Monthly Archives: July 2017

Moody Global Ministries

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – A SHORT HISTORY OF THE TRIBE OF BENJAMIN

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Read 1 CHRONICLES 8

Karl Vaters, church pastor and author of The Grasshopper Myth, calls small churches “the next big thing.” Vaters believes “small churches are uniquely poised to meet the needs of Millennials and perhaps turn the tide on the trend of the unchurched.”

Today’s passage focuses on the tribe of Benjamin, described as “little” in Psalm 68. This tribe was descended from Jacob’s youngest son. At the time of the first census it numbered 35,400 and by the second census had grown to 45,600 (Num. 1:37; 26:41). When Saul was chosen to be Israel’s first king, he noted that Benjamin was “the smallest tribe of Israel” and he was from least significant clan in that tribe (1 Sam. 9:21). Benjamin distinguished itself by siding with David when the Northern tribes revolted against him.

In chapter 8, the author mentions several locations within Benjamin, placing special emphasis on Gibeon and Jerusalem. Jerusalem shared a border with Judah and Benjamin. The chapter concludes with the family of Saul, setting the stage for the narratives that follow which describe the rise of David and the establishment of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

The story of Benjamin is mixed. It includes tales of victory as cities were built and giants defeated, but there is an underlying note of warning. The original audience would have known that Saul’s reign began with promise but ended in tragedy.

An old hymn asks, “Does the place you’re called to labor seem too small and little known? / It is great if God is in it, And He’ll not forget His own.” God is not daunted by small size or limited resources. As the refrain of this song declares, “Little is much if God is in it.”

APPLY THE WORD

Little is much if God is in it—but He must be in the method as well as the motive. As the stories of Saul and David demonstrate, small size is no obstacle, but our failure in the areas of faith and obedience will be. Ask God where and how He wants you to exercise your faith today. The sphere may be small, but the effect will be great.

 

http://www.todayintheword.org

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley –God’s Promise in Context

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Psalm 19:7-11

Yesterday we noted that to understand God’s divine promises, believers must consider the whole counsel of God. For example, the Lord’s commitment to supply our needs isn’t isolated from other parts of Scripture.

Trust God to provide (James 1:6-7). James opens his letter with a strong warning that those who doubt the Lord can expect nothing from Him. God’s trustworthiness is clear in Scripture and in believers’ lives, but our wavering confidence undermines His work.

Wait upon His timing (1 Samuel 13:9-13). Instead of waiting for Samuel, King Saul usurped the prophet’s authority by making a pre-battle sacrifice to God. Though his army won, Saul lost God’s favor as well as the throne. People who manipulate circumstances and timing expect good results but are often disappointed. No one gets what he really wants by supplying his own need.

Accept responsibility (Prov. 19:15; Prov. 20:4). We can’t expect God will open a door to opportunity while we’re just sitting back. We have to be on the lookout, ready to participate. For example, if we need a job, we should be out submitting applications. If we want to know the Father’s direction for a hard situation, we must be seeking Him regularly through prayer and His Word.

God knows our needs, and He has committed Himself to meeting every one. But He does not make promises in a vacuum. We have a responsibility to trust Him, be patient, and do our part. Then we leave it to the Lord to move heaven and earth to provide.

Bible In One Year: Proverbs 1-4

 

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — A Day to Rest

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Read: Exodus 23:10–13

Bible in a Year: Job 36–37; Acts 15:22–41

Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work.—Exodus 23:12

One Sunday, I stood by the gurgling stream that wends its way through our North London community, delighting in the beauty it brings to our otherwise built-up area. I felt myself relax as I watched the cascading water and listened to the birds chirping. I paused to give the Lord thanks for how He helps us to find rest for our souls.

The Lord instituted a time of Sabbath—a time for rest and renewal—for His people in the ancient Near East because He wanted them to thrive. As we see in the book of Exodus, He tells them to sow their fields for six years and rest on the seventh. So too with working six days and resting on the seventh. His way of life set apart the Israelites from other nations, for not only they but also the foreigners and slaves in their households were allowed to follow this pattern.

We can approach our day of rest with expectancy and creativity, welcoming the chance to worship and do something that feeds our souls, which will vary according to our preferences. Some will like to play games; some to garden; some to share a meal with friends and family; some to take an afternoon nap.

