Monthly Archives: January 2023

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – The Importance of Generosity

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…Be mindful to be a blessing, especially to those of the household of faith….

— Galatians 6:10 (AMPC)

Our old nature is greedy, but our new nature as children of God craves to be generous. Each day we must decide which desire we will pursue and follow. Greed steals our lives, according to Proverbs 1:19, so we need to actively resist it. We can never defeat any sin by fighting with it or merely using self-will to resist, but we can overcome it by turning away from it and to something else.

I believe that generosity is the antidote for greed. If we purpose to be generous and live each day looking for ways to be a blessing to others, then we won’t be greedy because there will be no place for it in our lives. Start each day by asking God to show you what you can do for Him that day. Ask Him whom you can bless. The world is filled with sad and needy people who crave a kind word or some encouragement, or who have a need that we could easily meet.

The more we do for others, the happier we will be. Instead of being greedy and going through the day trying to get more and more for ourselves, we have another option. We can be generous, and our generosity will give hope and send up cries of thanksgiving to God from those who are blessed.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I want to learn more about the beauty and power of generosity. Show me people who are in need today and grant me the grace to help them.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Alistair Begg

Truth for Life; Alistair Begg – To Be Continued

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… Proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.

Acts 28:31

When I was growing up, I watched television programs in the comforting assurance that they would reach a timely and logical conclusion. Whether it was Bonanza, The Dick Van Dyke Show, or Perry Mason, I could be sure that there would be a resolution to the plot. It was a bad show when the plot didn’t resolve and the dreaded phrase appeared at the bottom of the screen: “To be continued…” In a similar way, the plot in Acts is left unresolved, and we are left with the realization that the full story is yet to be completed.

In writing the book we know as Acts, its author, Luke, wasn’t composing a biography of the apostle Paul. Rather, he was demonstrating the power of the Holy Spirit to spread God’s word in the world through a variety of individuals in the unfolding story of human history. He wasn’t encouraging readers to create their own endings but inviting them to be a part of the continuing story.

The final word in the Greek text of the book of Acts is akolytos, which means “unhindered.” This is in step with what Paul wrote during his second imprisonment: “I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound!” (2 Timothy 2:9). In other words, Acts concludes but the action continues. Acts is the beginning of the story, a story of the work of God’s Spirit, through His church, that sweeps into our world and up to our time.

In fact, the unfolding story of redemption, in which we find ourselves, actually begins much earlier than Acts 1. We catch one of our first glimpses when God promised Adam and Eve that one of their family would crush Satan and undo the effects of their sin (Genesis 3:15); we see another when the Lord told Abraham, “In your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed” (22:18). The Father’s plan was always that He would give to His Son the nations as an inheritance (Psalm 2:8). This is an all-encompassing promise worthy of our life, and even our death.

Your life is wrapped up in this amazing story. The same Spirit that powerfully worked in the book of Acts is still at work today. The extension of the gospel message—that Jesus is the long-promised King and the much-needed Savior—did not conclude with Paul in Rome, nor when it arrived at your doorstep. God is still telling it, and His people are still called to share it, unhindered. Whether you give your life to doing that as a missionary overseas or you seek each day to make Christ known among your family, friends, coworkers and neighbors, God wants you to be involved in the greatest story of the ages, which will be told throughout eternity. What would you rather spend your life doing than writing a line in this great, unfinished story?

GOING DEEPER

Psalm 2

Topics: Evangelism Gospel Mission

Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotional by Alistair Begg, 

http://www.truthforlife.org

Kids 4 Truth

Kids4Truth Clubs Daily Devotional – God Is Angry with Sin

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Psalm 7:11b ” …God is angry with the wicked every day”

Is God angry with my sin right now?

When you hear Bible stories, do you ever wonder why God sometimes sends terrible judgments on people who sin? He is holy, and sin displeases Him so much that He is angry with sin. Is it right for God to be angry?

When we get angry about something, our anger is usually not right. We get angry because someone hurts our feelings or keeps us from getting our way. But God’s anger is never this selfish kind of anger. His anger is righteous. God would not be perfectly holy if He were not angry with sin.

But everyone sins. Does this mean that God is angry with everyone all the time?

The anger that God has toward sin is often called wrath in the Bible. But God does not have this wrath toward everyone. Ephesians 2:1-9 tells us that people who have never put their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation are “children of wrath.” But people who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ receive mercy, grace, and kindness from God.

Which kind of person are you? Even if you are a “child of wrath,” God still loves you. He is waiting for you to accept the grace and forgiveness He offers you in Christ.

God is angry with the sin of people who have never put their faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.

My Response: Is God angry with my sin right now? Or have I received His merciful forgiveness through faith in Christ?

