Daily Archives: February 2, 2018

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Our Motivation for Serving

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Colossians 3:22-25

Oftentimes we think serving the Lord is limited to something done in the church—such as working in the nursery, teaching Sunday school, or singing in the choir. But God’s view of service encompasses everything we do, wherever we are. No matter who is the object of our service, we are ultimately serving the Lord.

Today’s passage is addressed to slaves, but the principle it describes can also be applied to employees—as well as to every person and situation in our life. Knowing that we serve Christ will …

Affect the quality of our work. Although we may be tempted to give an employer half-hearted service and mediocre effort, none of us would do that to Christ. If we’ll keep Him foremost in our thoughts, we will become His faithful ambassadors by doing our best for those we serve.

Guard our attitude. Regardless of the way others treat us or the demands they make of us, working “heartily, as for the Lord” (Col. 3:23) melts away bitterness and purifies our motives. Then our goal will be to please Christ in all we do.

Prevent discouragement. If we’re seeking approval for our efforts, we’re going to be consistently disappointed when it doesn’t come. But since the Lord never overlooks our service, we can persevere, knowing He’s the one who will someday reward us.

When it comes to work, commitment to Christ must be our motivation rather than feelings. If we ask God to empower our efforts and watch over our attitude, grumbling will turn to joy, and our service will be pleasing to Him.

Bible in One Year: Leviticus 11-13

 

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Stepping Into Opportunity

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Read: Colossians 4:2–6

Bible in a Year: Exodus 29–30; Matthew 21:23–46

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.—Colossians 4:5

Like lots of people, I struggle to get enough exercise. So I recently got something to motivate myself to move: a pedometer that counts steps. It’s a simple thing. But it’s amazing how much difference this gadget makes in my motivation. Instead of grumbling when I have to get off the couch, I see it as an opportunity to get a few more steps. Mundane tasks, like getting one of my kids a cup of water, become opportunities that help me work toward a larger goal. In that sense, my pedometer has changed my perspective and my motivation. Now I look to get extra steps in whenever possible.

I wonder if our Christian life isn’t a bit like that. There are opportunities to love and serve and interact with people every day, as Paul exhorts in Colossians 4:5. But am I always aware of those moments? Am I paying attention to opportunities to be an encourager in seemingly mundane interactions? God is at work in the lives of every person I relate to, from my family and coworkers to a clerk at the grocery store. Each interaction offers a chance for me to pay attention to what God might be doing—even if it’s something as seemingly “small” as kindly asking a server at a restaurant how she’s doing.

Who knows how God might work in those moments when we’re alert to the opportunities He sends our way. —Adam Holz

Lord, there are so many opportunities to love, listen, and serve those around us each day. Please help us to become people who notice the needs of others.

Take every opportunity to serve someone.

INSIGHT: Paul’s normal pattern for writing letters to churches is well evidenced in this epistle to the Colossians. That pattern calls for the first half of the book to be primarily theological in nature, with the remainder providing practical application of that doctrinal teaching. The first two chapters of Colossians describe the relationship between Christ, the head of the church; and the church, the body of Christ. Chapters 3-4 then give the practical outworking of those realities. In today’s Scripture reading, we find clear counsel on how to live and function as the church body. This includes the need for intercessory prayer (vv. 2-3) and the importance of personal testimony, which includes graciously using the opportunities God gives us (vv. 5-6). This is wise counsel that is still needed today. Bill Crowder

 

http://www.odb.org

Moody Global Ministries

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – FOR THE GLORY OF GOD

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Ephesians 1:1–14

Many of our Christian testimonies have the same elements: Someone told us about Jesus, we saw the horror of our sin and understood our need for a Savior, we cried out to Him and were saved. And we have loved and followed Him ever since.

Those testimonies are true accounts of our conversion, but they are also told from our human perspective. In today’s passage, Paul shifts camera lens to show us what our salvation looks like from God’s perspective. Here, we see that even before we were born (v. 4), God was at work to make us His possession. According to “his pleasure and will” (v. 5), He chose us for holiness, predestined us for adoption, redeemed us by His blood, made Himself known to us, and marked us with the seal of His Holy Spirit.

Three times in this passage Paul lays out God’s purpose in His saving work through Christ. He saved us “to the praise of his glorious grace” (v. 6), “for the praise of his glory” (v. 12), and “to the praise of his glory” (v. 14). Jesus came to Earth to live and die for sinners so that God might be known and magnified. When one sinner repents, the heavenly angels rejoice because God receives all the glory (see Luke 15:10).

This means that our evangelistic efforts are not merely focused on the salvation of lost people—though that is important! Our evangelistic efforts aim for something even higher: the glory of God. We evangelize not only because we love people. We evangelize because we love God. As John Piper wrote: “Missions is not the ultimate goal of the Church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man.”