How can we rediscover the beauty and richness of setting apart a day to rest, if that’s missing from our lives? —Amy Boucher Pye

Lord God, in You we find our rest. Thank You that You’ve created us both to work and to rest. Please help us to find the right rhythm for our lives.

In our faith and service, rest is as important as work.

INSIGHT: The reality of our need of rest is reinforced by Jesus’s invitation in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Jesus speaks of life’s burdens and His provisions for us (an easy yoke and a light burden), and that is good. Notice, however, that the rest He offers is not simply found in the cessation of activity or release from burdens. It is found in actively seeking His presence and His provision for our lives. Jesus speaks of rest “for [our] souls” which is far more than mere relaxing. It is the rest that replenishes us in the core of our being. This is the ultimate goal of Sabbath—a rest that recuperates the heart and restores the spirit.  Bill Crowder

 

http://www.odb.org

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – The Big Ask

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Read: Exodus 3:7-10

I will send you . . . (v. 10)

God’s mission is stunning, his call is daunting, and his task towers over our lives, but for some reason God chooses us. God told Moses, “I will send you.” God invited a shepherd to rescue his people from a king. There is a mystery in this story: if God can talk from a flaming plant, can’t he just wipe out Egypt in one cosmic sweep of his hand? Well, God did destroy Pharaoh and his army in dramatic fashion, but not before Moses acted. For reasons that still sometimes baffle us, God carries out his mission through human beings.

Just as daunting as confronting a pharaoh was God’s call to a virgin to give birth to a king. God could have rolled back the clouds to enter our world but instead he chose a small-town girl who was already engaged to give birth to the Savior of the world. God could have chosen renowned philosophers but instead picked uneducated fishermen to carry the gospel to the ends of the earth. And similarly, God chooses you, too.

God still sees people all around the world who do not know him. God hears their cries of pain and sighs of sadness. God knows the suffering they endure and the injustice they bear. We might see a bit of this through the news, but God sees it all. We might demand of God, “What are you going to do about all this suffering?” But God whispers, “I will send you.” —Jon Opgenorth

Prayer: Holy Spirit, help me to be captured by the significance of your mission.

 

https://woh.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – The Heart of an Eagle

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That is why I would remind you to stir up (rekindle the embers of, fan the flame of, and keep burning) the [gracious] gift of God, [the inner fire] that is in you.—2 Timothy 1:6

Do you ever feel like an eagle in a chicken yard? You know in your heart that there is much more within you than you are experiencing and expressing in your life right now. You feel certain God has a great purpose for your life—and you cannot escape or ignore the inner urge to “go for it.”

I encourage you today to fan the flame inside you. Fan it until it burns brightly. Never give up on the greatness for which you were created, and never try to hide your uniqueness. Instead, be thankful for it, and be thankful that God has something special in store. Realize your hunger for adventure is God-given; wanting to try something new is a wonderful desire; and embracing life and aiming high is what you were made for. You are an eagle!

Prayer of Thanks: Father, thank You for the dreams and desires You have placed in my heart. Thank You that You have a destiny for me. Today, I will dare to dream of all the wonderful things You have in Your plan for my life.

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 – Claiming Forgiveness

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“But, dearly loved friends, if our consciences are clear, we can come to the Lord with perfect assurance and trust, and get whatever we ask for because we are obeying Him and doing the things that please Him” (1 John 3:21,22).

What a marvelous promise – unfortunately, a promise which few Christians are able to claim. Why? Because they do not have a clear conscience in regard to their sin and when they come to God, they cannot come with confidence that He will hear and answer them. As God’s Word reminds us in Psalm 66:15, if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. How wonderful to know that whatever sins have been committed, the shedding of Christ’s blood and His death on the cross have paid the penalty for them all. If we confess our sin of pride, lust, jealousy, gossip, dishonesty, greed, whatever it may be, we can by faith claim His forgiveness. Remember that if we agree with God concerning our sin, if we recognize Christ’s death on the cross has indeed paid the penalty for that sin, and if we repent or change our attitude, which results in a change of our action, we can know that we are forgiven. However, if there is no change of attitude and action, obviously there has been no true confession and therefore no forgiveness and cleansing.

