Daily Archives: June 16, 2017

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley –The Unconditional Love of God

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Romans 5:6-8

New believers may find it difficult to accept that God loves us just as we are. Much of the world operates by conditional love, which offers approval and acceptance on the basis of performance. So when we first come to Christ, there is often a natural tendency to assume we must strive to “earn” blessings—such as monetary wealth, loving families, and solid careers.

Divine love, however, can never be earned by human effort. There’s absolutely nothing we can do to make our Father love us more. Nor can we influence Him to ever stop loving us. (See Rom. 8:38-39.) Many believers understand this intellectually, but they may have trouble believing it deep down in their heart.

No matter what has occurred in your past or what you feel right now, God’s love has always been freely given to you. Our heavenly Father pours His love upon us without exception—no ifs, ands, or buts. It’s not as if He postponed loving you until the moment you invited Him into your life. Nor did He begin loving you when you first started going to church or when you rose from the baptismal waters. In truth, the Lord never began to love you at all; He simply always has. From the creation of the world, God knew you and loved you (1 John 4:19; Psalm 139:13-16).

Are you rejoicing in the Father’s love? Do you exude peace, or are you focused on what-ifs? Is your life characterized by power and purpose or by fear? Recognizing the amazing truth of God’s unconditional love is life-changing. Prayerfully open your arms to His love today.

Bible in One Year: Psalm 29-34

 

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Made Alive

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Read: Ephesians 2:1–10

Bible in a Year: Nehemiah 4–6; Acts 2:22–47

You were dead in your transgressions and sins.—Ephesians 2:1

As a young man, my dad was traveling with a group of friends to an out-of-town sporting event when the tires of their car slipped on the rain-soaked roads. They had an accident—a bad accident. One of his friends was paralyzed and another was killed. My dad was declared dead and taken to the morgue. His shocked and grief-stricken parents came to identify him. But my dad revived from what turned out to be a deep coma. Their mourning turned to joy.

In Ephesians 2, the apostle Paul reminds us that apart from Christ we are “dead in [our] transgressions and sins” (v. 1). But because of His great love for us, “God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions” (vv. 4-5). Through Christ we have been brought from death to life.

So in every sense, we all owe our life to the Father in heaven. Through His great love, He has made it possible for those of us who were dead in sin to have life and purpose through His Son. —Bill Crowder

Thank You, Father, for love that conquers sin, life that conquers death, and grace that has conquered my heart. May my life be a sweet aroma of praise to You.

We owed a debt we could not pay, but Jesus paid the debt He did not owe.

INSIGHT: In most world religions, people seek to gain favor from a deity—whether offering a sacrifice or promising to change one’s ways, the emphasis on human works is central. Yet in the writings of Paul we see that through Christ’s sacrifice we are saved by God’s grace and not by works. This is the central theme of the gospel. What is so extraordinary about the free gift of salvation by faith is its eternal impact. Although we will someday have to face physical death, the spiritual death of eternal separation from God has been replaced with eternal life.Have you received this gift of new spiritual life that Christ offers? Dennis Fisher

http://www.odb.org

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Everyone Believes in a Virgin Birth

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In correspondence with an old friend, a retired Princeton University professor, he detailed his objections to the Christian faith. His final remark seemed to overshadow all other considerations and was authoritatively written as if to definitively close the argument: ‘Nor can I believe in a virgin birth.’ Such a belief was apparently implausible, absurd, immature.

Why is the virgin birth often the most problematic miracle to accept? Why is it more troubling than the thought of Jesus walking on water? Or multiplying the loaves?

Perhaps because we are content to let God do as he pleases with his own body, and we are delighted to be the recipient of gifts. However, we are offended by the thought of a miracle that inconveniences us, that has potential to disrupt our plans and our preferences.

I considered responding to my friend with positive reasons for believing in a virgin birth, but then I realized that he was, in fact, already committed to a virgin birth.

We find one virgin birth in the story of the Incarnation:

‘How will this be,’ Mary asked the angel, ‘since I am a virgin?’ The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God’ (Luke 1:38).

Admittedly, this is out of the ordinary. But criticism without alternative is empty; a hypothesis is only plausible or implausible relative to what alternative hypotheses present themselves. So what exactly is the alternative?