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Uncategorized

Denison Forum – Do recent storms mean California is under judgment?

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About eight million people were under flood watches yesterday in coastal Central California, including the Bay Area. The latest in a series of lethal atmospheric rivers lashed the state last night; storms that began in late December have killed at least nineteen people.

The California Geological Survey reports that the state has endured more than four hundred landslides since December 30. Violent winds from the latest storms could topple trees in soils weakened by all the rain, threatening yet more power outages and misery in the state.

Floods are not the only natural disasters Californians are facing: there is more than a 99 percent chance of a major earthquake in their state in the next thirty years. Wildfires and drought have plagued their region for years as well.

And so, the question seems natural: Is California under God’s judgment?

Our question is obviously relevant to the nearly forty million people who live in the state. But as I hope to show today, it is just as relevant to the rest of us as well.

Natural disasters and divine judgment

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, I wrote an article for Christianity Today asking whether the virus is God’s judgment on America. In it I noted that “biblical judgments are against specific sins and sinners.” I cited Pharoah’s obstinacy that led to the plagues of the Exodus, Miriam’s racial prejudice that led to her leprosy, and Herod’s prideful idolatry that led to his death (Acts 12:20–23).

Then I noted regarding the pandemic, “No specific sins caused this virus. Nor are those who are afflicted with it more sinful than the rest of us.” For these reasons, I concluded that God did not cause the COVID-19 pandemic as his punitive judgment on our nation.

I can say the same regarding the storms battering California: they are not the consequence of specific sins committed by specific sinners. In this sense, unlike natural disasters in the Bible that are directly related to the rejection of God’s word and will, these storms have not been created supernaturally by God in judgment specifically against California.

However, this is not to say that natural disasters are unrelated to human depravity.

Since our first parents sinned, “the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now” (Romans 8:22). There were no storms or floods in the garden of Eden. The natural diseases and disasters we experience in our fallen world are a consequence of the Fall and God’s judgment on human sin (cf. Genesis 3:17–19).

“Need an abortion? California is ready to help”

Charles Dickens began A Tale of Two Cities with words that describe the spiritual condition of California and our nation: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”

Consider some ways California has made the news in recent times:

  • California’s governor launched a national ad campaign with billboards proclaiming, “Need an abortion? California is ready to help.”
  • The state requires that elementary school children be taught lessons endorsing LGBTQ ideology and does not allow parents to exempt their children from such lessons.
  • It has made euthanasia even easier to obtain.
  • The state Senate passed legislation (SB 1146) that would eliminate the ability of Christian colleges and universities to hire only Christian faculty and staff. Biola University warned that the bill would “eliminate religious liberty in California higher education as we know it.”

At the same time, some of the strongest evangelical churches, universities, seminaries, and ministries I know are in California. For example, I am deeply grateful for Greg Laurie’s ministry headquartered at the California church he pastors and his evangelistic Harvest events across the nation. Rick Warren’s ministry in southern California has been personally significant for me as well.

There are thirty-seven Christian colleges and universities in California, including some of the most influential evangelical schools in America. The state is home to more than forty schools of theology, including some of international reputation, and to innumerable Christian ministries.

“Humans are amphibians”

One of Satan’s most subtle temptations is to encourage Christians to trust in Christianity rather than in Christ. In this sense, California is a case study for the evangelical church in a secularized culture.

As someone who pastored large churches for many years, I can attest to the lure of self-reliance. When we construct massive church plants and build global ministries, we can easily think our work is advancing God’s kingdom. But human words cannot change human hearts. Even the most popular ministers and ministries cannot convict a single sinner of a single sin or save a single soul.

The more we rely on ourselves, the less we are relying on God’s Spirit.

One way God would redeem floods in California and other natural disasters in our fallen world is by showing frail humans our desperate need for his omnipotent strength and omniscient wisdom. This is true not just for political leaders who reject biblical morality but for Christian leaders who declare and defend it every day.

C. S. Lewis noted, “Humans are amphibians—half spirit and half animal. As spirits they belong to the eternal world, but as animals they inhabit time.” The key is to unite the two by using the latter for the former in reliance on God’s Spirit.

“Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lᴏʀᴅ of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6).

The best way to live this day

Every natural disaster reminds us that we are one day closer to eternity than ever before. The best way to live this day is to live as if it were our last day. Then, one day, we’ll be right.

If it were today, would you be ready?

If not, why not?

Denison Forum

John Hagee

Hagee Ministries; John Hagee – Daily Devotion

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  1. Isaiah 43:19

Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

Our God is a God of new beginnings. Every twenty-four hours, He gives us a brand-new day; every seven days, a new week; every thirty days, a new month; every twelve months, a new year. And it is our prerogative to make sure that we maximize what God gives us every time He gives us the opportunity to do things new. I want to challenge you to unleash the power of God in your life and make a difference in other people’s lives more than ever before. Why every day? Because it’s not your day. Every day is the day that the Lord has made, and we, His children, should rejoice in it.

