Monthly Archives: November 2017

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – What Meghan Markle and a Redskins player have in common

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Rachel Meghan Markle was born in 1981 to a Caucasian father and African American mother. She grew up in Los Angeles before graduating from Northwestern University with a degree in theater and international studies.

In 2002, she appeared in an episode of the daytime soap opera General Hospital. She has appeared in numerous television shows and movies since, most famously playing Rachel Zane on the long-running legal drama Suits.

She says that early in her career, she had difficulty finding roles because “I wasn’t black enough for the black roles and I wasn’t white enough for the white ones.” She called herself “the ethnic chameleon who couldn’t book a job.”

Now she has a job unlike any other: royal princess.

A surprising British royal

Meghan’s background is unusual for a member of the British royal family, to say the least. She was divorced in 2013. Some have speculated that she is Jewish, though others deny this claim. She attended a Catholic high school in California. She and Prince Harry have been living together for the last ten months.

Until recently, any of these facts would have made their engagement scandalous. But the times have changed.

The couple is already popular in Great Britain, in part because of their commitment to benevolent work. Princess Diana exposed her sons to suffering around the world, hoping they would join her in helping solve our most pressing problems. Prince Harry has made it his life mission to honor and build on his mother’s humanitarian legacy.

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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

 

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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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Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Is God in Everything?

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Genesis 50:15-21

The Old Testament story of Joseph is one of the best-known examples of the Lord blessing someone’s life through harsh experiences. In today’s passage, the slave-turned-prisoner-turned-national leader stands before his brothers who sold him into servitude. He speaks kindly to them, saying, “Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive” (Gen. 50:19-20).

One individual’s sin or failure oftentimes affects another person’s life—something we tend to deem unfair. But our ways are different than God’s ways (Isa. 55:8-9). From Scripture, we can glean that Joseph desired to serve the Lord (Gen. 39:9; Gen. 40:8; Gen. 41:16). Yet his brothers were permitted to sell him as a slave. And Potiphar’s wife wasn’t prevented from making false accusations, which landed the young man in prison. The Bible promises, “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them” (Psalm 34:7). In other words, hardship and trial could touch Joseph—or any of the faithful—only because God purposefully allowed it.

No one can say for sure why bad things happen. But we can draw comfort from the fact that God knows: “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law” (Deut. 29:29). Our part is to learn from the example of men like Joseph, who trusted the Lord and followed His commands.

Bible in One Year: Romans 7-9

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — The Heart’s True Home

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Read: Ecclesiastes 3:10–11

Bible in a Year: Ezekiel 22–23; 1 Peter 1

[God] has . . . set eternity in the human heart.—Ecclesiastes 3:11

We had a West Highland Terrier for a number of years. “Westies” are tough little dogs, bred to tunnel into badger holes and engage the “enemy” in its lair. Our Westie was many generations removed from her origins, but she still retained that instinct, put into her through years of breeding. On one occasion she became obsessed by some “critter” under a rock in our backyard. Nothing could dissuade her. She dug and dug until she tunneled several feet under the rock.

Now consider this question: Why do we as humans pursue, pursue, pursue? Why must we climb unclimbed mountains, ski near-vertical slopes? Run the most difficult and dangerous rapids, challenge the forces of nature? Part of it is a desire for adventure and enjoyment, but it’s much more. It’s an instinct for God that has been implanted in us. We cannot not want to find God.

We don’t know that, of course. We only know that we long for something. “You don’t know what it is you want,” Mark Twain said, “but you want it so much you could almost die.”

God is our heart’s true home. As church father Augustine said in that most famous quotation: “You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.”

And what is the heart? A deep void within us that only God can fill. —David H. Roper

Help me, Lord, to recognize my deep longing for You. Then fill me with the knowledge of You. Draw me near.

Beneath all our longings is a deep desire for God.

