Daily Archives: March 4, 2018

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Importance of Discernment

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Matthew 3:1-12

Who couldn’t use a little discernment? We desperately need the Lord’s help to determine truth and reality in a world filled with confusing gray areas and evil deceptions.

John the Baptist was a man of tremendous discernment. This rough and rugged preacher came thundering onto the scene of staid orthodox Judaism, and he brought a message to the entire Jewish nation. John’s job was to prepare the way for the Messiah’s arrival. What he had to say was simple: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 3:2).

As the multitudes flocked to hear this unique prophet and repent of their sins, John discerned that some of them were frauds. The Pharisees and Sadducees had come to check him out, not to repent. They were hiding reality behind a religious exterior.

A discerning spirit is one that is in tune with the Spirit of God. As John lived in submission to the Lord, he gained insight beyond anything that could have originated from his own mind.

He saw the situation from God’s perspective and delivered a strong rebuke to that “brood of vipers” (Matt. 3:7). Although we may never be as forthright as John, there will be times when a discerning spirit will lead to confrontation.

The Father wants His children to develop spiritual discernment in order to guard against deception. We must know how to recognize invalid philosophies as well as false doctrines that sneak into the church. What’s more, divine insight can also protect us in our relationships and even helps us see the truth about ourselves.

Bible in One Year: Deuteronomy 33-34

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — When God Fills Us

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Read: Psalm 16:5–11 | Bible in a Year: Numbers 31–33; Mark 9:1–29

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.  Psalm 16:11

“What had I done?” It should have been one of the most exciting times of my life. Instead, it was one of the loneliest. I’d just gotten my first “real” job after college, in a city hundreds of miles from where I grew up. But the thrill of that big step quickly faded. I had a tiny apartment. No furniture. I didn’t know the city. I didn’t know anyone. The job was interesting, but the loneliness felt crushing.

One night, I sat at home with my back against the wall. I opened my Bible and stumbled onto Psalm 16, where verse 11 promises God will fill us. “Lord,” I prayed, “I thought this job was the right thing, but I feel so alone. Please fill me with a sense of Your nearness.” I offered variants of that plaintive plea for weeks. Some nights, my sense of loneliness eased, and I had a deep experience of God’s presence. Other nights, I still felt achingly isolated.

My heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure. Psalm 16:9

But as I returned to that verse, anchoring my heart in it night by night, God gradually deepened my faith. I experienced His faithfulness in a way I never had before. And I learned that my job was simply to pour out my heart to Him . . . and humbly await His faithful response, trusting His promise to fill us with His Spirit.

Lord, we can feel so empty at times. But You’ve made known the path of life. You long for us to trust You. Help us to cling to Your promise to fill us in our desperate moments.

Anchor your heart in God.

By Adam Holz

INSIGHT

David faced many enemies and encountered numerous dangers. Those experiences proved the faithfulness of God to him. In Psalm 16 David sings of finding his joy and guidance in the Lord alone: “I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken” (v. 8).

 

Earlier in Israel’s story, Moses had pleaded for the presence of God to accompany the people in the wilderness (Exodus 33:15–16). God promised to go with them and to give them rest (vv. 14, 17).

We too can find our help in the God of Moses and David. The night before His crucifixion, Jesus promised us the gift of the Holy Spirit. He told His disciples, “If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth” (John 14:15–17). The God of David and Moses is the God who tells us, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). His Holy Spirit lives in us.

Do you sense His presence today? Give your desperate circumstances to Him. He promises to guide you.

 

http://www.odb.org

Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – Four Burning Questions—If God Is for Us…

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If God is for us, who can be against us?
Romans 8:31

Some days we awaken to sunny skies. Other days are darker, and we’re gripped by pain. Whether the pain is physical or emotional, it can make us question God’s love and care for us.

Recommended Reading: Romans 8:31-39

But God counters our questions with some of His own—rhetorical questions—to remind us of His active involvement in our care. We find glorious sets of questions at the end of Job, in Isaiah 40, and scattered throughout the Lord’s ministry. But few passages exceed the interrogation of Romans 8, as Paul draws to a close in his theological instruction about justification by grace through faith.

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?… How shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect … Who is he who condemns?… Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

If your spirits are low today, answer the questions God sets forth. Who can be against you? No one! What can separate you from His love? Nothing!

God’s burning questions have glowing answers that bring heavenly sunshine.

When Jesus shows His smiling face, there is sunshine in my soul.
Eliza Hewitt

Read-Thru-the-Bible: Deuteronomy 30 – 34

 

 

http://www.davidjeremiah.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – You’re Not Built for Guilt

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Therefore there is now no condemnation [no guilty verdict, no punishment] for those who are in Christ Jesus [who believe in Him as personal Lord and Savior]. — Romans 8:1

When I ask large audiences how many people spend their lives feeling guilty, my guess is that at least 80 percent of the people raise their hands. I was part of that 80 percent until I decided that I was not built for guilt, and I was not going to continue to allow a renegade feeling to rule my life.

I studied God’s Word about guilt and studied His character and nature until I was totally convinced that God is not the source of guilt.

I see guilt as an illegal alien that attacks our mind and conscience, attempting to prevent us from enjoying anything God has provided for us. Guilt has no legal right in our lives because Jesus has paid for our sins and misdeeds. If it is in us illegally, then we need to send it back where it came from—which is hell!

Refuse to let guilt steel your joy any longer. You must remember that you are not built for guilt. Deal with it aggressively anytime you experience it by receiving God’s love and grace.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Love Means Obedience

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“The one who obeys Me is the one who loves Me; and because he loves Me, My Father will love him; and I will too, and I will reveal myself to him” (John 14:21).