If you’re going to make a difference today, you have to decide what you will choose to do and not do, what you will choose to say and not say. If you’re going to see God’s greatness poured out in your life, you have to make up your mind that no matter what it takes, no matter what you have to go through, no matter what you have to do, no matter what you have to learn or become, you are going to make a difference.

Today’s Blessing: 

Heavenly Father, bless us and keep us. Make Your face to shine upon us and be gracious, O Lord, to each and every life here today. Give us strength to know that You walk beside us and that we can do all things through Christ who is our keeper. I ask You, Lord God, that these households of faith experience such a divine explosion of God’s goodness that they will know You make a difference. Today is made and ordained to set captives free, to lift burdens, to destroy yokes, to crown us with loving kindness and make us victorious in Your sight. We receive this blessing and thank You for it in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Today’s Bible Reading: 

Old Testament

Genesis 35:1-36:43

New Testament 

Matthew 12:1-21

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 15:1-5

Proverbs 3:21-26

https://www.jhm.org

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – Grace, Not Works

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For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9

 Recommended Reading: 2 Timothy 1:9

Almost every reward or compensation in this life is reckoned on the basis of works: final scores in sports, annual sales numbers, academic grades, and promotions in the business world. Occasionally we encounter grace in the secular world, but not nearly as often as being rewarded for works.

Grace was not unknown in the Old Testament—it is mentioned 18 times—but it became a major theme in the New Testament (119 mentions). Thus, it was a surprising idea to both Jews and Gentiles alike when Paul—the apostle of grace—taught that we are not saved by our works but by grace alone: “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law” (Romans 3:28). And what a relief! For we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). If our salvation were based on our works, who could be saved?

If you fall, fail, or forget today, thank God for His grace. Confess your failing and continue to walk in His unmerited favor (1 John 1:9). 

Christian doctrine is grace, and ethics is gratitude. 
J. I. Packer

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – Muscular Christianity

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But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, ‘These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.’ 

—Acts 17:6

Scripture:

Acts 17:6 

Some Christians have been raised in Christian homes, while others of us have lived on both sides of the fence. We know what it’s like to live without Christ and how empty and pointless it is.

Then we made a commitment to follow Jesus Christ, and incredible changes took place in our lives. We discovered there is a God who loves us and has a unique, custom-made plan for our lives.

We also discovered that becoming a Christian is more than just saying a prayer and having the assurance of Heaven. We realized that being a Christian means following Jesus not just as our Savior but also as our Lord.

The problem is there are people in the church today who name the name of Christ but haven’t discovered what it means to follow Him. They haven’t discovered that being a Christian is more than just saying a prayer and then going on their merry way.

And sadly, many are settling for a brand of Christianity that isn’t biblical, one that embraces Jesus as Savior but neglects Him as Lord. It is big on self-esteem, but it is small on self-denial. It celebrates success but repudiates suffering. This brand of Christianity is not changing our world.

The church of the first century, the church we read about in the book of Acts, transformed their culture. People described Christians as “these who have turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6 NKJV). If our faith is not turning us upside down, then it certainly isn’t going to turn our world upside down.

We need to get back to the Christian life as it’s presented in the New Testament, which was a muscular Christianity and not a watered-down, anemic version of it. We need a first-century belief system, the kind the apostles lived and that Jesus taught, the kind that can turn our world around.

https://harvest.org
Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread –Be Filled

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Bible in a Year:

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Matthew 5:6

Today’s Scripture & Insight:

Isaiah 58:6–12

The horrific assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. happened at the height of the American civil rights movement of the 1960s. But just four days later, his widow Coretta Scott King courageously took her husband’s place in leading a peaceful protest march. Coretta had a deep passion for justice and was a fierce champion of many causes.

Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6). We know that someday God will come to deliver justice and right every wrong, but until that time, we have the opportunity to participate in making God’s justice a reality on earth, just like Coretta did. Isaiah 58 paints a vivid picture of what God calls His people to do: loose the chains of injustice . . . set the oppressed free . . . share your food with the hungry . . . provide the poor wanderer with shelter . . . clothe [the naked], . . . and [do not] turn away [from those who need help]” (vv. 6–7). Seeking justice for the oppressed and the marginalized is one way our lives point back to God. Isaiah writes that His people seeking justice is like the light of dawn and results in healing for them as well as for others (v. 8).

Today, may God help us cultivate a hunger for His righteousness here on earth. As we seek justice His way and in His power, the Bible says we’ll be satisfied.

