Daily Archives: November 18, 2017

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Believer’s Conduct

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1 Peter 1:1-9

Peter wrote his first letter to build up readers in their Christian walk. That purpose still applies today. Let’s take a look at some of the key points in today’s passage.

Our life is to be based on the atoning work of Jesus Christ, who died to redeem us from bondage to sin. His precious blood paid in full the cost of all our transgressions—past, present, and future (Eph. 1:7). Upon acceptance of the Lord’s sacrificial death on our behalf, we experience a second birth and become spiritually alive (John 3:3).

At that moment of salvation, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us. His presence is proof of our new position in Christ, as well as a guarantee of our future inheritance and our place in heaven. As God’s children, we’re commanded to live a life of holiness, marked by a deep reverence for the Lord.

Our desire for holy living comes from knowing our Father’s character, understanding what it cost for us to be saved, and recognizing we will face a future judgment. Though we won’t face condemnation, we will one day stand before our Lord so He can assess our work and determine our heavenly rewards (Rom. 8:1; 1 Corinthians 3:11-15). He will examine our inner feelings as well as our outward behavior. Acts of obedience will be rewarded; times of rebellion will not. In other words, our attitudes and choices really do matter, both in this life and in the future.

Take time regularly to ponder these truths. Use them to increase your desire to follow God, to make changes in your conduct, and to be His faithful, obedient servant.

Bible in One Year: Acts 21-22

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Hide and Seek

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Read: Ezekiel 8

Bible in a Year: Ezekiel 8–10; Hebrews 13

In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.—1 Peter 1:3

“You can’t see me!”

When small children play “hide and seek,” they sometimes believe they’re hiding just by covering their eyes. If they can’t see you, they assume you can’t see them.

Naïve as that may seem to adults, we sometimes do something similar with God. When we find ourselves desiring to do something we know is wrong, our tendency may be to shut God out as we willfully go our own way.

The prophet Ezekiel discovered this truth in the vision God gave him for his people, exiled in Babylon. The Lord told him, “Have you seen what the elders of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol? They say, ‘The LORD does not see us’” (Ezek. 8:12).

But God misses nothing, and Ezekiel’s vision was proof of it. Yet even though they had sinned, God offered His repentant people hope through a new promise: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you” (36:26).

For us, God met the brokenness and rebellion of sin with His tender mercy at the cross, paying the ultimate penalty for it. Through Jesus Christ, God not only offers us a new beginning, but He also works within us to change our hearts as we follow Him. How good is God! When we were lost and hiding in our sinfulness, God drew near through Jesus, who “came to seek and to save” us (Luke 19:10; Rom. 5:8). —James Banks

Thank You for Your kindness to me, Lord. Help me to seek You and follow You faithfully today.

God knows us completely . . . and loves us just as much.

 

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Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Pray without Ceasing

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Read: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (vv. 16-18)

For many of us, learning to pray involved certain fixed times of prayer: before meals, before bedtime, and during church. The apostle Paul encourages something more in our prayer life: “pray without ceasing.” This biblical command draws us toward a lifetime of continual conversation with God. But how is this possible?

Does praying without end mean that we are to spend our waking hours with our eyes closed and hands folded? By no means! Paul encourages us to be in a continual, ongoing dialog with God our loving Father. Imagine reserving times of communication with our closest friends or family to only a few fleeting moments in a day. Or worse, suppose we limited those conversations to a set of memorized sentences that we simply repeat every day.

Our lives are meant to be a steady stream of conversation with our ever-present Lord. In times of fear, anxiety, or want, we must turn to the Lord as our comforter, helper, and provider. In times of gladness and joy, we should celebrate with him and share our thankfulness. When we’re angry and upset, we must seek his wisdom and guidance. “Do not be anxious about anything,” Paul says elsewhere, “but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (Phil. 4:6) —Brad Haitsma

Prayer: Father, keep us closely connected to you in prayer at all times. Amen.

 

https://woh.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer –You Can Win the Battle Today

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Now the mind of the flesh [which is sense and reason without the Holy Spirit] is death [death that comprises all the miseries arising from sin, both here and hereafter]. But the mind of the [Holy] Spirit is life and [soul] peace [both now and forever].— Romans 8:6

Right now, you and I are in the middle of a war. It’s a spiritual warfare, and we wrestle against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness (Ephesians 6:12 NKJV). We need to have the mind of the Holy Spirit to win the battle.

Sadly, there are many believers who operate with the mind of the flesh. But if we want to live in a way that can change our world, then we have to stop living in the flesh and start living in the Spirit.

Every one of us needs to continually make adjustments to put our fleshly desires under the Holy Spirit’s control and not let our emotions or mind rule us. Scripture explains that the spirit wages war against the flesh and the flesh wages war against the spirit, so they are continually antagonistic toward each other.

