Daily Archives: April 12, 2023

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — God Speaking to Us

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Bible in a Year:

Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

1 Samuel 3:10

Today’s Scripture & Insight:

1 Samuel 3:3–10

I received a phone call from an unknown number. Often, I let those calls go to voicemail, but this time I picked up. The random caller asked politely if I had just a minute for him to share a short Bible passage. He quoted Revelation 21:3–5 about how God “will wipe every tear from their eyes.” He talked about Jesus, how he was our assurance and hope. I told him I already know Jesus as my personal Savior. But the caller wasn’t aiming to “witness” to me. Instead, he simply asked if he could pray with me. And he did, asking God to give me encouragement and strength.

That call reminded me of another “call” in Scripture—God called out to the young boy Samuel in the middle of the night (1 Samuel 3:4–10). Three times Samuel heard the voice, thinking it was the elderly priest Eli. The final time, following Eli’s instruction, Samuel realized that God was calling him: “Speak, for your servant is listening” (v. 10). Likewise, through our days and nights, God may be speaking to us. We need to “pick up,” which might mean spending more time in His presence and listening for His voice.

I then thought of “the call” in another way. What if we sometimes are the messenger of God’s words to someone else? We might feel we have no way of helping others. But as God guides us, we could phone a friend and ask, “Would it be okay if I just prayed with you today?”

By:  Kenneth Petersen

Reflect & Pray

What message of encouragement did someone recently share with you? Who might be encouraged by a phone call from you?

Dear God, prompt me to think of others whom I can encourage with Your wisdom.

http://www.odb.org

John MacArthur

Grace to You; John MacArthur – The Unjust Condemnation

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“‘Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy; what do you think?’ They answered and said, ‘He is deserving of death!’” (Matthew 26:65-66).

Like many through the centuries, members of the Sanhedrin rejected Jesus Christ without fairly judging all the evidence.

Lynching is an activity we don’t hear much about today. But during earlier generations, the heinous crime occurred quite regularly. Innocent people, or those merely presumed guilty (prior to any trial), were tortured and killed, usually by angry, hateful mobs. Often the person lynched was a victim of racial or political prejudice or some other irrational fear held by the perpetrators.

The members of the Sanhedrin certainly held blind prejudices against Jesus. No amount of evidence would open their eyes to the truth of who He was. Those unbelieving leaders of Israel discounted Jesus’ claims to deity long before they placed Him on trial. He had even pleaded with them, “If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father” (John 10:37-38).

In today’s passage the high priest Caiaphas reacts forcefully to Jesus’ agreement that He is God’s Son and the Messiah (see Matt. 26:64). Caiaphas’s mind was made up; he was convinced that Jesus had blasphemed, and he was determined to rush forward with this “evidence” to condemn Jesus to death. Caiaphas and the Council could barely wait to render a verdict. The high priest asked for their opinion on Jesus’ guilt, and immediately the Council members asserted, “He is deserving of death!”

The irony of the Jewish leaders’ condemnation of Jesus was their blind insistence that He was a blasphemer when in reality they were the blasphemers for their rejection of the Lord and His message. Even more sobering is that every person who has ever finally rejected Christ is also guilty of blasphemy and will suffer the same fate as the chief priests and elders: “He who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36).

Suggestions for Prayer

Pray for someone you know who has been closed to the gospel. Ask God to open his or her heart and grant him or her repentance.

For Further Study

Read Hebrews 3—4. What spiritual attitude do these chapters warn of? What Old Testament parallel does the writer make?

From Strength for Today by John MacArthur

http://www.gty.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Say No to a Complaining Attitude

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Do everything without murmuring or questioning [the providence of God].

— Philippians 2:14 (AMP)

One of the biggest traps we fall into as Christians is the trap of grumbling and complaining, which seems to be an ever-present temptation in our lives. It’s so natural to complain that it seems that we are born with a complaining attitude—we don’t have to develop one.

On the other hand, we do have to develop and nurture a thankful attitude. This is a choice we can make each day in our quiet time with God. If we make it a priority to stay busy praising, worshipping, and thanking God, there will be no room for complaining, faultfinding, or murmuring.

Complaining does nothing but ruin what could be a good day, and it leaves us feeling unhappy, but thankfulness does the opposite. A grateful heart reminds us of how blessed we are and how good God is to us all the time.