By:  Karen Pimpo

Reflect & Pray

What’s one injustice that draws your attention? How could you take a step toward doing what’s just and right today?

Give me a hunger for justice, God. Help me be a part of Your work in doing what’s right.

http://www.odb.org

John MacArthur

Grace to You; John MacArthur – Contentment: How to Enjoy it

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“Let your way of life be free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, ‘I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,’ so that we confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What shall man do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:5-6).

Your relationship with God allows you to enjoy genuine contentment.

In view of yesterday’s lesson, you may be asking, “But how can I enjoy contentment and be satisfied with what I have?” You can begin by realizing God’s goodness and believing that He will take care of you since you are one of His children. You can claim again the promise in Romans 8: “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (v. 28).

Second, you should truly realize that God is omniscient—He knows all things and all your personal needs. He recognizes your individual needs long before you do and even before you pray about them. Jesus affirms, “Your Father knows that you need these things” (Luke 12:30).

You can also enjoy contentment by remembering that what you want or need is one thing; what you deserve is another. The patriarch Jacob confessed, “I am unworthy of all the lovingkindness and of all the faithfulness which Thou hast shown to Thy servant” (Gen. 32:10). Contentment will more likely be yours if you consider that God’s smallest favor or blessing to you is more than you deserve.

Ultimately, however, real contentment will be yours if you have vital communion with God through Jesus Christ. Then, like the apostle Paul, temporal things will not matter so much: “I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ” (Phil. 3:8).

Suggestions for Prayer

God may or may not grant you some new blessing today or this week. In any case, pray that you would be content.

For Further Study

From Strength for Today by John MacArthur

http://www.gty.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – In Spirit and Truth

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God is a Spirit (a spiritual Being) and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth (reality).

— John 4:24 (AMPC)

We communicate with God through our spirit. Jesus said in our verse for today that we must worship God in spirit and in truth. Being totally and completely truthful with God is one of the ways we can develop intimacy with Him. He knows everything about us anyway, so there is no reason to not be totally honest with Him. Tell Him how you feel, what you have done wrong, and what your desires are. Talk to God honestly as you would a good, trusted friend.

There are times when I know God wants me to do a thing and I tell Him honestly that I don’t want to do it, but that I will do it in obedience to Him and because I love Him. Pretense and a close relationship with God will not work. A friend of mine once told me that although she knew she should give financially into the kingdom of God that truthfully, she did not want to. She was honest with God and told Him, “I will do it, but I don’t really want to, so I am asking you to give me a desire to give.” This woman eventually became very generous and did it with joy.

Only the truth will make us free (see John 8:32). God’s Word is truth. He says what He means and means what He says. When we do something wrong, we must be totally honest with God about it. Call sin what it is. If you were greedy, call it greed. If you were jealous, call it jealousy. If you lied, call it a lie. Ask God for forgiveness and receive it by faith. When we worship God, we must do so from the spirit and do it with all truth, sincerity, and honesty. If we feel a friend is being untruthful, we often say, “Get real,” meaning that we are asking them to stop pretending and just be honest. I think God wants the same thing from us.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, I know there’s no point in pretending with You. Please help me to be perfectly honest and sincere with You, so that I can move forward and be all You want me to be, amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Alistair Begg

Truth for Life; Alistair Begg – Why the Old Testament Matters

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Whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Romans 15:4

While we may understand the importance of God’s word for our lives, we might also wonder, deep down, why we should study Old Testament stories. What can modern people gain from such a study? Why not focus on the New Testament and the stories of what Jesus and His apostles did and said?

Here is the answer: these ancient segments of history are significant not just for the biblical characters or for Israel but also for you and me—and, indeed, for the entire world! Such a sweeping claim may sound like hyperbole. But if we approach our study of the Bible with certain convictions in mind, we will begin to understand and be convinced, as the apostle Paul was clearly convinced, that the Old Testament was written for us, that it was written to instruct, and that it gives us hope.

The first conviction is that there is unity to the Bible, from creation in Genesis to the new creation in Revelation. In between is the record of humanity’s fall and the chaos and brokenness of the universe that flowed from it. Through it all, we discover the story of redemption and the plan and purpose of God to put together a people of His very own. We need to read the whole of that story, from start to finish.

The second conviction guiding our study of God’s word is that this biblical unity exists not because it is a collection of religious documents but because it is the word of God, written by men who “spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). We need to read all of what God has chosen to tell us.

Thirdly, there is the conviction that we need our Bibles to understand human history, our own little histories, and our place within history. Much of what is happening within us and around us does not make sense apart from an understanding of human nature and God’s sovereignty at work as revealed in Scripture.