A Campus Crusade staff member handed me a copy of Sports Illustrated with a cover picture of the Heisman Trophy winner.

Proudly, he said, “I would like to introduce you to your great-grandson.”

When I asked him what he meant, he explained, “You led Jim to Christ, Jim led me to Christ, and I led Steve [the Heisman Trophy winner] to Christ.”

What a joy to see God’s wonder-working power in this chain reaction of spiritual multiplication.

There is something exciting and wonderfully rewarding about seeing one whom you have discipled grow and mature, and lead others to Christ and disciple them, generation after generation. Such an experience often brings even more fulfillment than you derive from your own personal ministry of introducing others to the Lord Jesus.

For example, I have always taken special delight and pleasure whenever Vonette, our sons Zachary and Bradley, or many others whom I have discipled through the years, do something special for the Lord – much more than as though I were doing it personally.

By investing your life in helping others to receive Christ and grow in the Lord, you will in turn be helping still others to experience the abundant life which only true disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ experience. Today’s verse equates love for Christ with obedience to His commands. Two of the most important commands our Lord has given to His followers, which will result in His revealing Himself to us, are “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 28:19, NAS). He is saying to us, “Teach the things that I have taught you.”

Bible Reading:John 14:22-26

TODAY’S ACTION POINT:  Today I will seek to obey my Lord by telling others about Him and by seeking to disciple others who have already committed their lives to Christ. I have the assurance that my Lord will manifest Himself to me in special ways as I walk in faith and obedience.

 

http://www.cru.org

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – When In Doubt 

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When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples to ask him, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” Matthew 11:2–3

Doubt seeks to destroy our faith. It is in our discouragement—even despair—that we begin to question God. “What did I do wrong?”, “Lord, did you call me to this place of confusion?”, “Where is my joy and hope?”, “Are you even real or just a figment of my imagination?” Left to its natural conclusion, doubt crushes our faith in Christ.

Fortunately, faith does not have to take a furlough when we are frustrated and fatigued. It is in your confinement that Christ wants to remind you of His great power. So cry out to Him in your confused circumstances, and He will earnestly listen in love. “In my distress I called to the LORD; I called out to my God. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came to his ears” (2 Samuel 22:7). He does not leave His loved ones alone and in doubt.

It is okay to be in doubt, but not to remain in doubt. What doubt challenges your faith in God? Is it His provision, His promises, His presence, His character, or His care? When these questions assault your confidence in Christ, take a step back and review His track record. The reality of your salvation sets you on the productive path of peace and forgiveness. Answered prayer over the years is proof enough of His love and concern.

Furthermore, use this temporary time of distrust to go deeper with Jesus. The pressure you feel on all sides is your Savior’s way of soliciting your attention. When in doubt, seek out the Lord, learn to love Him completely, and discern more fully His profound promises. Use doubt to dig deeper into the truth of Scripture; marinate your mind. “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him” (Psalm 34:8).

When in doubt, stay steadfast in seeking your Savior. Wait on Him, especially when you wonder what is next. Where there is true faith there may be a mixture of unbelief; so remain faithful, even when questions manipulate your faith. Perseverance will one day free you as a stronger and more-committed follower of Christ. See Jesus for who He is. Doubt dissolves in His reassuring presence. Doubt starves to death when it is not fed.

“Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—the LORD, who remains faithful forever” (Psalm 146:5–6).

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me in my unbelief to believe You are all I need during this time of intense uncertainty, in Jesus’ name, amen.

Application: What doubts do I need to acknowledge and release to God? Is Christ trustworthy?

Related Readings: 2 Chronicles 33:12; Job 36:16–19; John 20:27; Jude 1:22

 

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Today in the Word

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – YAHWEH: THE PROSECUTOR

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Hosea 4:1–6; 6:1–11

When U.S. Army soldier Bowe Bergdahl walked away from his post in Afghanistan, he claimed that he wanted to report on misconduct in his unit. Instead, he was captured by the Taliban and tortured for five years. When he was finally released and eventually tried for desertion, the judge in his court-martial sentenced him to a dishonorable discharge, reduction of rank, and a monetary fine in lieu of prison time.

All of us are familiar with courtroom language: prosecution and defense, judge and jury, trial and testimony. At this point in our study of Hosea, the book shifts from the biographical context of Hosea and Gomer to the judicial setting: God brings a case against His people. His accusation against them isn’t that they’ve simply abandoned their religious duties. They’ve also sinned against one another by acting in violent, treacherous ways.

The failure to love neighbor is always a failure to love God—and vice versa. Abandoning “faithfulness” and “love” and “acknowledgement of God” (4:1) will necessarily lead to the crimes against humanity we see throughout Hosea and indeed all the Minor Prophets.

God issues a pronounced condemnation on the leaders of His people—the priests and prophets. It had been their responsibility to teach the knowledge of God, their obligation to speak the words of the Lord. But they had failed in these tasks, and as a result, the people had failed to uphold their covenant obligations.

The people of Israel could have resigned themselves to their fate of divine judgment. They had made their bed, and they must lie in it. But Hosea speaks words of hope: return to the Lord! His mercy, like spring rain, can be counted on (6:1–3).

APPLY THE WORD

We easily become discouraged when we fall into patterns of sin. I’ll never change. There’s no hope. I’m condemned to fail. These messages keep us far from God, never daring to believe He can forgive us or change us. But Hosea, along with all the Minor Prophets, assures us that God’s mercy is available to us if we “acknowledge the LORD” (6:3).

 

http://www.todayintheword.org