APPLY THE WORD

The goal of evangelism is the glory of God. When sinners trust in Christ, He is honored and lifted high. As evangelists, we need to set our hearts on this ultimate goal. When you share the gospel with people, pray for God’s glory to be magnified in their lives. When people repent and believe, give thanks to God for glorifying Himself.

 

http://www.todayintheword.org

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – God Opens and Shuts Doors

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And to the angel (divine messenger) of the church in Philadelphia write: “These are the words of the Holy One, the True One, He who has the key [to the house] of David, He who opens and no one will [be able to] shut, and He who shuts and no one opens.— Revelation 3:7

There are critical times in our lives when we especially need to know we are hearing clearly from God. It isn’t always easy to know His voice from that of our own emotional reasoning. But I know from experience that God can open doors of opportunity that no one can close, and He can also close doors that we cannot open.

I spent many years trying to make things happen that I wanted to do in life. The result was frustration and disappointment. But I found that when we depend on God, He will give us favor and make things easy for us as we seek Him and His perfect timing. He leads us one step at a time. If you take one step forward in the wrong direction, He will let you know before you go too far.

Be aware that His thoughts are above your thoughts. He sees the end from the beginning. All His ways are right and sure. He knows what makes sense for your life and He can make it happen. Listen to His voice, and you will not be deceived.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Using Our Abilities

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“Why is it that He gives us these special abilities to do certain things best? It is that God’s people will be equipped to do better work for Him, building up the church, the body of Christ, to a position of strength and maturity; until finally we all believe alike about our salvation and about our Savior, God’s Son, and all become full-grown in the Lord – yes, to the point of being filled full with Christ” (Ephesians 4:12,13).

We would be poor stewards if we ignored the special abilities the Holy Spirit has given to us.

We must use our abilities to glorify Christ, not to glorify ourselves, or some other person, or even to glorify the gift itself.

Peter says, “Are you called to preach? Then preach as though God Himself were speaking through you” (1 Peter 4:11). Do you possess musical ability? Share it with the rest of Christ’s family. Peter goes on, “Are you called to help others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies, so that God will be glorified through Jesus Christ – to Him be glory and praise forever and ever.”

We have the obligation to use our God-given abilities in a scriptural manner to help equip others for Christian service. The apostle Paul writes that spiritual gifts are given “for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12, NAS).

In order to live supernaturally, it is important for us always to exercise our abilities in the power and control of the Holy Spirit – never through our own fleshly efforts.

Bible Reading: Ephesians 4:11-16

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: My motivation for using my spiritual gift(s) and abilities will be solely to glorify Christ through helping to equip other members of His body to be more effective and fruitful for Him.

 

http://www.cru.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Use a Portable Prayer

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Listen to Today’s Devotion

Some people excel in prayer. They are the SEAL Team 6 of intercession. They would rather pray than sleep. Why is it I sleep when I pray? It’s not that we don’t pray at all. We all pray some. Surveys indicate one in five unbelievers prays daily. Just in case, perhaps?  When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, He gave them a prayer…a quotable, repeatable, portable prayer. Could you use the same?

Father, You are good.

I need help. Heal me and forgive me.

They need help. Thank you.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

Here is my challenge for you: Every day for 4 weeks, pray 4 minutes. Then get ready to connect with God like never before!

Read more Before Amen

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – An astonishing Holocaust story I just discovered

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Yesterday I discovered one of the most extraordinary stories I’ve ever encountered. Before I share it with you, I need to set the context.

The Polish Senate passed a bill Thursday making it illegal to claim Poland was complicit in Nazi atrocities committed on Polish soil during World War II. Violations would be punishable by up to three years in prison. The bill awaits a presidential signature to become law; Polish President Andrzej Duda has indicated that he intends to sign it.

There is no question that the Holocaust camps in Poland were operated by the Nazis, not the Poles. It is also true that the Polish people were horrifically victimized by Nazi Germany: at least 1.5 million were deported to Germany for forced labor; hundreds of thousands were imprisoned in concentration camps; at least 1.9 million were killed during the war.

But the new bill criminalizes any claim that the Polish people were in any way complicit in crimes against the Jewish people. What is the verdict of history? How is the question related to the astounding story I’ll tell shortly?

Poland, the Allies, and the Holocaust

Yad Vashem, Israel’s official memorial to Holocaust victims, recognizes thousands of Polish people as “Righteous Among the Nations,” non-Jews who “took great risks to save Jews during the Holocaust.”

Continue reading Denison Forum – An astonishing Holocaust story I just discovered →