Daily Archives: August 28, 2018

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – A Barometer for Spiritual Growth

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1 Corinthians 13:11-13

Since our Father wants us to mature in the faith, we should stop periodically and examine our life to see if we’re making progress in this area. Physical growth is fairly easy to evaluate—all you need is a tape measure. But how can you tell if you’re growing spiritually? Let’s begin by considering how children develop.

Desires. Have you noticed that your childhood toys no longer interest you? The maturing process changes our desires in the spiritual realm, too. When we’re growing, the world’s pleasures lose their appeal, while our hunger for God and His Word increases. We are eager to be with Him and share with others how He’s working in our life.

Understanding. When you were young, your perception of the world was very limited. In the same way, we lack spiritual understanding when we’re new believers. But in time, we begin to see life from God’s perspective. Trials and temptations become opportunities for growth, and service for the Lord becomes an honor instead of a burden.

Selflessness. The most obvious sign of a toddler’s immaturity is his selfishness. He wants his way, and he wants it now! Hopefully that is no longer characteristic of you. A mature believer is submissive to the Lord, willing to wait, and more concerned about others than himself.

How are you doing in these three areas of growth? Maybe it’s time to let go of a few childish ways in order to grow into a mature believer. The greatest evidence of maturity is love. When the Lord and other people have first place in our heart, it’s then that we’re most like Jesus.

Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 4-6

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Learning to Trust

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Read: Matthew 6:25–34 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 123–125; 1 Corinthians 10:1–18

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17

When I was a teenager I sometimes challenged my mother when she tried to encourage me to have faith. “Trust God. He will take care of you,” she would tell me. “It’s not that simple, Mom!” I would bark back. “God helps those who help themselves!”

But those words, “God helps those who help themselves” are nowhere to be found in Scripture. Instead, God’s Word teaches us to depend on Him for our daily needs. Jesus tells us, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” (Matthew 6:26–27).

Everything we enjoy—even the strength to earn a living and “help ourselves”—are gifts from a heavenly Father who loves us and values us beyond our ability to fathom.

As Mom neared the end of her life, Alzheimer’s disease robbed her of her creative mind and memories, but her trust in God remained. She lived in our home for a season, where I was given a “front-row seat” to observe God’s provision for her needs in unexpected ways—ways that helped me see she had been right all along. Instead of worrying, she entrusted herself to the One who promised to take care of her. And He showed Himself faithful.

Loving Lord, please help me to trust You to take care of me today, tomorrow, and forever!

Don’t worry about tomorrow—God is already there.

By James Banks

INSIGHT

The teaching of Jesus in Matthew 6:25–34 emphasizes the fatherly care of God for those who follow Jesus, making worry about the basic things of life unnecessary. The main idea in the word translated “worry” is “distracting or anxious care.” In Luke 10:41, Jesus said Martha was “worried and upset about many things.” Paul wrote in Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything.” Six times the word worryappears in Matthew 6:25–34. For those who call God “Father,” worry is unreasonable (vv. 25–30), uncharacteristic (vv. 30–32), unproductive (v. 33), and unprofitable (v. 34).

What might you be doing or not doing that indicates a lack of trust in God as our faithful heavenly Father?

Arthur Jackson

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Uncategorized

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – A Sure Stay

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I used to be a faithful listener to the national news. But it seems that more and more news reporting delivers more and more bad news. Not wanting to begin each day already down in the dumps, I’ve become more of a sporadic listener. Of course, I recognize that this is not a recent trend. Most news has rarely, if ever, been uplifting. The events deemed “newsworthy” are generally traumatic or catastrophic events. Since there are more than enough examples of ‘bad news’ each day those ‘good’ newsworthy items rarely get reported.

These “bad news” stories are even more difficult to deal with because they are not simply news stories affecting someone else; they are real stories of the everyday realities of people all around me, and including me. Close friends have loved ones in global conflict zones. Colleagues struggle to make ends meet, or are coping with their own traumatic events and struggles. For many, their own lives comprise the “bad news” stories of struggling to survive in extraordinarily dark times.

Trouble is part of every human experience, and every human will experience days of “bad news.” No one is immune. Even the greatest of leaders in the ancient world did not escape trouble and despair. Those who might critique religious faith as a flight from reality or an escape from trouble might be surprised to see the exact opposite detailed in the pages of the bible. Even those who claimed direct experience of God, did not escape the hard realities of life in this world.

Described as a “man after God’s own heart,” David, the great king of Israel, experienced many difficulties throughout his life just as he was the recipient of bad news. And when he experienced trouble, he turned to poetry. Psalm 18, as one example, appears to have been a poem written after the experience of deliverance from national enemies and the current king of Israel, King Saul.

The poetry composed by David expresses his grief and distress in the midst his trials. The imagery he uses is of a near death experience: “The waves of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me; the cords of Sheol surrounded me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called upon the Lord.”(1)  His distress felt like drowning; being swallowed up by the mighty waves of the sea.

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – A Sure Stay →

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Set Your Mind

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Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. — Colossians 3:2

Adapted from the resource My Time with God Devotional – by Joyce Meyer

I have learned over the years the value of purposely setting my mind on things I want to happen throughout the day, instead of passively waiting to see what kind of thoughts I happen to have.

Just as we choose our clothes and purposely put them on, we can and should choose our thoughts, because what we meditate on often becomes our reality (see Proverbs 23:7). “Where the mind goes, the man follows” is one of my favorite sayings!

Today I set my mind to be strong, energetic, and joyful. I have decided to enjoy this day and to be a blessing everywhere I go. The more I think positive things, the more excited and empowered I feel! God is waiting to bless His children, but we need to expect Him to do so. What are you expecting from God today? Nothing? A little? A lot?

I taught this in our office chapel, and an employee came to work the next day and said, “I have lots of problems at home, especially with my teenage son who argues with me constantly. After hearing Joyce speak on expecting good things, I decided to try it. Instead of driving home dreading the evening, I went home expecting something good. My son looked at me when I got home and told me that he loved me, something I hadn’t heard in a long, long time.”

Aggressive expectation is faith in action! Release your faith for God’s best in your life and get ready for an upgrade in blessings.

Prayer Starter: Father, I am sorry I have been so passive about my thoughts. Forgive me, and help me learn to think in a way that will release Your best in my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

–

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – To Be Approved

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“Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15, KJV).

Most of all of my adult life has been centered around the university world – as a student, a teacher, and one who works with students, professors and administrators in the intellectual realm. I count many of the leading scholars of our time as beloved friends, yet if I had to choose between a Ph.D. from the most prestigious university in the world and a thorough knowledge of and comprehension of the Word of God, I would gladly choose the latter. Fortunately, it is not necessary to choose because one can have both academic training and a knowledge of God’s Word.

A recommendation which I have made to our two sons and to thousands of our staff and students with whom we work is that degrees are very important in today’s world, but they will not only be meaningless and worthless in terms of eternity, but can contribute to one’s moral and spiritual disintegration unless at the same time one is studying to show himself approved unto God. In all of our academic pursuits and in our commitment to excellence in the business and professional realms, we must be careful to give God and His Holy inspired Word their rightful place in our daily schedule. Ultimately, it is our knowledge of God learned through the study of Scripture and our response to Him that makes all the difference in our life-style. It makes the difference in the choosing of our mate, in the rearing of our children, in the choosing of our friends, our business or professional career, in all of our attitudes and actions and in the contribution which we make to society. Let us give priority to priorities, the highest of which is to seek after God through the diligent study of His holy revelation to man and to encourage others to join with us in rightly dividing the word of truth.

Bible Reading:II Timothy 2:19-25

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: With God’s help I will seek not only to be a student of God’s Word but also to acquire the ability to teach His word to others.

 

http://www.cru.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Repentance From Arrogance

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Listen to Today’s Devotion

I’m wondering if you’d be willing to join me in a prayer of repentance—repentance from arrogance.  What have we done that God did not first do?  What do we have that God didn’t first give us?  Have any of us ever built anything that God could not destroy? Have we created any monument that the Master of the stars can’t reduce to dust? God asks this question through the prophet Isaiah:

“To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?  says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:  Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing”  (Isaiah 40:25-26).