It’s a war! The devil hates us, and he is constantly working overtime, trying to make sure that we give in to the flesh.

Ultimately, you decide who wins in your life. The good news is, you don’t have to be subject to your flesh. You can live in the Spirit, bringing your flesh in line with His Will. You can win the battle today!

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright –He Wonderfully Comforts

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“What a wonderful God we have – He is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the source of every mercy, and the one who so wonderfully comforts and strengthens us in our hardships and trials. And why does He do this? So that when others are troubled, needing our sympathy and encouragement, we can pass on to them this same help and comfort God has given us” (2 Corinthians 1:3,4).

Whatever God does for you and me is without merit on our part and by pure grace on His part, and it is done for a purpose. Here the apostle Paul tells the Corinthian believers why God so wonderfully comforts and strengthens them, and us, in our hardships and trials.

This scriptural principle is a good one to remember: God never gives to or benefits His children solely for their own selfish ends. We are not comforted and strengthened in our hardships and trials just so that we will feel better.

Eleven out of the 13 Pauline epistles begin with the exclamations of joy, praise and thanksgiving. Second Corinthians, obviously, is one of those. Though Paul had been afflicted and persecuted, he had also been favored with God’s comfort and consolation.

Paul delighted in tracing all his comforts back to God. He found no other real source of happiness. The apostle does not say that God’s comfort and strength is given solely for the benefit of others, but he does say that this is an important purpose. We are not to hoard God’s blessings.

Bible Reading: Hebrews 13:15-19

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: As I live in the supernatural strength of the Lord God, I will make an effort, with His help, to share that strength (and other blessings) with others

 

 

http://www.cru.org

Uncategorized

Wisdom Hunters – How to Handle Success With Humility and Wisdom 

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Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully.  2 John 8

Success is wise stewardship; so do not take it for granted. God has blessed you for a purpose, and success is part of His purpose for you. However, if you do not steward wisely and responsibly the blessing of His success, you may very well lose it. Success means you have the attention of your peers and others in your industry and community. Your success over the years may have even gained the respect of many you have never met. Your family respects you; your church respects you; your friends respect you; your work associates respect you. But success is not designed to lull you into apathetic work and lazy living.

Success is meant to drive you to your knees in gratitude to God. Success is an opportunity to seek God for His wisdom regarding a new set of problems and opportunities. Normally, current issues require different answers from those in the past. The process of solving them may be similar, but the solutions are different. You have fared well until now without a structured board of directors or advisory board, but because of your level of success, one or both of these may be necessary, so you have expert advisors and wise counsel surrounding you.

Accountability and wise counsel are big parts of stewarding success. Also, use fiscal restraint. It may take you five years instead of two years for you to reach certain financial milestones. It is better to extend your goals, and avoid unnecessary leverage. Even if people want to throw debt at you, reject the flattery and “just say no.” This is wise stewardship of success.

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – How to Handle Success With Humility and Wisdom  →

Today in the Word

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – CHRIST BRINGS SALVATION TO THOSE WHO WAIT

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Hebrews 9:22–28

In his classic devotional book Morning and Evening, Charles Spurgeon wrote: “[Waiting] is one of the postures which a Christian soldier learns not without years of teaching. Marching and quick-marching are much easier to God’s warriors than standing still. . . . But wait in faith. Express your unstaggering confidence in him; for unfaithful, untrusting waiting is but an insult to the Lord. Believe that if he keep you tarrying even till midnight, yet he will come at the right time.”

Christ brings salvation to those who wait. In one sense, our redemption is already accomplished, but in another sense, its full realization lies in our future (v. 28). It is both “now” and “not yet.” “To bring salvation to those who are waiting for him” means to bring the fulfillment or results of salvation, its full accomplishment, the completion of God’s currently ongoing redemptive work in our lives (see Phil. 1:6).

Christ’s work of redemption required the offering of His blood. The blood of animal sacrifices had purified, though imperfectly. Christ offered Himself as the superior sacrifice needed to purify perfectly. He was in fact both sacrifice and priest, mediating between God and man (vv. 22–24; see 1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 9:15). Unlike the previous inferior sacrifices, Jesus’ sacrifice needed to happen only once. It occurred “once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin” (vv. 25–26).

In Christ’s first advent, He bore our sins, rose victorious, and ascended to the Father. In His Second Coming, He will bring the fullness of salvation. These are two sides of the same coin, and they are as certain as death and judgment (vv. 27–28). For “so great a salvation” (Heb. 2:3) we can indeed wait in hope and faith!

APPLY THE WORD

Have you joined the fellowship of “those who are waiting” (v. 28)? Have you trusted in Christ for salvation? He died so we wouldn’t have to pay the penalty for sin. He rose again so we can receive His gift of eternal life. We have a choice: Wait for death and judgment, or wait for life, love, and eternity with the Lord. Choose Him today!

 

http://www.todayintheword.org