Prayer of the Day: Dear God, help us to break free from the trap of grumbling and complaining. Help us to choose gratitude over negativity, and to nurture a thankful attitude each day. Remind us of our blessings and Your goodness, so that we may always have a heart full of praise and thanksgiving, amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Alistair Begg

Truth for Life; Alistair Begg –What True Friends Look Like

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A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

Proverbs 17:17

In the days before the internet, ham-radio operation was very popular. Individuals skilled with these radios placed giant antennae in their backyards or attached them to their sheds, and if you rode by on a bicycle in the evening, you could hear them shouting into the night, “Hello? Is anyone out there?” At times they’d be awake deep into the night, hoping that someone in the hemisphere would respond—hoping that eventually they might hear, “Hello, I’m in Anchorage, and I’m reading you loud and clear.”

Our conversations today, whether in person, via texts, or through social media, really aren’t that different. They all demonstrate a great yearning for friendship. We are all wired by God to look for others with whom we may be joined in intimacy and affection. So what are some of the characteristics of true friendship?

First, a true friend is always loyal. Friendship is not built on superficial or fleeting commonalities that might pass away. A loyal friend is prepared to be faithful through thick or thin, whether you are successful or unsuccessful, whether you enjoy the same movies or not, and irrespective of whether you have offended them or not. Even when you’ve made a real mess of things, they will be there to remind you that there’s still a reason for hope.

Second, a true friend is always honest. It is impossible to enjoy or even to establish friendship where there is dishonesty. “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy” (Proverbs 27:6). When a friend wounds your pride by being honest about your sin, you know that you can trust them—their willingness to risk your disapproval in order to tell you the truth reveals that they are worthy of your trust. The honest friend looks out for your well-being because they long for your best.

Third, a true friend is sensitive. They choose their words carefully, unlike “the man who deceives his neighbor and says, ‘I am only joking’” (Proverbs 26:19). They refrain from gossip, because gossip always separates friends (16:28). A sensitive heart will cover an offense (17:9) because such a heart understands that “love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8). It’s not that such friends don’t call sin what it is, but that where matters of illegality or injustice are not at stake, they cast a veil of silence over our transgressions, much in the same way that our heavenly Father chooses to remember our sins no more (Hebrews 8:12).

Who is a friend such as this? Only one truly is this friend who “loves at all times”—your friend Jesus. Yet we are called not only to enjoy His friendship but also to imitate it—and with Jesus as our role model, we can learn to be true friends to those He places in our care. Whom has the Lord given you to be a friend to? What will it look like for you to show them loyalty, speak to them honestly, and treat them sensitively? What a glorious realization it would be for them to see that, in you, they have a friend who truly seeks to love them at all times.

Questions for Thought

How is God calling me to think differently?

How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?

What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Further Reading

Philippians 2:19-30

Topics: Friendship Loving Others Truth

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 Knows Our Ways

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“Thou compasseth my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.” (Psalm 139:3)

The Matthews household was in an uproar. No one had seen the family cat all day, and it was almost time for bed. Aaron thought he had heard a faint “meow” a couple of times, but when he called, “Here, Kitty, Kitty,” Angel did not come.

The family had tried all the usual tricks, to no avail. Even the sound of the can opener and the smell of tuna had not coaxed Angel out of hiding. Their beloved cat had been with them for six years and had never gone away for more than a few hours. Whatever could have happened to her now?

Anna had an idea. She opened her closet door, and sure enough, out ran Angel, her eyes wide and black. “Meow!” she cried, and Anna followed her to the kitchen to set out the tuna and some fresh milk.

She explained to Aaron how she had gotten the idea to check the closet. “You know how Angel loves to nap on soft things? I thought maybe she might have been resting on my new fuzzy slippers this morning when I closed the closet door.” Anna left her slippers under her bed from then on, so that Angel could nap on them whenever she pleased without getting trapped in the closet again.

Just as Anna understood the ways of her pet, our Heavenly Father sees and understands everything about us. He knows our habits and our thoughts. It is not possible for us to go anywhere He cannot find us.

Jeremiah 23:24 says, “Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? Saith the Lord.” Is it hard for you to remember that God knows and cares about and watches you? Meditate on this truth from Scripture, and let it change how you respond to scary situations, times of sorrow, or temptations to sin.

God knows and understands us even better than we do.

My Response:
» Do I sometimes feel like I am on my own, or like no one is watching me?
» What habits would I change if I really believed and acted like God is everywhere and knows everything and sees all that I do?
» How can remembering that God knows my ways help me to trust and obey Him more?

