Daily Archives: March 10, 2018

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Holy Spirit: Our Teacher

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John 14:25-26

If you are going to take instruction from someone, you want to be certain that person is well qualified, right? It’s interesting, then, that so many believers neglect the greatest Bible teacher available. We read religious books, survey friends, and ask a Sunday school class before we decide to get on our knees and consult the true Authority. While those sources can point us in the right direction, only the Holy Spirit illuminates God’s Word to our hearts and minds.

Asking someone to explain Scripture seems easier than seeking to understand it through the Spirit’s power. But consider what a person misses in bypassing Him. Who better to instruct believers about the Word’s depth and breadth than the One who wrote it? (See 2 Peter 1:20-21.) The Spirit laid His message on each human author’s heart, and the writers dutifully recorded it in their own unique voices.

Furthermore, as a member of the holy Trinity, the Spirit knows the mind of God (1 Corinthians 2:10). He is often called the Spirit of truth, because He understands everything. The Holy Spirit recognizes our emotional and mental state and can identify exactly where we are in our Christian walk. Therefore, He can reveal to our mind the passages that will encourage, challenge, or convict us as needed.

We have a teacher of divine quality. He will help us to learn and grow, guide us through difficult passages, and shed light on why the Lord allows certain challenges in our life. When it comes to aiding God’s people to know His Word, no one is more qualified than His Spirit.

Bible in One Year: Joshua 16-19

 

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Lead Me to the Rock

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Read: Psalm 61 | Bible in a Year: Deuteronomy 11–13; Mark 12:1–27I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.  Psalm 61:2

While shopping for a humidifier, I noticed an older woman walking back and forth down the aisle. Wondering if she was shopping for humidifiers also, I moved aside to allow her to draw near. Soon we chatted about a flu virus in our area, one that left her with a lingering cough and headache.

A few minutes later, she launched into a bitter tirade, expressing her theory about the origin of the virus. I listened, unsure what to do. She soon left the store, still angry and frustrated. Though she had expressed her frustration, I couldn’t do anything to take away that pain.

While God may not take away all our pain, we can rest in the peace He provides.

David, Israel’s second king, wrote psalms to express his anger and frustration to God. But David knew that God not only listened, He could also do something about his pain. In Psalm 61, he writes, “I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I” (v. 2). God was his “refuge” (v. 3)—the “rock” to which David ran.

When we’re in pain, or come in contact with someone in pain, David’s example is a good one to follow. We can head to “the rock that is higher” or lead someone there. I wish I had mentioned God to the woman at the store. While God may not take away all our pain, we can rest in the peace He provides and the assurance that He hears our cry.

Father God, make me mindful of those in need of a listening ear and the hope of Your presence.

Rest on the Rock.

By Linda Washington

INSIGHT

God’s care for His children is a constant theme throughout the Scriptures. Even though David felt abandoned by people at times, he repeatedly thanked God for His care for him (see Psalm 142). When we feel alone and abandoned, we too can have confidence in God and cast our anxiety on Him because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). Prayer is important, for it is in prayer that we pour out our concerns to Him, confident that in His time and wisdom He will respond. This confidence is at the heart of Paul’s challenge to the church at Philippi, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). The resulting peace (v. 7) is His gift to us, carrying us through as we await His answers to our needs.

Are you facing a situation for which you need God’s help? Go to the Rock in prayer and rest in His peace.

 

http://www.odb.org

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – A Healthy Fear 

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How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?  Genesis 39:9

The fear of God is healthy. Joseph understood this. Though he was in an environment where he could sin and nobody would know, he knew that most importantly God would know. This is healthy, because a respectful attitude toward God is accountability. No matter where we are or what we are doing, we know God is watching, and we know that He expects us to represent Him well. Wherever there is God, there is accountability.

We may be able to hide (for a time) our Internet probing of despicable sites, but God is not deceived. We may cover up (for a time) padded expense reports, but God is not fooled. Our flirtatious words and emotional attachment to someone other than our spouse disappoint and grieve our heavenly Father. Over time, all of these areas of sin will be exposed, and there will be tremendous hurt and disaster. However, when we fear Him we experience His accountability and as we submit to Him, there is obedience to do the right thing.

“For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge” (Psalm 51:3-4).

So where does fear of God come from? It comes from God. As a follower of Jesus Christ the Holy Spirit resides in you, and among other things, He is there to convict you of sin. We have a God consciousness. His still, small voice (sometimes loud voice) is there to remind us of His expectations. He is jealous and wants us totally for Himself.

Lastly, the essence of fearing God is a reverential trust that compels you to love and obey Him. Ironclad faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior is foundational in your fear of God. The more you understand God’s character through His Word, the more you grow to love and respect Him. Fear of God flows into a fervent faith that rejects sin and trusts Him.

“He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord” (Psalm 40:3).

Prayer: Heavenly Father, keep my heart tender and clean with real time confession of my sin against You, in Jesus’ name, amen.

Application: Does my fear of God cause my behavior to change in my concern not to disappoint Jesus?