Let’s humble ourselves before the hand of God. Because God’s promises are unbreakable our hope is unshakable!

Read more Unshakable Hope

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – How J. J. Watt continues to change Houston

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  1. J. Watt has been named NFL Player of the Year and voted numerous times to the Pro Bowl. He is one of the most dominant defensive players in professional football.

But what he’s done off the field in response to the devastation of Hurricane Harvey has made the greatest impact. It all started with an Instagram video he posted on August 27, 2017:

“I want to start a fundraiser. Because I know that these recovery efforts are going to be massive. I know that there’s going to be a whole bunch of people that we need to help get back on their feet. Whatever you can donate, please donate to help these people out.”

Watt set up a page on YouCaring.com with a $200,000 goal, then donated $100,000 to start the effort. To this point, $41.6 million has been given, making it the largest crowd-sourced fundraiser in history.

On the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Harvey, the funds raised by J. J. Watt are continuing to rebuild the city and help the people he loves.

Good news in the news

President Trump announced yesterday that a bilateral trade deal has been reached with Mexico. The Dow Jones gained 259 points and the Nasdaq closed above 8,000. And NASA determined that an asteroid the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza will miss our planet by three million miles.

That’s the good news in the news.

Meanwhile, the Jacksonville shooting victims have been identified as a father and an ex-high school football player. The Los Angeles Coroner’s Office announced yesterday that actor Jackson Odell, who passed away two months ago at the age of twenty, died of an accidental drug overdose. And the pope continues to face questions about the ongoing clergy abuse scandal.

The persistence of bad news calls for persistence from those who would make good news. As J. J. Watt reminds us, the need goes on long after the headlines stop.

There are three life principles here for followers of Jesus.

One: If God has called you to do something, do it until it is done.

Watt provided an update yesterday on his relief efforts in Houston. More than six hundred homes and 420 childhood centers have been rebuilt. More than twenty-six million meals have been distributed to families affected by the tragedy, and more than ten thousand patients have received medication.

Watt stated: “While a great deal has been accomplished in the past 12 months, there is still much work to be done. Moving forward, there will be more of the same, as we continue to work with our incredible nonprofit partners to provide as much help and support as we possibly can for those affected by Harvey.”

God’s word instructs us: “Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9). In my pastoral experience, those who need help the most are often suspicious of those who offer to provide it, assuming they will fail to follow through on their promises.

It’s the second month which proves that commitments made in the first month were sincere. And it’s the ongoing commitment to service that often leads people to trust the Lord we serve.

Where is God calling you to persevere in serving others today?

Two: To maximize your impact, maximize your influence.

  1. J. Watt’s salary for 2018 is $11 million. Obviously, he could donate a significant amount to hurricane recovery efforts. But by maximizing his cultural influence as an NFL star, he was able to raise much more money and mobilize much more engagement.

The Lord chose Paul, who grew up in a Gentile city, to be his apostle to the Gentiles (Romans 11:13). He chose Peter, Jesus’ lead disciple, to lead the church to admit Gentiles (Acts 11:1–18).

God has entrusted you with a platform of influence as well. What are your spiritual gifts? What education, experience, and other resources do you bring to your Kingdom assignment?
How can you maximize your relationships and influence for Jesus?

Three: Seek the Spirit’s direction, then follow his lead.

Your Father wants you to be with him in heaven so much that he sent his Son to die for your sins (Romans 5:8). And yet, he has left you on this broken, fallen planet for at least another morning. The reason is simple: he has more for you to do.

His word is clear: “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another” (1 Peter 4:10). There are people you can influence uniquely. Every sunrise is God’s invitation to a life of significance through service.

In his statement on the anniversary of Hurricane Harvey, J. J. Watt noted: “The memories of destruction and devastation remain, but they are accompanied by memories of hope, selflessness and the beauty of the human spirit.”

What memories will you make for someone in need today?

 

Denison Forum