Daily Archives: February 22, 2018

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Sowing to the Spirit

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James 3:9-18

In all our daily choices, we either “sow to the flesh” or “sow to the Spirit” (Gal. 6:8). With our actions and thoughts, we plant seeds that affect what kind of person we’re growing into and the level of impact our life will have for God.

The “flesh” is the part of us that wants to live and act independently of the Lord. As humans, all of us have to deal with the pull of this attitude; we don’t lose it automatically when we’re saved. However, the Holy Spirit frees us from slavery to the flesh. He begins to change us so we can turn from the deceptive lure of living for self and instead start to live according to the truth. The choices we make contribute to the process of transformation, and when they’re in alignment with the Spirit’s work, they plant good seeds that result in even more new growth.

When you’re sowing to the Spirit, you are accepting God’s truth into your mind and heart. Then you will begin to experience eternal life, which comes from truly knowing the Lord (John 17:3). The fruit of the Spirit grows naturally from these seeds of godly truth and influences every aspect of your life. When you feed your spirit with the things of God, you’re going to become stronger, more Christlike, and more full of His life in your thoughts and actions.

Are you feeding your spirit and the wellspring of your life, or are you feeding the part of you that wants to act independently of God? Do your choices sow seeds that are building you up, making you different, and letting streams of living water flow from you to nourish others? (See John 7:37-39.)

Bible in One Year: Deuteronomy 3-5

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Buckling Up!

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Read: Hebrews 4:11–16
Bible in a Year: Numbers 4–6; Mark 4:1–20

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence.— Hebrews 4:16

“The captain has turned on the seat belt sign, indicating that we are entering an area of turbulence. Please return to your seats immediately and securely fasten your seat belt.” Flight attendants give that warning when necessary because in rough air, unbuckled passengers can be injured. Secured in their seats, they can safely ride out the turbulence.

Most of the time, life doesn’t warn us of the unsettling experiences coming our way. But our loving Father knows and cares about our struggles, and He invites us to bring our cares, hurts, and fears to Him. The Scriptures tell us, “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most” (Hebrews 4:15-16 NLT).

In seasons of turbulence, going to our Father in prayer is the best thing we can do. The phrase “grace to help us when we need it”—means that in His presence we can be “buckled” in peace during threatening times, because we bring our concerns to the One who is greater than all! When life feels overwhelming, we can pray. He can help us through the turbulence. —Bill Crowder

Father, sometimes life is overwhelming. Help me to trust You with all the turbulent moments, knowing how deeply You care for my life.

Although we cannot anticipate the trials of life, we can pray to our Father who fully understands what we face.

INSIGHT: Throughout the Scriptures we are reminded that God cares about our struggles. When David was pursued by the murderous Saul, he sought refuge in a cave (1 Samuel 22:1; 24:3-4). It is likely this is where he penned Psalm 142 as his prayer to God. The despondent David lamented that “no one is concerned for me” and he had no one to turn to for help (v. 4). But David did turn his troubles over to his God: “I cry aloud to the LORD . . . . I tell [him] my trouble” (vv. 1-2).

Like David, we may be “caved in” by our troubles, finding ourselves “in desperate need” (v. 6). We may lament that “no one cares” (v. 4). But we too can turn our troubles over to God. We can make God our refuge, echoing in faith and trust, “You are my refuge” (v. 5), and we can cast our “anxiety on him because he cares for [us]” (1 Peter 5:7).

How does knowing God cares for you help you overcome worry and helplessness? K. T. Sim

 

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Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – The Forgettable Power of Empathy

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Perched above the altar in St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice hang the ciborium columns.(1) The artist is unknown. Constructed in the early 1300s from alabaster, the columns hold numerous carvings depicting various stories, among them, the life of Jesus. There are so many stories—108 in fact—that one can easily lose track of all that is displayed.

On one particular panel, apparently, Jesus talks to Zacchaeus, who reaches out of some tree branches to participate in what must have been a truly entertaining conversation. After all, it was a conversation that resulted in a divine home-visit, a meal, and a turnaround in Zacchaeus’s life profound enough to warrant its recording and retelling.(2) Over the last twenty-five years, I’ve seen the ciborium columns and, presumably, this panel a few times. But I remember nothing about it.

Some of us remember the story of Zacchaeus for various reasons described to us as young children. He was a “wee” little man. He climbed up in a sycamore tree. He was a despised tax collector. But like this work of art, is there also a piece of this story that is forgettable?