Related Readings: Numbers 32:23; Nehemiah 5:15; Acts 10:2; 2 Corinthians 5:11

 

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Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Take Your Doubts Captive

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[Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). — 2 Corinthians 10:5

When we start the process of renewing our minds, there will be times when we mess up. God knows we’re not perfect and He’s always there to help us get back on track.

Unfortunately, the devil also knows we’re not perfect, and he does his best to remind us every step of the way.

We can be going along, serving God, doing good, stepping out in faith and then all of a sudden, without any obvious justification for it, we’ll have a day or week when we experience an attack in our minds. Satan will tell us that we’re failures, that we’re not good enough, that God doesn’t love us…the list goes on and on.

Thankfully, God’s Word tells us just what to do in a situation like this. Second Corinthians 10:5 tells us to take every thought captive and into obedience to God. So when the devil tries to lie to you, go to the Word and find the truth that refutes that lie.

When those doubts come your way, don’t get discouraged. Bring them in line with God’s Word. It works every time!

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Thank Him for Answers

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“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs and don’t forget to thank Him for His answers. If you do this you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6,7).

Some years ago there was an occasion when my world was crumbling. All that my associates and I had worked and planned for in the ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ was hanging by a slender thread which was about to break.

Because of a series of unforeseen circumstances, we were facing a financial crisis which could bankrupt the movement and result in the loss of our beautiful facilities at Arrowhead Springs, California, acquired just a few years earlier.

Already thousands of students and laymen from all over the world were receiving training which would influence millions of lives for Christ. Now we were in danger of losing it all.

When the word came to me that everything we had planned and prayed for was in jeopardy and almost certain to be lost, I fell to my knees and began to give thanks to the Lord. Why?

Because many years before I had discovered that thanksgiving demonstrates faith, and faith pleases God. When we demonstrate faith through thanksgiving, as an expression of obedience and gratitude to God, He releases His great power in our behalf so that we can serve Him better. Miraculously, God honored our faith and what could have been disaster and tragedy turned to victory and triumph. The end result was that we were stronger financially than we had ever been.

God fights the battles for those who trust and obey Him.

Bible Reading:I Timothy 2:1-6

TODAY’S ACTION POINT:  With God’s help, my life will be characterized by praise and thanksgiving to God as an expression of my faith in Him and obedience to His commands. Today I will share the goodness and trustworthiness of God with at least one other person.

 

http://www.cru.org

Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – For What Will It Profit a Man…

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For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
Mark 8:36

Two brothers in Wichita, Kansas, won the lottery, netting $75,000. They celebrated by purchasing narcotics. While using a butane lighter with their drugs, the vapors reached the pilot light of their furnace, causing an explosion that destroyed their house. One of the brothers was rushed to the hospital, and the other to jail. In the literal flash of a moment, the luckiest moment of their lives became a nightmare.

Recommended Reading: Mark 8:34-38

Millions of people feel they have won life’s lottery. They’ve accumulated homes and clothes and vehicles and sufficient financial reserves to pay their bills and ensure their futures. Some have become rich.

But sooner or later, it will all disappear in the flash of a moment, for without Christ there’s no hope of eternal wealth or everlasting life. The Lord provides for the needs of His children, and He gives us the wisdom to be wise stewards over what He entrusts to us. Our long-term well-being is found exclusively in God’s mercy toward us in Christ Jesus, which is why in all things He must be preeminent.

When I put God first, God takes care of me and energizes me to do what really needs to be done.
David Jeremiah

Read-Thru-the-Bible: Joshua 18 – 22

 

 

http://www.davidjeremiah.org/

Today in the Word

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – PUNISHMENT IS DECLARED

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Amos 3:12–4:13

In August 2017, millions of Americans traveled to see a total solar eclipse. With sophisticated astronomical calculations, scientists could predict exactly where and when to see this celestial phenomenon. But in the pre-scientific era, people told stories to make sense of the sky’s blackness. Societies who worshiped the sun, such as the Egyptians and the Greeks, spun tales of dragons and demons who were trying to devour their god. To scare off these malevolent figures, ancient peoples tried making loud noises, ringing bells, or banging pots and pans.

Whether good or bad fortune, ancient peoples attributed divine causes to everyday events. Moderns, on the other hand, tend to view such explanations as primitive. But what are we to make of today’s key verse? Doesn’t it insist upon God’s sovereignty, even in geopolitical events? And doesn’t Paul’s theology in the opening chapter of Ephesians—that God “works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will”—suggest we should see God’s agency in everything (Eph. 1:11)?

According to the book of Job, we would be wrong to see every misfortune as divine punishment. But the prophet Amos says that the disaster Israel faced was God’s work (3:7). This punishment took the forms of natural disaster (hunger, drought, pestilence) and human violence (war), and Amos is clear to say that these misfortunes come from God’s hand and are intended to return God’s people to Him (see 5:4).

God’s people had not only failed to love Him, they had also failed to love their neighbor. Today, we have further details about that negligence. They were materially prosperous—and actively oppressed the poor. They lived in luxury—and crushed the needy.

APPLY THE WORD

The “religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (James 1:27). What local organizations help the needy in your community? How can you and your church participate in the work of justice on their behalf?

 

 

http://www.todayintheword.org