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – New vaccines could save “millions of lives”: A reflection on the spiritual movement we need

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Let’s begin with some very good news: millions of lives could be saved by a groundbreaking set of new vaccines for cancer and a range of other conditions. Dr. Paul Burton, chief medical officer of the pharmaceutical company Moderna, believes the firm will be able to offer such treatments for “all sorts of disease areas” in as little as five years. “It will save many hundreds of thousands, if not millions of lives,” he added.

In more good news: President Biden has signed a bipartisan congressional resolution ending the US national emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the news on the virus front is not all encouraging.

The Washington Post is publishing an extensive article titled: “Research with exotic viruses risks a deadly outbreak, scientists warn.” The Post found that the number of biocontainment labs handling dangerous pathogens worldwide is now believed by experts to be in the thousands. Risks from such research are so great that one expert warns, “This is a national security concern. It’s a global public health concern.”

Here’s one more disconcerting headline: “The Deadliest Volcano in the Western Hemisphere Might Be Waking Up.” A volcano in Colombia that killed twenty-three thousand people the last time it erupted is showing signs of activity. Residents on its upper slopes are currently being evacuated out of fear of a possible eruption.

The true definition of courage

These stories illustrate the degree to which most of us are “catching and not pitching” in life. Unless you’re a scientist specializing in immunology, you have little to do with the development of vaccines or the risks of research that could change the trajectory of deadly diseases. And none of us can stop volcanoes, hurricanes, tornadoes, and other natural disasters from striking.

The philosopher Martin Heidegger likened us to actors on a stage with no script, director, audience, past, or future. The true definition of courage, he claimed, is facing life as it is.

How do we choose such courage in the face of tragedy?

We are especially grieved and angered when mass shootings such as the tragedy in Louisville make headlines. According to the Washington Post, there have been 377 school shootings since 1999; more than 349,000 students have experienced gun violence at school since the Columbine tragedy. Pew Research Center reports that gun deaths among US children and teens rose 50 percent in the last two years.

The firearm-related death rate in the US is three times higher than in Nicaragua, nearly five times higher than in Uganda, five times higher than in Israel, and forty times higher than in the United Kingdom.

In the face of disaster and tragedy, it is a terrible feeling to feel that there is nothing we can do. But here’s what Christians can do that the rest of society cannot: we can be the change we wish most to see.

Our Lord commands us to “consecrate yourselves . . . and be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:44). We are told to “cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1). Paul adds: “God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness” (1 Thessalonians 4:7).

“I belong to a new spiritual order”

To this end, I cannot overstate how important I think today’s reading in Oswald Chambers’ My Utmost for His Highest is for us. However, we need these reflections from Chambers in yesterday’s devotional to set the stage:

“I can have the resurrection life of Jesus here and now, and it will exhibit itself through holiness.

“The idea all through the apostle Paul’s writings is that after the decision to be identified with Jesus in his death has been made, the resurrection life of Jesus penetrates every bit of my human nature. It takes the omnipotence of God—his complete and effective divinity—to live the life of the Son of God in human flesh. The Holy Spirit cannot be accepted as a guest in merely one room of the house—he invades all of it. And once I decide that my ‘old man’ (that is, my heredity of sin) should be identified with the death of Jesus, the Holy Spirit invades me. He takes charge of everything. My part is to walk in the light and to obey all that he reveals to me. . . .

“God puts the holiness of his Son into me, and I belong to a new spiritual order.”

How can we experience this “new spiritual order”?

Today’s reading answers our question: “Even the weakest saint can experience the power of the deity of the Son of God when he is willing to ‘let go.’ But any effort to ‘hang on’ to the least bit of our own power will only diminish the life of Jesus in us. We have to keep letting go, and slowly, but surely, the great full life of God will invade us, penetrating every part. Then Jesus will have complete and effective dominion in us, and people will take notice that we have been with Him.”

The movement God is calling us to join

This process begins every day by submitting that day to the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). We cannot give God “tomorrow” because it does not yet exist. But we can and should give God this Wednesday as it begins. Ask the Spirit to take control of your attitudes, thoughts, words, and actions. Pray through your day, submitting your plans to him. Ask him to empower you and use you for God’s glory and our good.

Then, as you walk through this day, stay submitted to the Spirit. In the challenges and opportunities you experience, ask the Spirit to guide you and reveal Christ through you. Make this your daily habit and commitment, and over time you will see the change the Spirit alone can make in a human life.

Imagine the results if two billion Christians were so Spirit-empowered that we manifested the character of Christ to our broken world. This and nothing less is the spiritual movement God is working to advance today. Right now, he is calling you and me to join him.

Will people take notice that you have been with God today?