If you have truly confessed your sins, you can come now into the presence of God with great joy and a clear conscience and have perfect assurance and trust that whatever you ask for, you will receive because you are praying according to the will and the Word of God.

Bible Reading: I John 3:18-24

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: One of the qualifications for supernatural living is a clear conscience. Therefore, by God’s grace I will keep my heart and motives pure through the practice of spiritual breathing knowing that when I breathe spiritually (exhale – confess, inhale – appropriate promise), I can come into God’s presence with a clear conscience and expect to receive answers to my prayers.

 

http://www.cru.org

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Is Not the Kind of God Who Leaves

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“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Hebrews 13:5)

Have you ever missed the school bus or a ride to an activity that was important to you? Being left is a terrible feeling! It is embarrassing and frustrating, and it can also be really sad – especially if you miss out on something you were really hoping to see or do. Sometimes it can even be dangerous to be left behind. What if you accidentally got left in a football stadium? What if you were on a hiking trail and got separated from your friends? It could be scary, and lonely, and maybe even harmful to be left like that.

Sometimes we rely on people too much. It is okay to count on your friends and family to keep an eye out for you and to remember your needs and hopes. But friends and family are human, and sometimes they forget or make mistakes. Some people might take off on you because they want to do something selfish for themselves, or some might turn their back on you when you have done something wrong. People are human. They might let you down. They might give up on you. They might leave you.

The writer of Hebrews 13:5 was reminding readers of what Jesus said to His disciples – that He would never leave them. He would never forsake them. Jesus is God; He is greater than our human friends and family. He is better than anything we might try to be or to get on our own. In this verse, the Bible shows us the kind of God Who promises to be faithful. That means He is not the kind of God Who lets His people down. He is not the kind of God Who leaves His people alone. He keeps His promises.

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – God Is Not the Kind of God Who Leaves →

Today in the Word

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – GOD’S MIGHTY ARMY

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Read 1 CHRONICLES 7

A children’s Bible song sung for years in Sunday school and Vacation Bible School goes: “I may never march in the infantry / Ride in the cavalry / Shoot the artillery / I may never fly o’er the enemy / But I’m in the Lord’s army! Yes Sir!”

In this section, the Chronicler records the genealogy of the tribes of Issachar, Benjamin, Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim, and Asher. The author emphasizes the military strength for several of the tribes. There’s no specific timeframe given here, and some of the numbers seem to date from the time of David. In the genealogy of Ephraim he mentions another notable military leader, Joshua the son of Nun and Moses’ successor (v. 27). Notable women are also mentioned, including the daughters of Zelophehad, who were one of the first to request inheritance rights for women, and Sheerah, “who built Lower and Upper Beth Horon as well as Uzzen Sheerah” (vv. 15, 24).

The first recipients of this book could not have helped noticing the difference in their circumstances compared to these earlier days. They had no military might. The scope of the land they inhabited was significantly reduced. Those who had returned to Jerusalem must have felt like aliens in their own land. “By anyone’s standards, the fifth century was hardly a golden age for the people of God,” Old Testament scholar John Sailhamer explains. “Their future as a kingdom and a distinct people of God, in fact, seemed bleaker at that moment than perhaps ever before.”

The author’s purpose was not to discourage them by pointing to a glorious but unrecoverable past but to remind them of the power and glory of God. And though their circumstances were different, their mighty God remained the same. He had raised up mighty warriors before and He could do it again.

APPLY THE WORD

This view of the past served as a reminder that they were still the same people of God and heirs of the same promises. Are you facing a difficult change in circumstances today? Remember the God of your past is also the God of your present and your future. Jesus promised: “I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28:20).

 

http://www.todayintheword.org

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley –Our Unmet Needs

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Philippians 4:19

God has promised to supply all our needs, yet fulfillment is sometimes slow in coming. What could be the problem? Perhaps we are.

When our Father fails to meet our expectations, we generally look outside ourselves for the reason. But while God’s love is unconditional, many of His promises are not. For example, Philippians 4:19 is a “family promise”—it can be claimed only by those who rightly call the Sovereign of the universe “Father.” His unlimited resources are not available to men and women who reject salvation through Jesus Christ. Moreover, when we look at the whole framework of Scripture, we see that the Lord makes obedience a condition for fulfilling our needs. (See Psalm 81:10-12.) He will not condone sin by blessing us while we rebel against Him.

Think of yourself as part of an army at war—which is what you are, in a spiritual sense. A top military priority is to keep the supply line open, as victory is impossible if the soldiers are weaponless, cold, and starving. Our willful disobedience allows Satan to cut our supply line from the Lord. Restoring that connection is a matter of repentance. Those who walk in God’s way are protected, provided for, and satisfied (Psalm 81:13-16).

Taking a promise out of its biblical context is very dangerous. And expecting God to keep a conditional pledge when we aren’t meeting its requirements is even more unwise. The heavenly Father keeps His word but rightfully expects us to do our part. Thankfully, His expectations of us are not burdensome but reasonable: What He requires is that we simply love, honor, and obey Him.

Bible In One Year: Psalm 145-150

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — The Ultimate Good

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Read: Philippians 3:1–11

Bible in a Year: Job 34–35; Acts 15:1–21

I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.—Philippians 3:8

As I was growing up in Jamaica, my parents raised my sister and me to be “good people.” In our home, good meant obeying our parents, telling the truth, being successful in school and work, and going to church . . . at least Easter and Christmas. I imagine this definition of being a good person is familiar to many people, regardless of culture. In fact, the apostle Paul, in Philippians 3, used his culture’s definition of being good to make a greater point.

Paul, being a devout first-century Jew, followed the letter of the moral law in his culture. He was born into the “right” family, had the “right” education, and practiced the “right” religion. He was the real deal in terms of being a good person according to Jewish custom. In verse 4, Paul writes that he could boast in all of his goodness if he wanted to. But, as good as he was, Paul told his readers (and us) that there is something more than being good. He knew that being good, while good, was not the same as pleasing God.

Pleasing God, Paul writes in verses 7-8, involves knowing Jesus. Paul considered his own goodness as “garbage” when compared to “the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus.” We are good—and we please God—when our hope and faith are in Christ alone, not in our goodness. —Karen Wolfe

Dear God, as I seek to live a good life, help me remember that knowing Jesus is the way to ultimate goodness.

We are good—and we please God—when our hope and faith are in Christ alone, not in our goodness.

INSIGHT: It can be easy to miss the phenomenal change of perspective Paul states in today’s passage. His claims of righteousness were not empty boasts; he had followed God-given laws meticulously—literally to the letter. For Paul to say that all of that was worthless signifies change at a fundamental level. He changed from outward performance—doing (vv. 4-7)—to knowing Christ and what He had done (v. 8).

 

http://www.odb.org

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – King of the Hills

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Public radio program This American Life ran a special report on a certain sub-culture of people whose prize possessions are their car stereos. They are called “decibel drag racers” and people flock across international borders to join them in competition. Like actual drag racing, cars line up across the track, except in this competition they will not be going anywhere. The winner is the owner of the car stereo that can play at the loudest possible decibel. Oddly enough (that is, more odd than the fact that these systems are too powerful to play music), most of the cars that win this competition are not even drivable. The world record holder at the time of this interview had 900 pounds of concrete poured into the floor of his van. Wind shields usually only make it through three competitions before cracking (and these are not normal windshields). Yet one competitor still seems to entirely miss the irony that there is no longer any room for himself in his car. “We need more batteries,” he laments. “But that’s all the room we have.”(1)

To anyone outside of this extreme audio sport world, “irony” is perhaps a generous word to describe the phenomenon. The TAL reporter was far more articulate: “Everybody wants to be the king of a hill,” he concluded. “But the number of aspiring kings always dwarfs the number of available hills, so in this country we build more hills.”(2) I’m not sure there is a better way to describe it.

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – King of the Hills →

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Defeating Unbelief

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Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour. Withstand him; be firm in faith [against his onset—rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined], knowing that the same (identical) sufferings are appointed to your brotherhood (the whole body of Christians) throughout the world. — 1 Peter 5:8-9

Sometimes we unintentionally give the wrong impression about spiritual warfare. We know that our enemy is the devil and that we must fight daily to win, but that’s not everything. If the Christian life were nothing but battles, it would be discouraging to fight every hour of every day.

I would feel that I could never relax because as soon as I did, Satan would sneak back again. That’s not the picture I want to present. The Christian life is one of joy and peace. God gives us a great sense of fulfillment, and we’re at rest because we know we honor Him by the way we live.

Peter wrote to Christians about their enemy—warning them and urging them to be vigilant, which is where we often put the emphasis. Just before he wrote those words, however, he said, Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully (v. 7). As we read that verse, it tells us that we must remind ourselves of God’s love for us—God cares. Because God cares, we can trust Him to take care of us.

Continue reading Joyce Meyer – Defeating Unbelief →

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Riches in Glory

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“And it is He who will supply all your needs from His riches in glory because of what Christ Jesus has done for us” (Philippians 4:19).

God has faithfully met the needs of this great worldwide ministry since its inception. He met our needs when there were only two of us – Vonette and I – on the staff. He meets our needs today (1983) with more than 16,000 full-time and associate staff members serving in most communities of America and in 151 other countries.

He met our needs when our budget was a few thousand dollars a year. He continues to meet our needs when our budget is approximately $100 million a year. During this exciting, incredibly rich and rewarding adventure with our gracious Lord, we have never had an extra dollar at the end of any day. We get only what we need – and no more.

During these years, there have been many dramatic demonstrations of His faithfulness, when He has led us to undertake major and frequently expensive projects. He has always supplied the funds to pay for what He orders. We have learned many lessons concerning God’s faithfulness.

First, whatever He leads us to do He will enable us to do by supplying the manpower, the finances and the know-how – oftentimes dramatically – if we continue to trust and obey Him.

Second, “we have not because we ask not” (James 4:2 KJV).

Third, we do not receive when our motives are impure.

But of this we can be sure: if our hearts are pure, our motives are pure and we do what we do for the glory of God – to help fulfill the Great Commission through the winning and discipling of men for Christ throughout the world -we can always be assured that God will supply our needs. Not to do so would be a contradiction of His attributes, for the idea of the Great Commission began with our Lord.

Bible Reading: II Corinthians 9:6-11

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will examine my heart to determine my motives and relate my needs to the scriptural commands with the confidence that God will supply all of my needs from His riches in glory, because of what Christ Jesus has done for me. I will thank Him in advance for meeting my needs, and encourage others to trust Him also. This is a part of my commitment to supernatural living.

 

http://www.cru.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Stay the Course of Forgiveness

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Vengeance is God’s. He will repay—whether ultimately on the Day of Judgment or intermediately in this life. God can discipline your abusive boss. He can bring your ex to his knees or to her senses. Forgiveness doesn’t diminish justice; it just entrusts it to God. He guarantees the right retribution.  The God of justice has the precise prescription.

Forgive your enemies? Ah, that’s where you and I come in. “Do not let the sun go down on your anger,” Paul wrote, “and do not give the devil an opportunity” (Ephesians 4:26-27). Don’t give the devil territory or ground. Bitterness invites him to occupy a space in your heart, to rent a room. Believe me, he will move in and stink up the place! When it comes to forgiveness, all of us are beginners. Stay the course!

From You’ll Get Through This

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – First genderless baby born in Canada

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Kori Doty gave birth to a baby named Searyl Atli last November. The parent claims that a visual inspection at birth is unable to determine what gender a person will have or identify with later in life. As a result, the parent wants to keep Searyl’s sex off all official records.

This could be the first baby in the world not to have a gender designation. I predict that it will not be the last.

Meanwhile, ABC News reports that “earlymoons” are “the latest wedding trend.” More and more engaged couples are apparently taking vacations together before their wedding. One wife explained, “It was just us being able to enjoy each other’s company and just relax with no burden of kind of anything else weighing us down especially all the pre-wedding planning.”

Nowhere in the article does the writer mention the moral question of an unmarried couple vacationing together. This unfortunate omission is not surprising since cohabitation has increased by nearly 900 percent over the last fifty years.

I understand why a parent who rejects the concept of God-given biological gender would resist identifying a baby by gender. And why a couple who has no moral objection to sex before marriage would choose to live and vacation together before their wedding.

But what does the Lord think about these decisions?
Continue reading Denison Forum – First genderless baby born in Canada →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Basis for Discernment

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Hebrews 4:12-13

Spiritual discernment is the ability to see life from God’s perspective. It requires that we know how He thinks and acts. The Bible is His unchanging, infallible revelation of Himself. However, the Lord doesn’t simply give us a list of facts about His character and ways. All throughout the pages of Scripture, He illustrates who He is and how He operates.

Although an ancient book, the Bible is in no way obsolete. Its stories may have taken place centuries ago, but its principles and applications are still relevant, offering discernment about situations and guidance for decisions.

God’s Word—which Ephesians 6:17 refers to as “the sword of the Spirit”— is active and piercing, like a surgeon’s scalpel. The words don’t simply sit on the page; rather, they penetrate our heart and judge our thoughts and motives. This convicting quality is why some Christians avoid reading the Bible. They prefer to live on a surface level but never understand why they react to situations the way they do. If we don’t want to keep making the same mistakes, it’s essential that we become discerning about ourselves. The way to do that is by approaching the Word of God with an open spirit. Then God will bring to light our hidden motives and unrecognized sins.

Spiritual discernment involves seeing not just circumstances but also ourselves from God’s perspective. Have you learned to embrace the piercing sword of Scripture, or have you avoided doing so because it makes you uncomfortable? Remember, whenever the Lord uses a surgical knife, His purpose is always to make us healthier.

Bible In One Year: Psalm 139-144

 

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Going First

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Read: 1 John 4:7–21

Bible in a Year: Job 32–33; Acts 14

We love because he first loved us.—1 John 4:19

We worked patiently to help our son heal and adjust to his new life with our family. Trauma from his early days in an orphanage was fueling some negative behaviors. While I had enormous compassion for the hardships he experienced in his early days, I felt myself begin to withdraw from him emotionally because of those behaviors. Ashamed, I shared my struggle with his therapist. Her gentle reply hit home: “He needs you to go first . . . to show him he’s worthy of love before he’ll be able to act like it.”

John pushes the recipients of his letter to an incredible depth of love, citing God’s love as both the source and the reason for loving one another (1 John 4:7, 11). I admit I often fail to show such love to others, whether strangers, friends, or my own children. Yet John’s words spark in me renewed desire and ability to do so: God went first. He sent His Son to demonstrate the fullness of His love for each of us. I’m so thankful He doesn’t respond as we all are prone to do by withdrawing His heart from us.

Though our sinful actions don’t invite God’s love, He is unwavering in offering it to us (Rom. 5:8). His “go-first” love compels us to love one another in response to, and as a reflection of, that love. —Kirsten Holmberg

Thank You, Lord, for loving me in spite of my sin. Help me to “go first” in loving others.

God loved us first so we can love others.

INSIGHT: Have you found it’s easier to make up after an argument if the other person makes the first move? Maybe they don’t even apologize, but you see in their eyes and hear in their voice that they care about you. If Jesus went first and showed us His love, can we now make that first move and show love to someone else? Mart DeHaan

 

http://www.odb.org

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Cynicism and Hope

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I must confess to a certain curiosity with why things turn out as they do. I read a lot of history, biographies, and stories of human successes and failures. Being a child of a particular age, I was raised with a certain degree of optimism. The bad times—World War II, the Korean War—were behind us, and once again we could get back to the normal business of pursuing happiness and success, which I was led to believe were easily within my reach.

Optimism is not hope, yet it is a recurring feature of life in good times. It is also a feature that all too quickly vanishes and reveals itself for what it is when bad times return. As a European, I lived through one of history’s great turning points, a turning point powerfully demonstrated in the tearing down of the Berlin Wall. The wall was not simply a physical reality, which had divided families, a nation, and a continent for decades; it was a symbol of the clash of visions and worldviews that battled for a season, not only for Europe, but for global dominance.

I can well remember the astonished newscasters as Germans embraced each other on top of the despised symbol of separation. Europe and the world seethed with the euphoria of change. The brave new world was being born, and optimism was the mood of the day (1989-1991). I heard breathless gurus of the age proclaim the dawn of unfettered freedom, and one even wrote shortly thereafter about “the end of history and the last man” in the sincere belief of the triumph of free market capitalism and liberal democracy.