Finally, we hold the conviction that the Bible, including the Old Testament, is a book about Jesus. If we take our eyes from Jesus, then we don’t just lose our way around the universe; we also lose our way around the Bible. The Old Testament points us to Christ, prepares us for Christ, and shows us pictures of Christ. One of the questions we ought always to be asking is “How does this record of things show me good news about Jesus Christ?”

With these convictions in mind, we can have confidence as we study the Old Testament that it is instructive. But not only that: it is full of hope, for it shows us our Savior. The more we read the parts of the Old Testament as books written by God, through His Spirit, about His Son, the more we grow in hope, in understanding, and into the likeness of our Savior.

GOING DEEPER

2 Timothy 3:12-17

Topics: The Bible Inerrancy of the Bible Preaching Christ from the Old Testament

Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotional by Alistair Begg,

http://www.truthforlife.org

Kids 4 Truth

Kids4Truth Clubs Daily Devotional – God Wants You To Know You’re Saved

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“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life…” (1 John 5:13)

Have you asked Jesus to be your Savior from sin? Do you ever wonder whether you have really believed on Him? Do you know that you have eternal life with Him in heaven when you die someday? Some people spend a large part of their lives doubting and wondering whether they are really saved.

God does not want you to live in doubt. One of the books in His Word is written just so that true believers can know that they are saved. The book of 1 John gives us some tests to see whether we have really come to know God. Here are some questions you can ask yourself: Do I obey God’s Word? (1 John 2:3). Do I love other Christians? (1 John 2:9-10). Do I have a hatred for worldly things – wrong desires, pride, selfish pleasure? (1 John 2:15). Do I believe that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 John 2:22-23). Do I have consistent habits of sin in my life, or do I give up sin with God’s help? (1 John 2:29, 1 John 3:9).

Believe God’s Word when He says that all those who call upon His name in faith will be saved (Romans 10:13). That includes you! Pray about these questions from 1 John, and ask God to show you whether they are true in your life. Remember, God wants you to know that you belong to Him. He wants you to love Him and serve Him with joy and peace in your heart.

God wants us to know that we are truly saved.

My Response:
» Do I have any doubts about whether I truly know God?
» Does my life pass the “tests” of true believers in 1 John?

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – The intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and National Religious Freedom Day

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Martin Luther King Jr. Day is being celebrated across America today, and for good reason.

Here’s a brief synopsis of Dr. King’s life and legacy: he was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia, the son of a Baptist minister. He received a doctoral degree in theology and in 1955 helped organize the first major protest of the African American civil rights movement: the successful Montgomery Bus Boycott.

The effort he led resulted in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prohibited racial discrimination in employment and education and outlawed racial segregation in public facilities. Later that year, he became the youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Dr. King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968. Today we remember his life, celebrate his legacy, and commit ourselves to continuing the march for racial equality in America.

As a coincidence of calendar, today is also National Religious Freedom Day. This observance commemorates the day the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom was signed on January 16, 1786. Thomas Jefferson’s landmark statute later became the basis for Congressman Fisher Ames’ establishment clause in the First Amendment of the US Constitution: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

As a result, each year, by presidential proclamation, January 16th is declared Religious Freedom Day.

Today’s intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and National Religious Freedom Day illustrates a fact that relates directly to our lives and our national future.

“Man is not the measure of all things”

Dr. King understood that the foundational need in America with regard to racial equality is not legal but moral.

He noted: “Christianity affirms that at the heart of reality is a Heart, a loving Father who works through history for the salvation of his children. Man cannot save himself, for man is not the measure of all things and humanity is not God. Bound by the chains of his own sin and finiteness, man needs a Savior.”

However, Dr. King affirmed the necessity of legal change as we seek moral change: “Morality cannot be legislated, but behavior can be regulated. Judicial decrees may not change the heart, but they can restrain the heartless.” This is why the Civil Rights Act and other legislative progress have been so important.

Nonetheless, his movement focused foundationally on changing the hearts and minds of America: “In winning our freedom, we will so appeal to your heart and conscience that we will win you in the process.” He believed that when we understood the urgency of racial equality for all Americans, we would unite in this cause for the sake of our nation and our posterity.

Was Dr. King wrong?

Just as our nation urgently needed (and needs) a civil rights movement to advance equality for all Americans, so too do we need a spiritual movement to advance morality for all Americans.

Our society has been deluded into believing that Dr. King is wrong: our cultural consensus insists that “man is the measure of all things and humanity is God.” As a result, we have rejected the sanctity of life from conception to death, redefined and undermined marriage and the family, and ignored constitutional guarantees of freedom of speech and religion for those who disagree.

This is why the intersection of National Religious Freedom Day with Martin Luther King Jr. Day is so illuminating for our cultural moment. Without religious freedom, Dr. King could not have spoken to America so prophetically and redemptively. His historic “I Have a Dream” address was protected speech despite the animosity of many against his cause.