Denison Forum

John Hagee

Hagee Ministries; John Hagee –  Daily Devotion

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John 5:19

Then Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner’

Most of us do not respond positively to a dictator, someone who barks out orders with no regard or respect. Effective parents, employers, and leaders do not dictate responsibility, they demonstrate it.

Jesus remains our unparalleled example. He never imposed His will on another. He never sought to dominate or control. He watched His Father, and whatever He saw Him do, Jesus did the same in word and deed (John 15:15).

When we watch another demonstrate responsibility, we witness efforts that work. With his words and actions, he outwardly reveals what he believes inwardly. The importance of her words is made apparent by her behavior. The way that they act proves the value of the words that they proclaim.

When we believe and demonstrate the truths of the Bible, we can change our homes, our churches, our cities, our states, and even the nation. The New Testament church turned the world upside down (Acts 17:6). They took responsibility over their newfound liberty in Christ. They appropriated the newly-endued power of the Holy Ghost. They demonstrated to the world what Jesus did not dictate to them.

Jesus has called us to demonstrate the difference. If you are upset at the government and its policies and politicians, vote your conscience in every election. Campaign for issues close to your heart. Run for local office. If you are disturbed by trends in your local school, volunteer in a classroom, join the parent-teacher association or run for the school board. If you are concerned about the direction of your home church, pray fervently, serve humbly, and speak God’s truth in love.

When we truly believe this Gospel message, we will demonstrate what we know to be true in our hearts. We will take responsibility for the freedom Jesus has granted us. Even though He has freed us from the expectations and demands of everyone, we willingly choose to become a servant to all to show off the wonder of knowing Christ. The power of the Holy Spirit inside of us is brought to bear in every situation in which we find ourselves.

Emulate Jesus’ example. Live it loud. Say it and display it. Demonstrate the difference!

Blessing: 

Dear Jesus, I long to be like You. Please help me to speak only the words that You would say. Help me to do only the things that You have planned for me to do. May the Holy Spirit inside of me change the atmosphere for Your glory. May my life demonstrate the things that are important to You, and may others be drawn to know You more. In Your name…amen.

Today’s Bible Reading: 

Old Testament

Joshua 5:1-7:15

New Testament 

Luke 15:1-32

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 81:1-16

Proverbs 13:1

https://www.jhm.org

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – He Is Able

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But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Matthew 19:26

 Recommended Reading: Ephesians 1:18-22

You serve a God who can speak a syllable and bring stars into being. He can touch a leper and make his skin like a baby’s. With a word, He can calm a sea or summon a legion of angels. He can send fire from the sky, food from heaven, water from a rock, and frogs into Egypt. He can part the seas, stop the sun in the sky, make ax heads float, make a virgin conceive, and raise dead men to life. He can put coins in the mouths of fish and cast demons into the bodies of swine.

Our Lord gave us a Book filled with His miraculous power, and that same power is undiminished today. There’s nothing that He cannot do, nothing that is too hard for Him. When a situation seems impossible, remember God’s power—He can do the impossible.

Ask Him for the miracle you need, and trust Him to work in His own way and timing to bring about what He knows is best for you and yours.

[God] puts people in positions where they are desperate for his power, and then he shows his provision in ways that display his greatness.
David Platt

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – The Christian’s Power Base

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A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 

—Ephesians 6:10

Scripture:

Ephesians 6:10 

God is omnipotent. God is omniscient. And God is omnipresent.

On the other hand, Satan is none of those things. Although he is a spirit being and has demons doing his dirty work, he is far from God’s equal. He has clear limits on his power.

God, however, can do anything that He wants to do, anywhere, and at any time. While God is omniscient, Satan doesn’t know all things. His knowledge, though vast, is still limited. In addition, he can only be in one place at one time.

Meanwhile, God can be present everywhere at the same time.

Satan is not the equal of God. And he wants to stop us from doing what God wants us to do.

The apostle Paul wrote, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12 NLT).

We are in a spiritual battle against the devil and his demons, who seek to hinder God’s purposes and extend Satan’s power.

When the enemy is attacking, it should cause us to turn to the protective care of Jesus and cling to Him all the tighter, like a small child who clings to a parent when danger is near.

We must realize that in our own strength, we are no match for the devil. He is far more powerful than we are. That’s why we need to turn to God for help and strengthen ourselves in Him.

Satan recognizes that our power base is in our relationship with God. Thus, he will do everything he can to separate us from the Lord. The only thing the devil fears is the power of the risen Lord Jesus Christ. That’s why we must stand in God’s strength and not our own.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie