Daily Archives: November 25, 2017

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – God Is in Control

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Romans 8:28-29

Nothing that happens is beyond God’s control. Ultimately, whatever comes into our life is either sent by our Father or permitted by Him, and that which does not enter is withheld according to His will. But believers sometimes get so caught up in the moment that they forget about the Lord’s omnipotence. Then when life is challenging or uncomfortable, the temptation is to react against whatever seems to be causing them trouble. Fired? Blame the boss. Single? Blame the opposite sex.

To illustrate this idea, think about a child who must swallow a nasty-tasting antibiotic. In a fit of frustration, he slaps away the bottle from his mother’s hand, even though the container is only a “secondary agent.” Mom is the one who dispenses the medicine, but since he cannot slap her, he turns his irritation against the vessel.

When we “slap away the bottle,” we take out our anger and resentment on the vessel the Lord is using, instead of accepting that His will is at work. God does assure us He’s working out the details of life in a way that will ultimately benefit us, but we can’t assume this means everything will turn out to our liking.

Sometimes it’s easier to turn our wrath against an earthly agent than to be honest with our heavenly Father about frustration over our circumstances. But the Lord welcomes honesty. Both Jesus and the apostle Paul cried out to Him in anguish (Matt. 26:39; 2 Corinthians 12:7-9). If we recognize that God is in control and guiding our future for good, then we will not stay discouraged for long.

Bible in One Year: Romans 10-13

 

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Being Human Beings

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Read: 1 Peter 2:11–17; 3:8–9

Bible in a Year: Ezekiel 24–26; 1 Peter 2

All of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.—1 Peter 3:8

When asked to define his role in a community that was sometimes uncooperative with law enforcement, a sheriff didn’t flash his badge or respond with the rank of his office. Rather he offered, “We are human beings who work with human beings in crisis.”

His humility—his stated equality with his fellow human beings—reminds me of Peter’s words when writing to first-century Christians suffering under Roman persecution. Peter directs: “All of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble” (1 Peter 3:8). Perhaps Peter was saying that the best response to humans in crisis is to be human, to be aware that we are all the same. After all, isn’t that what God Himself did when He sent His Son—became human in order to help us? (Phil. 2:7).

Gazing only at the core of our fallen hearts, it’s tempting to disdain our human status. But what if we consider our humanness to be part of our offering in our world? Jesus teaches us how to live fully human, as servants recognizing we are all the same. “Human” is how God made us, created in His image and redeemed by His unconditional love.

Today we’re sure to encounter folks in various struggles. Imagine the difference we might make when we respond humbly—as fellow humans who work together with other humans in crisis. —Elisa Morgan

Father, help us to be humble as we respond to one another, human being to human being.

Humility is the result of knowing God and knowing yourself.

INSIGHT: Have you noticed that when people receive a great honor for their accomplishments they often acknowledge their humble roots? Even legendary athletes admit that they were just an everyday kid from somewhere—just like us.

Peter sees how important it is for those who know they are God’s representatives to remember who they were. In recognizing their high honor (1 Peter 2:9), Peter urges followers of Christ to remember that once they had no sense of belonging to God; once they had not received mercy (2:10). Later in the same letter he reminds those who are leaders among the Lord’s people to recognize their own accountability to God and not to lord it over those entrusted to their care (5:3).

At best we are all common folks from somewhere who have been called to love others as God has loved us.

 

http://www.odb.org

Today in the Word

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – LIVING IN LIGHT OF CHRIST’S RETURN

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1 Thessalonians 5:1–11

Pietist mystic and scholar Johannes Kelpius and his followers settled in present-day Philadelphia in 1694. Known as the “Hermits of the Wissahickon” because they lived along the banks of Wissahickon Creek, these 40 men thought the apocalypse and Second Coming would happen that very year. They were the first group in America to make such a prediction—though they were of course wrong.

Many false prophecies have been made about Christ’s return. The truth is that no one knows the day or the hour (see Matt. 24:36). Like a “thief in the night,” it will be an unwelcome surprise for unbelievers (vv. 1–2). It won’t come out of nowhere, however. A pregnant woman cannot say exactly when labor pains will begin, but when they do it’s not usually a total surprise (v. 3).

In fact, believers shouldn’t be surprised at all (v. 4). For us, His return will mark a joyful end to our waiting. Like a pregnant woman who has her hospital bag packed and ready for when labor pains begin, we, too, can be prepared. After all, we are “children of the light,” meaning we’re spiritually awake and attentive. God has given us the spiritual life and knowledge we need to be on the alert for Christ’s return (vv. 5–7). Our daily waiting involves “putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet” (v. 8). By contrast, unbelievers live in darkness, meaning they’re ignorant or oblivious (like a drunken person).

Christ’s return is the consummation of God’s plan of salvation (vv. 9–10)! Those who reject Christ will suffer God’s wrath, but for believers His death has saved us from that fate and given us instead eternal life with Him. As we continue to wait, this is the most encouraging and edifying truth we can share with one another (v. 11).

APPLY THE WORD

A good prayer for today is Maranatha, or “Come, Lord Jesus” (Rev. 22:20). We do not wait in vain on a false prophecy or wishful thinking. The object of our faith is absolutely truthful and trustworthy. No matter how difficult our immediate circumstances, each of our days can be filled with hope and expectancy. Our Lord Jesus Christ is coming back!

 

http://www.todayintheword.org

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – God Knows We Can’t Be Perfect

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Not that I have now attained [this ideal], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own.— Philippians 3:12

There are many people who are so afraid of making a mistake they don’t do anything. Instead, they sit around saying, “What if I’m wrong? What if I miss God?”