Imagine an evangelical Christian uttering similar words in front of the Lincoln Memorial today in defense of biblical morality. Would such a message gain a hearing in our secular media except in rebuke and rejection? What would be the “cancel culture” response?

Praying through open windows

Consequently, this day calls Christians to prophetic courage. We are to be as bold in declaring and defending biblical morality as Dr. King was in declaring and defending biblical equality.

We need more John the Baptists speaking truth to the King Herods of our day, whatever the cost to ourselves (Matthew 14:4). We need more Daniels praying through open windows whatever the threat to our future (Daniel 6:10).

We must do so in the humility that recognizes we need the same grace that we are offering to our nation. As Pope St. Clement I wrote to the Corinthians, “We are not justified by our wisdom, intelligence, piety, or by any action of ours, however holy, but by faith, the one means by which God has justified men from the beginning. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

And we can stand in bold confidence that embraces this moment as ours. We are cultural missionaries to where we are and to when we are. God has called us to the challenges and opportunities of this day. We can therefore claim this truth as ours: “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

“A worldview in a single word”

The Jacksonville Jaguars achieved a “stirring, miraculous comeback victory” Saturday night, overcoming a 27–0 deficit to win their playoff game. Afterward, sports journalist Jay Busbee reported that Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson introduced to the team in training camp a philosophy endorsed by motivational speaker and former Navy SEAL Jocko Willink, a worldview in a single word: “Good.”

“When things are going bad, don’t get all bummed out,” Willink has said. “Don’t get frustrated. No, just look at the issue and say: ‘Good.’” After Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence threw four interceptions in the first half of Saturday’s game, a lineman came up to him and said “Good.” Lawrence threw four touchdowns in the second half as his team made history.

Let’s look at the challenges of this day and say “Good.” Then let’s trust and serve our good God.

All of God there is, is in this moment.

Denison Forum

John Hagee

Hagee Ministries; John Hagee – Daily Devotion

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Isaiah 62:1 For Zion’s sake I will not hold My peace, And for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, Until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, And her salvation as a lamp that burns.

In March of 1965, Martin Luther King, Jr. led many civil rights activists in a nonviolent demonstration from Selma to the capitol steps in Montgomery, Alabama. After a 5-day, 54-mile march campaigning for voting rights, King told the crowd, “There never was a moment in American history more honorable and more inspiring than the pilgrimage of clergymen and laymen of every race and faith pouring into Selma to face danger at the side of its embattled [African Americans].”

Linked arm-in-arm with the leaders of this march, front row and center with Dr. King, was a rabbi by the name of Abraham Joshua Heschel. This Hasidic rabbi was born in Warsaw, but ready to take action to support his friend, Martin Luther King, Jr., who was a staunch supporter of Israel and a very outspoken Zionist.

“Peace for Israel means security, and we must stand with all our might to protect its right to exist, its territorial integrity. I see Israel as one of the great outposts of democracy in the world, and a marvelous example of what can be done, how desert land can be transformed into an oasis of brotherhood and democracy. Peace for Israel means security and that security must be a reality. Israel’s right to exist as a state in security is incontestable.”

Today, we honor the memory of a man who stood up for so many…until the day he sacrificed everything for his beliefs. May his memory be a blessing!

Today’s Blessing: 

Father God, today we ask that You bless the King family. May their continued works for those who suffer wrongdoings be granted favor in your sight. We ask that You bless Israel and the Jewish people. Nothing is hidden from You, Oh God. May their enemies be scattered. We ask that those reading this receive a special blessing from heaven today. May they find comfort in your love, in your mercy and your grace. We thank You for your many blessings today and every day. In Jesus’ name we pray and ask. Amen!

Today’s Bible Reading: 

Old Testament

Genesis 32:12-34:31

New Testament 

Matthew 11:7-30

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 14:1-7

Proverbs 3:19-20

https://www.jhm.org/Devotionals#

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – Never Alone

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If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.
Psalm 139:9-10

 Recommended Reading: Psalm 139:7-12

Though the laws of physics are much more complicated, for practical purposes we can say that two physical objects cannot occupy the same physical space at the same time. Conversely, a single physical object cannot occupy two different physical spaces at the same time. But the Bible has a different take on these general laws.

Theologians say God is omnipresent—He is everywhere at the same time. So He can be “here” and “there.” That means we are never separated from the presence of God. Wherever we are, God is also there. The psalmist David wrote extensively about God’s omnipresence in Psalm 139:1-18. He concluded by asking God to search and know his “anxious thoughts” (verse 23, NASB). God could know David’s anxieties because He was always with David. And He is also with you—so He knows your “anxious thoughts” as well.