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Everyone Believes in a Virgin Birth →

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – God’s Mercy Is New Every Day

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It is because of the Lord’s mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His [tender] compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great and abundant is Your stability and faithfulness.—Lamentations 3:22-23 AMPC

One of the things we can praise God for daily with a heart full of gratitude is that He is determined to have an intimate relationship with each of us. The only way He can do that is if He extends grace, mercy, and forgiveness to us continually. And the only way we can have that relationship with Him is if we learn to continually receive His grace, forgiveness, and mercy.

In case you are wondering, you have not used up all of God’s mercy for you. There is still an abundant amount available to you, and there will be as long as you live. God’s mercy is new every day! And it is a gift that can only be enjoyed if it is received freely. So thank God for His mercy today, live boldly by His grace, and be all He created you to be.

Prayer of Thanks: Father, thank You for Your mercy, Your compassion, and Your loving-kindness that never fails. I celebrate Your goodness today, and I am so grateful that I can have a personal, intimate relationship with You.

From the book The Power of Being Thankful by Joyce Meyer.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – He Forgets Our Sins

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“And then he adds, ‘I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds'” (Hebrews 10:17).

We were seated at the breakfast table, talking about the exciting adventure of the Christian life. Chuck and Mary were just discovering new facets and understanding of the life in Christ.

“Can you tell us in a few words what should be our objective as Christians?” they asked me.

In very brief summary, I replied, “The Christian life is the process of becoming in our experience through the enabling of the Holy Spirit what we already are in God’s sight, in order to bring maximum glory, honor and praise to His name.”

Christ gave Himself to God for our sins – as one sacrifice for one time. Then He sat down at the place of highest honor at God’s right hand. For by that one offering He made forever perfect in the sight of God all those whom He is making holy.

I am perfect in God’s sight, because in His sight there is no such thing as time and space. Let me hasten to all: I know that I am not perfect in my experience. That is a process which takes time, knowledge of God and His Word, and growth in faith in order to claim these truths as reality in our lives.

I am perfect in God’s sight because He sees me in Christ, and in Christ, who is perfect and without sin. He sees me without spot or blemish. Someone has referred to this great experience of being crucified, baptized and enthroned with Christ as a different life altogether. As we are reminded in 2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV), “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

Bible Reading: Hebrews 8:8-12

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Because God has forgiven and forgotten all my sins and lawless deeds. I will now, through the enabling of His Holy Spirit, receive His forgiveness and cleansing and never again be burdened with those sins of the past. I will claim my new supernatural life in Christ for the glory of God. Because this is such great good news, I will not keep it to myself. I must tell others.

 

http://www.cru.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Quarry the Deep Qualities of God

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Don’t equate the presence of God with a good mood or a pleasant temperament. God is near whether you’re happy or not. But do quarry from your Bible a list of the deep qualities of God, and press them to your heart. My list reads like this:

  • He is still sovereign.
  • He still knows my name.
  • Angels still respond to His call.
  • God is still faithful.
  • He is not caught off guard.
  • He uses everything for His glory and my ultimate good.

Lay hold of the unchanging character of God. Pray your pain out. Pound the table. Even Jesus offered up prayers with what Hebrews 5:7 describes as “loud cries and tears.” Your family may be gone. Your supporters may have left. But God has not budged! His promise still stands,“I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go.”

From You’ll Get Through This

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Sending the Bat-signal in ‘times of trouble’

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The Bat-signal was projected onto City Hall last night in Los Angeles, but Batman did not respond. Adam West, who played the superhero in the 1960s television series, died last week at the age of eighty-eight. However, he was only one of eight men to play the role over the years, five of whom are still alive.

Lewis G. Wilson was the first and least successful Batman, playing the role in 1943. Critics complained that his voice was too high and that he had a Boston accent. Robert Lowery played the role in 1949, then Adam West took over on the TV series that ran from 1966 to 1968. Next came Michael Keaton in 1989, followed by Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Christian Bale, and now Ben Affleck.

(A bit of movie trivia: two years after the Batman series went off the air, West was offered the role of James Bond in Diamonds Are Forever. He turned it down, believing that Bond should always be played by a Brit.)

The popularity of movie superheroes is at an all-time high—Marvel is releasing at least two films a year, and DC is making more than ever before. One columnist explained, “In times of trouble, people tend to wish for someone who is bigger than them to help them. . . . When things get scary, we all want someone to save us, to tell us things will be okay.”

Continue reading Denison Forum – Sending the Bat-signal in ‘times of trouble’ →