INSIGHT: Ecclesiastes was written by one who calls himself “the Teacher” and identifies himself as the “son of David, king in Jerusalem” (1:1). In this book, Solomon shows that a life not centered on God is without meaning and purpose (1:14; 2:11). He also shows how and why God must be a part of our lives. In chapter 3, he paints a picture of a life trapped between birth and death, experiencing the mundane repetition of life’s recurring seasons and cyclical activities (vv. 1-8). Such a life is both frustrating and burdensome (v. 10). But Solomon hints that life is not supposed to be like this. We were made for far grander things—God created us for Himself “in his own image” (Gen. 1:27). And God has “set eternity in the human heart” (Eccl. 3:11). We were created for fellowship with the eternal God. C. S. Lewis, in his book Mere Christianity, put it this way: “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.” Without God, life will be purposeless and meaningless.

What are some ways that our culture offers false fulfillment? Sim Kay Tee

 

http://www.odb.org

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – God and Pain

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The difficult question of pain forms a thorny question on which volumes have been written. Why do the innocent suffer? Why do we face all these diseases? Why the suffering of millions because of natural disasters or the tyranny of demagogues? I do not pretend to have the answers, but one thing I know: pain is a universal fact of life. Likewise, there are moral dimensions in the way we phrase our questions concerning pain, and every religion explicitly or implicitly attempts to explain pain.

But why do we even ask these questions about suffering within the context of morality? Why have we blended the fact of physical pain with the demand for a moral explanation? Who decided that pain is immoral? Indeed, almost every atheist or skeptic you read names this as the main reason for his or her denial of God’s existence.

In the Judeo-Christian framework, pain is connected to the reality of evil and to the choices made by humanity at the beginning of time. The problem of pain and the problem of evil are inextricably bound. So when we assume evil, we assume good. When we assume good, we assume a moral law. And when we assume a moral law, we assume a moral law-giver.

You may ask, Why does assuming a moral law necessitate a moral lawgiver? One reason is that because every time the question of evil is raised, it is either by a person or about a person—and that implicitly assumes that the question is a worthy one. But it is a worthy question only if people have intrinsic worth, and the only reason people have intrinsic worth is that they are the creations of One who is of ultimate worth. That person is God. So the question self-destructs for the naturalist or the pantheist. The question of the morality of evil or pain is valid only for a theist.

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – God and Pain →

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – You Can Come Over Anytime

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In Whom, because of our faith in Him, we dare to have the boldness (courage and confidence) of free access (an unreserved approach to God with freedom and without fear).— Ephesians 3:12

God has given us permission to fearlessly, confidently, and boldly draw near to His throne of grace. In fact, we are encouraged in Ephesians 3:12 to approach Him freely.

Through our relationship with Christ, the Holy Spirit is always with us, in our spirit. But this scripture is telling us that because we are the righteousness of God in Christ, we can be confident that God loves and accepts us all the time, and when we need His help and forgiveness, He offers them freely. We can approach Him for anything and everything we need, whenever we need to do it.

We can go to Him 200 times a day if we want to, with an “in and out” type of privilege. God doesn’t even tell us we have to knock on the door or wait for someone to say, “Come in.”

Suppose you have a friend who says, “You know what? You can come over anytime you want to come. You don’t even have to knock because you are welcome anytime, day or night. Just come on in!”

Now just think…God is saying that to you, unreservedly, which means you don’t have to be careful or hesitate or wonder if you’ve worn-out your welcome. It means even if you make some mistakes or do things you shouldn’t do, you can repent of your sins, be cleansed in the blood of Jesus, and go boldly into His presence.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Everything Belongs to Us

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“Now we are no longer slaves, but God’s own sons. And since we are His sons, everything He has belongs to us, for that is the way God planned” (Galatians 4:7).

In the sense of being under the servitude of sin, you and I are no longer servants or slaves. We are sons, children of God, adopted into His family, and are to be treated as sons.

What a glorious privilege is ours in Christ!

In our exalted position as sons, of course we are to be treated as sons. We are to share God’s favors, His blessings. And as sons, it follows that we have responsibilities – not only to our heavenly Father, but also to other sons (and daughters) in Christ.

All that God has, Paul is saying, belongs to us as well for we are His sons. But there is another side to our exalted position – obedience to the Lord. And His calling is sure: “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.”

If we are following our Lord, we are becoming fishers of men – soul-winners. We are regularly and naturally, as a part of our daily routine, sharing the good news of the gospel with those whose lives we touch.

That does not necessarily mean buttonholing people and making a nuisance of ourselves; it does mean being available for God’s Holy Spirit to speak through us in every conversation as He chooses. It also means being “prayed up,” with no unconfessed sin in our lives.

Bible Reading: Revelation 8

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: With the Power of the Holy Spirit available to me by faith, I will behave like a child of the King – a son of the Most High. I will live a supernatural life for the Glory of God

 

http://www.cru.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – If Only…

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Maybe your past isn’t much to brag about. Maybe you’ve seen evil and you have to make a choice. Do you rise above the past and make a difference? Or do you remain controlled by the past and make excuses?

Many choose the convalescent homes of the heart. Healthy bodies, sharp minds, but retired dreams. Lean closely and you’ll hear…If only. The white flag of the heart, if only. . . Maybe you’ve used those words. Maybe you have every right to use them. Perhaps you were hearing the ten count before you even got into the ring.

Let me show you where to turn. Go to John’s gospel and read Jesus’ words in John 3:6. “Human life comes from human parents, but spiritual life comes from one Spirit.” Your parents have given you genes, but God gives you grace. God is willing to give you what your family didn’t.

From Lucado Inspirational Reader

 

 

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – ‘Fixer Upper’ changes Waco and beyond

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Note: Our office is closed today, but I hope this reflection will help you celebrate Thanksgiving every day.

The last season of Fixer Upper started Tuesday. But Chip and Joanna Gaines’s lifestyle empire will continue long after they leave their incredibly successful television show.

Remarkably, their Magnolia Market at the Silos is even more popular than the Alamo.

When they bought the property that is now the heart of their amazing business, few would have imagined that it would become what it is. But they engaged in “reframing,” a psychological technique by which we choose to view circumstances in a different light. Chip and Joanna do this with each house they transform, turning what it is into what it could be.

Reframing is essential for every dimension of life in this fallen world. Consider the biblical injunction to “give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). How can we be grateful in all circumstances, both challenging and joyful?

Note that the text does not call us to give thanks for all circumstances. Jesus wept at the grave of Lazarus; he sweat blood in Gethsemane; he cried out in lonely agony on the cross.

Rather, it calls us to give thanks in all circumstances. We can reframe any challenge, no matter how difficult, to find a reason for gratitude.

Consider three examples.

North Korea Continue reading Denison Forum – ‘Fixer Upper’ changes Waco and beyond →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley –The Motivation for Gratitude

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Psalm 111:1-10

Yesterday we say that God’s will is for us to give thanks in everything. How can we possibly do this? When something unpleasant happens, we certainly won’t feel thankful, yet Scripture says quite clearly that God wants His children to express gratitude in all situations.

If we hope to maintain a grateful spirit, we must find a consistent motivation. Otherwise, our thankfulness will ebb and flow according to our current conditions. Since the only constant in our life is the Lord Himself, that’s where our focus should be.

First of all, we can be thankful for the demonstrations of God’s power and wisdom as displayed in His creation. The mountains, seas, forests, and fields reveal His goodness and lovingkindness in the way He designed such a beautiful habitation for us. Then, by lifting our eyes to the heavens, we see the vastness of His power and creativity. And by gazing into a microscope, we observe His intricate design of even the smallest particles of creation.

Another reason for gratitude is God’s providential care. Every day, we are sheltered in His protection, guided by His Spirit, and nourished both physically and spiritually through His gracious provision and His unfailing Word.

Most of all, we should always be thankful for our redemption. Apart from salvation through Christ, we would be without God, both in this world and throughout eternity. So even when life lets us down or turns out differently than we hoped, we should remember there’s an inheritance reserved for us in heaven. That’s sufficient reason for continual gratitude!

Bible in One Year: Romans 4-6

 

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Harvest and Thanksgiving

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Read: Genesis 8:15–9:3

Bible in a Year: Ezekiel 20–21; James 5

Celebrate the Festival of Harvest with the firstfruits of the crops you sow in your field.—Exodus 23:16

Several thousand years ago, God spoke directly to Moses and instituted a new festival for His people. In Exodus 23:16, according to Moses’s record, God said, “Celebrate the Festival of Harvest with the firstfruits of the crops you sow in your field.”

Today countries around the world do something similar by celebrating the land’s bounty. In Ghana, the people celebrate the Yam Festival as a harvest event. In Brazil, Dia de Acao de Gracas is a time to be grateful for the crops that yielded their food. In China, there is the Mid-Autumn (Moon) Festival. In the United States and Canada: Thanksgiving.

To understand the fitting goal of a harvest celebration, we visit Noah right after the flood. God reminded Noah and his family—and us—of His provision for our flourishing existence on the earth. Earth would have seasons, daylight and darkness and “seedtime and harvest” (Gen. 8:22). Our gratitude for the harvest, which sustains us, goes to God alone.

No matter where you live or how you celebrate your land’s bounty, take time today to express gratitude to God—for we would have no harvest to celebrate without His grand creative design. —Dave Branon

Dear Creator God, thank You so much for the wondrous way You fashioned this world—with seasons, with harvest-time, with everything we need to exist. Please accept our gratitude.

Gratitude is the memory of a glad heart.

 

http://www.odb.org

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – The Weight of Giving Thanks

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Amid the darkness of the Thirty Years’ War, German pastor Martin Rinkart is said to have buried nearly five thousand fellow citizens and parishioners in one year, including his young wife. Conducting as many as fifty funerals a day, Rinkart’s church was absolutely ravaged by war and plague, famine and economic disaster. Yet in the midst of that dark year, he sat down with his children and wrote the following lines as a prayer for the dinner table:

Now thank we all our God

With heart and hands and voices;

Who wondrous things hath done,

In Whom his world rejoices.

Who, from our mother’s arms,

Hath led us on our way

With countless gifts of love

And still is ours today.

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – The Weight of Giving Thanks →

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – The Victory We Have in Jesus

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But we are able to see Jesus, Who was ranked lower than the angels for a little while, crowned with glory and honor because of His having suffered death, in order that by the grace (unmerited favor) of God [to us sinners] He might experience death for every individual person.— Hebrews 2:9

The Bible says that Jesus experienced death for us. So you and I do not have to experience eternal death because He has paid the penalty for our sin and given us the gift of eternal life. Now that is something to rejoice about!

Because of Christ’s resurrection and victory over death, each new morning is a new opportunity for us to live out the victory we have in Christ. I believe that when Christians put their feet on the floor in the morning, hell ought to shake. Demons should tremble when they realize we’re awake!

That’s exactly what will happen when we realize who we are in Christ and understand the authority we have in Him. We are soldiers in the army of God. We have authority in Him!

Jesus has defeated sin and death. Now we need to consistently walk in the authority and victory that He provides for us. That’s when we’re extremely dangerous to the enemy of God!

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Filled With Good Things

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“He fills my life with good things! My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!” (Psalm 103:5).

One day a poor woman greatly desired and sought a bunch of grapes from the king’s conservatory for her sick child.

Taking a half a crown, she approached the king’s gardener and tried to purchase the grapes. Rudely repulsed, she made a second effort – with more money. Again she was refused.

Finally, the king’s daughter heard the crying of the woman and the angry words of the gardener. When she inquired into the matter, the woman told her story.

“My dear woman,” said the princess, “you are mistaken. My father is not a merchant, but a king. His business is not to sell, but to give.”

Plucking a bunch of grapes from the vine, she gently dropped it into the woman’s apron.

What a picture of goodness and bounty of our wonderful Lord! He fills our lives with good things, and even as we approach and reach old age, He renews our strength and vigor so that in effect we become young again.

This truth was impressed upon me anew when I reached my 60th birthday in late 1981. Age really did not seem to matter at all; God continues to give liberally – not only all good things that are needful, but also a renewal of strength and vigor for each day and for each task. I seem to have as much strength and energy at 60 as when I was 30 – with far more experience and wisdom.

Bible Reading: Psalm 103:1-8

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will dare to believe God is filling my life with good things. Even when a particular thing may not seem good at the moment, I will still praise and thank Him as an expression of my love, gratitude and faith

 

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