God is love, so you are never separated from God’s love, regardless of where you are or how you feel.

Though our feelings come and go, [God’s] love for us does not.
C. S. Lewis

https://www.davidjeremiah.org/

Greg Laurie

Harvest Crusades; Greg Laurie – How to Find Yourself

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 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 

—Galatians 2:20

Scripture:

Galatians 2:20 

What does it mean to take up the cross? Sometimes people think it means that whatever is bothering them or plaguing them is their cross to bear.

But that isn’t what Jesus meant when He said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23 NKJV).

The cross symbolizes the same thing to every person. It speaks of dying to ourselves and putting God’s will before our own. Taking up the cross is exchanging our plans for His plans. It’s when we stop trying to seek life and instead seek God.

So many people today are trying to find purpose in life. What is life about? What is the meaning of it?

The meaning of life, the purpose of life, is to know God. And the best life to live is the Christian life. To live it the most effectively, we must take up our cross and follow Jesus Christ.

The Scottish theologian Samuel Rutherford said of the cross, “Christ’s cross is the sweetest burden that ever I bore; it is such a burden as wings are to a bird, or sails to a ship, to carry me forward to my harbor.”

It’s through death to ourselves that we find life. It’s through exchanging our plans for God’s that we find the best. We find life as it was meant to be lived.

The apostle Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20 NKJV).

When we lay aside our personal desires and ambitions, God will reveal the desires and plans that He has for us.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie
Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — From Lament to Praise

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Bible in a Year:

I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.

Habakkuk 3:18

Today’s Scripture & Insight:

Habakkuk 3:17–19

Monica prayed feverishly for her son to return to God. She wept over his wayward ways and even tracked him down in the various cities where he chose to live. The situation seemed hopeless. Then one day it happened: her son had a radical encounter with God. He became one of the greatest theologians of the church. We know him as Augustine, Bishop of Hippo.

“How long, Lord?” (Habakkuk 1:2). The prophet Habakkuk lamented God’s inaction regarding the people in power who perverted justice (v. 4). Think of the times we’ve turned to God in desperation—expressing our laments due to injustice, a seemingly hopeless medical journey, ongoing financial struggles, or children who’ve walked away from God.

Each time Habakkuk lamented, God heard his cries. As we wait in faith, we can learn from the prophet to turn our lament into praise, for he said, “I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior” (3:18 italics added). He didn’t understand God’s ways, but he trusted Him. Both lament and praise are acts of faith, expressions of trust. We lament as an appeal to God based on His character. And our praise of Him is based on who He is—our amazing, almighty God. One day, by His grace, every lament will turn to praise.

By:  Glenn Packiam

Reflect & Pray

What are your laments today? How can you turn them into praise?

Dear Jesus, remind me of who You are and of what You’ve done in my life.

http://www.odb.org

John MacArthur

Grace to You; John MacArthur – The Opposite of Covetousness

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 “Let your way of life be free from the love of money, being content with what you have” (Hebrews 13:5).

If you are content with what God has given you, you will not be a person who is covetous or a lover of money.

I once had a man come into my church office and confess the sin of gluttony. When I told him he did not look overweight, he answered, “I know. It is not that I eat too much but that I want to. I continually crave food. It’s an obsession.”

Covetousness is very similar to that man’s gluttonous attitude. You do not have to acquire a lot of things, or even anything at all, to be covetous. If you long to acquire things and are focusing all your attention on how you might get them, you are guilty of covetousness.

It is not wrong to earn or possess wealth. In the Old Testament, Abraham and Job had tremendous wealth. A number of faithful New Testament believers were also fairly wealthy. The problem comes when we have a greedy attitude that craves money above everything else. Paul warns us, “For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many a pang” (1 Tim. 6:10). Loving money is perhaps the most common form of covetousness; it is akin to lusting after material riches in various forms.

No matter how it appears, this kind of covetousness breeds the same spiritual result—it displeases God and separates us from Him. More income, a bigger house, nicer clothes, a fancier car can tempt all of us.

But the Lord wants you to be free from the materialism that so easily controls your non-Christian neighbors. Your earthly possessions are only temporary anyway. You will lose them all one day soon enough. So God tells you and me to be “content with what you have” (Heb. 13:5), realizing that we have “a better possession and an abiding one” (10:34) in our salvation.

Suggestions for Prayer

Is there any covetousness or materialism in your life today? Confess it to the Lord, and pray that He would give you a renewed desire to trust Him rather than uncertain wealth.

For Further Study

Read Luke 12:13-34.

  • Make a list of the things that illustrate how God cares for our material needs.
  • How does the rich fool’s attitude contrast with what Jesus teaches in verse 31?