Yet wisdom bids us to stop, look, and listen. In the first decade of the twenty-first century we have witnessed 9/11, bombings in Spain, Bali, and London. We have seen the debacles of Enron, WorldCom, and the fiascos of “Bear Stearns” (USA) and “Northern Rock” (UK). Optimism has met its match. Perhaps for some, they are seeing the collapse of hopes and the fulfillment of fears. The movie scene is reflectively filled with apocalyptic and nihilistic visions.

When hope fades, cynicism is often waiting in the wings. And this is indeed one of the great challenges of our time. Skepticism (there is nothing good and I know it) and cynicism (I can’t trust anybody or anything and I know this) seem reasonable choices. But is this a necessary outcome or orientation for us? I think not. Yet, if we have bought into a rationalist vision, if we have embraced the vision and values of our age uncritically, if faith is merely a part-time investment in an over cluttered life, then perhaps we don’t have the necessary orientation or resolve to face the issues and challenges of our time.

The Christian scriptures open up for us a view of the world that is very different: There is a God. This God is the creator, and God is personal, loving, willful, and particular. We see that despite being a good creation, a disruption and disorder has occurred and the drama of redemption unfolds. But the central character here is God! It is what God does, whom God appoints, and what God decides that makes the difference.

This is not to say that life according to Christian theology is pre-determined. I have seen too much, experienced too much, and read too much to believe that my choices are illusory. I believe they are real. I have also seen too much, experienced too much, read too much to believe that our choices are, as Lewis would say, “the whole show.” History is not a fatalist’s game. Humans do act, and often with serious and sad outcomes. The good news, I believe, is that we are not alone!

Writing to the Romans, the apostle Paul reminded them that hope is real because it is anchored in one who is able to carry it, sustain it, and fulfill it.(1) History is moving to an end, and Christ offers a good end. Thus, the difference between optimism, which is short term and easily overcome, and hope, which is eternal and anchored, is where they are rooted. One leans on human effort; the other rests in God and God’s promises.

Stuart McAllister is global support specialist at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.

(1) Romans 8:24-25, 28-30.

 

http://www.rzim.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Clean Up

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Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.—Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV

Have you ever gone on a cleaning rampage to straighten up your home or office? Did you enjoy pitching junk, straightening objects, and organizing materials so that you could find them when you need them?

You may need to get on a Holy Ghost rampage and do the same thing with your life. Say, “I’ve had enough bondage. I’ve had enough negative thoughts. I’ve had enough of the lies of the devil. I am not going to have any more bad days. I am not going to be discouraged, depressed, or despondent. I am going to enjoy my life!”

Jesus is ready to help you live life to the fullest!

From the book Starting Your Day Right by Joyce Meyer

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – He Keeps His Promises

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“Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is the faithful God who for a thousand generations keeps His promises and constantly loves those who love Him and who obey His commands” (Deuteronomy 7:9).

Torn between the desire to surrender his life to the Lord and the desire to be his own person, Tom gave vent to his frustration.

“I want to be a good Christian,” he said, “but I’m afraid of God and what He might do to change my plans. You see, I have great plans for my life and I don’t want to end up wasting it.

“For example, I don’t want to marry someone with whom I would be miserable or risk my opportunities for a successful business career.”

I asked Tom, as I have often asked others, “Do you really believe that God loves you?”

“Yes,” he replied – and that is the general response. Then I reminded him that Jesus Christ so loved him that He was willing to die on the cross for his sins.

“Do you believe that He died for you?”

“Yes,” Tom agreed, and that also is the general reply.

Then, my final question, “Don’t you think that you can trust the omnipotent Creator God, who so loved you that He sent His only begotten Son, who Himself loved you so much that He was willing to die on the cross for your sins, that you may have a full and abundant life here on earth and for all eternity?”

Tom’s response was, “I’d never thought of it that way before. Of course I can trust Him, and I will.”

Together we knelt in prayer, and God touched his life in such a dramatic way that he has since been used to introduce many thousands to our Savior.

Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 7:6-8, 10-13

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Today I will surrender my will to do the will of God in all things, because I know that He is a God of love, wisdom, compassion and concern who wants the very best for me. I will share this good news with other Christians who are reluctant to surrender their wills to Him and with nonbelievers who have not yet entered into the joy and excitement of the supernatural life.

 

http://www.cru.org