, which is represented by the seven lampstands surrounding Him. He watches over them, preserving, protecting, and admonishing when necessary.

A few chapters later, Jesus is shown to be the Lamb of God, who, as our High Priest, sacrificed Himself on our behalf (Revelation 5:1-14). His blood purchased redemption for people from every place and time, so that they could become citizens of His kingdom. All heaven erupts into praise and worship when Christ is found to be the only one worthy to end this age and set up His righteous kingdom (v. 13).

If you believe in Christ, these chapters are about your future. Picture yourself in both scenes, seeing Jesus as the exalted Lord and Lamb of God. The praises described in Revelation 5:9-14 are coming from your mouth! Let this glimpse of the future shape your worship and focus this weekend.

Bible in One Year: Nehemiah 1-3

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Navigating Rough Waters

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Read: 1 Chronicles 28:9–20

Bible in a Year: 1 Chronicles 28–29; John 9:24–41

Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.—1 Chronicles 28:20

I was enjoying the start of my first whitewater rafting experience—until I heard the roar of the rapids up ahead. My emotions were flooded with feelings of uncertainty, fear, and insecurity at the same time. Riding through the whitewater was a first-rate, white-knuckle experience! And then, suddenly, it was over. The guide in the back of the raft had navigated us through. I was safe—at least until the next set of rapids.

Transitions in our lives can be like whitewater experiences. The inevitable leaps from one season of life to the next—college to career, changing jobs, living with parents to living alone or with a spouse, career to retirement, youth to old age—are all marked by uncertainty and insecurity.

In one of the most significant transitions recorded in Old Testament history, Solomon assumed the throne from his father David. I’m sure he was filled with uncertainty about the future. His father’s advice? “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. . . . For the Lord God, my God, is with you” (1 Chron. 28:20).

We’ll have our fair share of tough transitions in life. But with God in our raft we’re not alone. Keeping our eyes on the One who is navigating the rapids brings joy and security. He’s taken lots of others through before. —Joe Stowell

God guides us through the rapids of change.

INSIGHT: King David had desired to build God’s temple (1 Chron. 17:1), but God told him he could not because of the blood he had shed as a warrior (28:3). Instead, the privilege and responsibility for this project would fall upon the shoulders of David’s son Solomon. It is understandable that Solomon would be apprehensive about assuming this role. But his father admonished him to trust in God and do the work. Indeed, God was faithful as Solomon built the temple and took his father’s place as king.

Are you facing a transition? Reflect on God’s faithfulness and ask Him for strength to carry you through.  Dennis Fisher

 

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Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Sigh of Relief

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Most of us likely missed it. Couched between Wednesday’s building crescendo of assignments and Friday’s promise of their demise, Thursday hardly seems more than a means to an end. Though the day is every bit as holy as Easter Sunday, most of the world moves through it unsuspectingly—even those who have confessed the momentous lines of the Apostles’ Creed: “On the third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.”

Yesterday was Ascension Day, the day that marks the ascension of Jesus Christ. Forty days after the celebration of Easter and the resurrection of Jesus, the church around the world holds in remembrance this eventful day. The gospel writer records: “Then [Jesus] said to his disciples…. ‘See, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.’ Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; and they were continually in the temple blessing God.”(1)

The ascension of Christ may not seem as momentous to the Christian story as the resurrection or as rousing as the image of Jesus on the cross. After the death and resurrection, in fact, the ascension might even seem somewhat anti-climatic. The resurrection and ascension statements of the Apostles’ Creed are essentially treated as one in the same: On the third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. One might even think that the one miraculous act flowed immediately into the other: as if the death of the body of Jesus was answered in the resurrection, a presence who then floated onto heaven. Unfortunately, the result of this impression is that many think of the ascension as somehow casting off of Christ’s human nature, as if Jesus is a presence that only used to be human. Hence, Jesus seems one more fit to memorialize than one we might expect to actually see face-to-face one day.

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Sigh of Relief →

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Be a Believing Believer

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Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as [happened] in the rebellion [of Israel] and their provocation and embitterment [of Me] in the day of testing in the wilderness. —Hebrews 3:7-8

In Hebrews 3 we see two wrong conditions of the heart—a hard heart and an unbelieving heart. In the wilderness, a hard heart caused the Israelites to rebel. A person with a hard heart cannot believe God easily, which is a major problem because everything we receive from God comes through believing. To receive from Him, all we have to do is come to Him in simple, childlike faith and just believe.

We call ourselves believers, but the truth is, there are a lot of “unbelieving believers.” For a long time, I was one of them. I had been hurt so much during my childhood, I developed a hardness of heart that God had to break through in my life.

Even Moses got to the place in the wilderness where he was slow of heart to believe God. That’s why it’s important for us to stay sharp spiritually so we can be quick to believe and to walk in faith day by day. We can choose to be careful to go from faith to faith and not begin to mix in any doubt and unbelief. A believing heart is essential if we want to live in close relationship with God.

Jesus wants to restore your soul, including your emotions. Let Jesus into those areas of your life that no one else could ever reach. Ask Him to change you into a person who has the same kind of heart that He has.

From the book Closer to God Each Day by Joyce Meyer.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Wisdom Brings Peace

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“Wisdom gives a good, long life, riches, honor, pleasure, peace” (Proverbs 3:16,17).

High up in the Andes Mountains stands a bronze statue of Christ – the base of granite, the figure fashioned from old cannons – marking the boundary between Argentina and Chile.

“Sooner shall these mountains crumble into dust,” reads the Spanish engraving, “than Argentines and Chileans break the peace sworn at the feet of Christ the Redeemer.”

Peoples of these two countries had been quarreling about their boundaries for many years, and suffering from the resultant mistrust.

In 1900, with the conflict at its highest, citizens begged King Edward VII of Great Britain to mediate the dispute. On May 28, 1903, the two governments signed a treaty ending the conflict.

During the celebration that followed, Senora de Costa, a noble lady of Argentina who had done much to bring about the peace, conceived the idea of a monument. She had the statue of Christ shaped from the cannons that had been used to strike terror into Chilean hearts.

At the dedication ceremony, the statue was presented to the world as a sign of the victory of good will. “Protect, Oh Lord, our native land,” prayed Senora de Costa. “Ever give us faith and hope. May fruitful peace be our first patrimony and good example its greatest glory.”

The monument stands today as a reminder that only Christ – the Prince of Peace – can bring real peace to the world. And that refers as much to individual peace as it does to national and international peace.

Bible Reading: Proverbs 3:18-23

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Like Solomon of old, I shall seek the wisdom that brings a good, long life, riches, honor, pleasure and the lasting peace that comes from God’s indwelling Holy Spirit.

 

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