From Strength for Today by John MacArthur

http://www.gty.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – True Love

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So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

— 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NKJV)

Human beings crave love. When a woman’s soul has been wounded, that craving for love often takes one of two forms. Some women develop hard or harsh personalities so other people will not want to get close to them. If the wounds in their souls are related to men, they may make firm decisions not to trust men or not to build relationships with men at all. Other women may be excessive in their desires to have a man in their life, to the point that they are willing to enter into a relationship with any man who pays attention to them. Perhaps you know women like this, women who seem to go from one unhealthy relationship to another. Maybe you have even done it yourself. You keep thinking the next man in your life will finally be the “right” one, only to find yourself disappointed.

When a woman has a string of relationships that never satisfy her, two things are usually true. One, she has not yet found her fulfillment in God alone; and two, she has not yet learned what real love is. In order to stop the cycle of craving love, seeking it from a man, and being disappointed, a woman’s soul needs to be healed. Part of that healing involves first receiving God’s unconditional love and then understanding what it really means to love and be loved by another person.

I want to share some things I hope will help you in your love relationships with other people. Only God can love us perfectly, but 1 Corinthians 13, which is called “the love chapter” of the Bible, helps us understand what real love is. If someone says, “I love you,” but isn’t demonstrating the attributes of love in this chapter, you might want to think twice before believing that person and going very far in a relationship.

Love is something that can be seen and felt. It is displayed in a variety of ways. When you are trying to decide whether someone loves you, and whether you love that person, you can use the qualities mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13 as a guide. It says that love is patient, kind, not envious, not boastful, and not arrogant or rude. It also does not demand its own way and is not irritable. It does not harbor resentment. Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (1 Cor. 13:6–7 ESV). Love helps others; it gives, and it is quick to forgive. This requires intentionality and saying no to self regularly.

The basic qualities of love in 1 Corinthians 13 give us plenty to think about when we consider whether we love someone else and whether they love us. Remember, only God can love you perfectly. Other human beings will let us down, but when we know what true love looks like, we can be wise in our relationships.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I am so thankful that You love me and that You have given me an ability to love others. Let Your love flow through me today in ways that will be a blessing to others. Continue to show me what real love looks like and give me wisdom in all my relationships, amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Alistair Begg

Truth for Life; Alistair Begg – Our Resurrection Hope

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If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished … But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead.

1 Corinthians 15:17-18, 1 Corinthians 15:20

Questions surrounding death and dying have faced mankind ever since the fall: “What will happen when I die? Will I go somewhere when I die, or is this it? Is there any significance to my life? What does it all mean?”

All of Scripture is timelessly relevant, and it provides answers to these questions. Paul, for example, addresses the issues of resurrection and eternal life in 1 Corinthians 15. Without the resurrection, he says, our faith would be in vain. Our salvation would be false, for we would still be living in sin. Death would prove to be stronger than God. Jesus’ claims would be untrue: He would not be Lord, and He would not be returning. History would have no goal or purpose, and the human race would be going nowhere.

Since that’s the “reality” in which unbelievers live, it’s no wonder there is so much angst in our world! But the Christian can say, “Hey, not so fast! Don’t say that history is going nowhere and all is meaningless! Consider the resurrection.” We believe Christ rose from the dead and promises each of His followers full resurrection—not a resurrection only of soul but one of body and soul (1 Corinthians 15:42-49).

John Locke, the 18th-century British philosopher, wrote of Christ’s resurrection that it is “truly of great importance in Christianity; so great, that his being, or not being the Messiah, stands or falls with it.”[1] It is the resurrection that proves that Jesus is who Scripture claims He is, the resurrection that seals our salvation, and the resurrection that transforms our lives. You can visit the burial sites of Buddha’s ashes, Muhammad’s body, and Gandhi’s urn, but the tomb of Jesus of Nazareth is an empty one. Belief in the resurrection is the narrow gate through which we enter, and it’s the only one that leads to life (Matthew 7:13-14). All our hope hangs on this fact: Jesus is alive!

Because of this hope, we can say that this life is not all there is; it is simply the appetizer, the first course. Shadows fall on our greatest successes on this earth. We lose loved ones. We’re confronted by sin. Even our best days leave us longing for something more. But the fact is that we are only preparing for a day yet to come, when these former things will pass away and the new, resurrected kingdom will come. The resurrection of Jesus is what gives purpose to all you do today, and comfort in all your trials, and hope for all your tomorrows.

GOING DEEPER

Revelation 1:9-18

Topics: Hope Jesus Christ Resurrection

FOOTNOTES

1 “A Second Vindication of the Reasonableness of Christianity” in The Works of John Locke, in Nine Volumes (Rivington, 1824), 6:341-42.

Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotional by Alistair Begg,

http://www.truthforlife.org