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Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Stop Keeping Score

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It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. — 1 Corinthians 13:5 (AMPC)

We all get hurt sometimes, and it’s vitally important to learn how to forgive quickly so we can be spiritually strong and healthy. For example, if someone has hurt you, don’t spend the next 10 years of your life hurting yourself by hanging on to that offense. Most likely, the other person isn’t even thinking about you, while you dwell on the incident for years. That only hurts one person—you.

When we walk in unforgiveness, we try to “keep score,” viewing ourselves as better than the other person.

Back in the early days of our marriage, when Dave and I were fussing and fuming at each other, I would bring up stuff from the past that he couldn’t possibly remember and Dave would say, “Where do you keep all that stuff?” Well, I had a place, and it was all in there eating at me. And every new thing Dave did wrong was added to this list until it became a bitter giant in my heart.

Thank God I’ve learned a better way to live! When we walk in God’s love, we find freedom by keeping “no account” of wrongs done to us. If you’re hurting from the pain of unforgiveness today, ask God to help you stop keeping score. You can let go of your bitterness today.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Inherit My Holy Mountain

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“Let’s see if the whole collection of your idols can help you when you cry to them to save you! They are so weak that the wind can carry them off! A breath can puff them away. But he who trusts in Me shall possess the land and inherit My Holy Mountain” (Isaiah 57:13).

It was the very last week prior to our deadline for raising two million dollars to purchase the property at Arrowhead Springs for our international Campus Crusade for Christ headquarters. A dear friend had offered a $300,000 matching fund as a gift if we could raise the balance of the $2 million by a certain date.

Because of a very heavy speaking schedule at both the student and faculty conferences held at Arrowhead, I was unable to make any significant contribution to the raising of funds. And yet somehow in my heart of hearts I knew that God was going to supply our need in a miraculous way.

The late Dr. V. Raymond Edman, then president of Wheaton College, was one of the featured speakers at the conferences. At breakfast, one day Dr. Edman shared with my wife, Vonette, and me this very meaningful verse in Isaiah – a verse that God had impressed upon him that morning to share with us as he prayed about our urgent financial needs.

Now we were all the more encouraged to believe God in an even greater way than before. We truly expected to see Him provide the remaining funds – miraculously. In the evening of the day of the deadline, I was informed that we still needed $33,000 and that every possible source of revenue had been exhausted. There was nothing more, humanly speaking, we could do. Yet, through a series of circumstances between 11:00 and midnight, those funds were pledged, and we met the deadline. Exactly at midnight, the last of God’s miracles had been wrought and the goal had been reached. God had promised, “He who trusts in Me shall possess the land and inherit My Holy Mountain” – Arrowhead Springs.

Bible Reading:Isaiah 57:10-15

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Whether the need be for funds, for health, for wisdom, or whatever, I will believe God to supply my every need as He has so wonderfully promised in His Word to those who trust in Him.

 

http://www.cru.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Oh, Daddy!

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Listen to Today’s Devotion

When my eldest daughter was 13, she flubbed her piano piece at a recital. The silence in the auditorium was broken only by the pounding of her parents’ hearts. She hurried off the stage, threw her arms around me and buried her face in my shirt. “Oh, Daddy.”   That was enough for me. At that moment I’d have given her the moon and all she said was, “Oh Daddy!”

Prayer starts here. Prayer begins with an honest, heartfelt, Oh, Daddy! Jesus invites us to approach God the way a child approaches his or her daddy. So my challenge for you is this:   Every day for four weeks, pray four 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 – Kathie Lee Gifford remembers Billy Graham, preaches Jesus on TV

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Kathie Lee Gifford is one of the most outspoken Christians in media today. She was also a close personal friend of Dr. Billy Graham. In fact, she and her entire family came to faith in Christ through his ministry.

Those who know her were not surprised when she was interviewed yesterday on Megyn Kelly Today and began preaching the gospel boldly and joyfully. She explained that she has “the cure for the malignancy of the soul, and he has a name, and it’s Jesus.” Dr. Graham would be so pleased that she used his home-going to lead people to his Savior.

How can we follow her example?

“My eyes stung with tears”

Billy Graham became a Christian in 1934 at a Mordecai Ham revival. That same year, his father hosted a prayer meeting at the family farm. One of the participants, a man named Vernon Patterson, prayed that “out of Charlotte the Lord would raise up someone to preach the gospel to the ends of the earth.”

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