Do you know what God told me one time? He said, “If you miss Me, I’ll find you.”

If we are wandering off somewhere and not sure where we are, we can just lift up our hands and say, “Jesus, come and get me! I’m confused. I think I made a wrong decision.”

God knows we cannot be perfect, so He sent His Son as a perfect sacrifice for us. Now we’re pressing toward the mark of perfection. In Philippians 3, the apostle Paul talks about pressing forward to what lies ahead and forgetting about the past.

God is calling you to press forward today. Stop living in fear of making mistakes, because everyone makes mistakes, period. God is not asking you to not make mistakes. He’s calling you to press forward, trusting Him to lead you. He’s asking you to call upon Him. Don’t live in fear of your imperfection. Live with faith in God’s perfect plan for you.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – God Protects Us

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“You don’t need to be afraid of the dark any more, nor fear the dangers of the day… For the Lord says, ‘Because he loves me, I will rescue him; I will make him great because he trusts in my name.’ ” (Psalm 91:5,14).

“Ladies and gentlemen, we should be out of the storm in a few moments…” The calm voice over the intercom was hardly reassuring as our Pam Am 707 pierced the fury of a storm during our flight from New York to Washington, D.C. Lightning flashed as the aircraft bounced and shuddered in the turbulence.

I gripped Vonette’s hand. “I don’t know how much longer the plane can endure this storm without breaking into pieces.”

She nodded gravely.

The 707 began to twist — first to the right, then to the left. Its wings flapped like those of a giant bird struggling against a violent downdraft. Vonette and I began praying. Convinced that our aircraft could not survive the turbulence much longer, I tenderly said goodbye to Vonette and she to me. We told our wonderful Lord that we were ready to meet Him.

Then I remembered how the Lord Jesus had calmed the winds when His disciples feared that their boat would capsize during another violent storm. If it was His will, He would protect us, too. I prayed aloud, “Lord, You control the laws of nature. You quieted the storm on the Sea of Galilee. Please quiet this storm.”

In a very short time, the rain and turbulence stopped. Amazed and thankful, Vonette and I praised God for protecting us.

Hours later, the pilot landed the plane at a freight terminal in Norvolk. The flight that should have taken sixty-five minutes had lasted four hours and taken us far from our destination. Lightning had knocked a huge hole in the fuselage near the cockpit, destroying all the radar equipment. The pilot said this was the most violent storm he had ever experienced. But God was more powerful than the storm!

God promises to protect and rescue those who trust Him. What peace and joy this gives us as we turn over the difficult circumstances in our lives to Him!

Bible Reading: Psalm 91

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: With God’s help, I will claim His promise to protect me and will not be afraid of danger

 

http://www.cru.org

Streams in the Desert

Streams in the Desert for Kids – Night Songs

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Psalm 77:6

Animals that are active at night rather than during the day are called nocturnal. For example, nightingales are birds that sing at night. That’s how they got their name. People aren’t like that: we’re awake and working while the sun shines, and we go to bed and sleep during the night.

Do you ever have trouble sleeping at night because you are worried about something? David, the man who wrote the psalm above, sometimes couldn’t sleep. While he was awake at night, he used the time to pray, sing, and think about God. In another place David says, “My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises” (Psalm 119:148). Instead of worrying about his problems, David took the time to think about God’s promises.

The next time you are lying awake, try singing a song from church. Or ask Mom or Dad to pray with you. Perhaps it would help just to remember that God said he would never leave you alone.

Dear Lord, Your promises are just as good in the night as they are in the daytime. Thank you for your love. Amen.

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Remember to Say Thank You 

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One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. Luke 17:15-16.

A culture of entitlement is slow to say thank you, but the grateful are honored to express appreciation. Ungrateful people expect, even demand, good things with no gratitude in return. But grateful men and women are humbled and give God the glory for His blessings. The most gratefulness comes from those who least expect the Lord’s lavish love. It is the mercy of God that heals our heart and causes us to exclaim, “Praise the Lord!”

Is it your regular routine to sincerely thank God for His healing power? Do you bow at the feet of Jesus when the body of a friend or family member was cured by God’s work through the miracle of modern medicine? Have you celebrated Christ’s blessing of keeping your body whole from a debilitating disease? Humility is a thank you waiting to happen.

Listen to David’s prayer for healing, “Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am faint; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are in agony” (Psalm 6:2). You can pray boldly for your physical healing. Pray depending on God, and with great faith ask the Great Physician to bring His healing power on your body. Your Creator understands how to bring wholeness to His creation. It is not a question of if He can, but if He will.

However, whether He heals in this life or in the life to come, give Him thanks. “Pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:17–18). Furthermore, gratitude to God expresses gratitude to people. Make it a goal to write a thank you note before you cash the check. Look a friend in the eye and express your thankfulness for his or her friendship. Show your gratitude to your server with a generous gratuity. Appreciate others and you invite appreciation into your life and work.

Mostly, thank the Lord Jesus Christ for His death on the cross for your sin and salvation. Jesus came from living with sinners to die for sinners. “The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me’” (1 Corinthians 11:23–24).

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for giving me friends and family who love me well, in Jesus name, amen.

Application: Do I thank God often for His incredible gift of grace and forgiveness? Do I thank Him during the bad times as well as the good times? Am I quick to appreciate others?

Related Readings: Proverbs 3:8; Proverbs 17:22; Romans 14:6; 1 Corinthians 15:57

 

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