Daily Archives: November 6, 2023

News and Info

Why Can Everyone Celebrate Who They Are Except Christians? – PJ Media

Leave a comment

Why Can Everyone Celebrate Who They Are Except Christians?

It seems like every time you turn around there’s a new “month” being celebrated. In case you can’t keep track of them, here’s a list:

February: Black History Month.

March: Women’s History Month

March: Irish-American Heritage Month

March: Greek-American Heritage Month

March: National Nutrition Month

April: Arab-American Heritage Month

May: Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

May: Jewish-American Heritage Month

June: LGBTQ+ Pride Month.

June: Caribbean-American Heritage Month

June: Immigrant Heritage Month

July: Disability Pride Month

July: French=American Heritage Month

August: Transgender History Month

September 15 – October 15: Hispanic Heritage Month

October: National Disability Employment Awareness Month

October: German-American Heritage Month

October: Filipino-American History Month

October: Italian-American Heritage Month

November: Native-American Heritage Month.

El Dorado County, California, wanted to celebrate Christian Heritage Month starting in July of 2024. In July of this year, the resolution passed by a vote of 4-1. However, in September it was rescinded because a group of liberals, atheists, and some in the Jewish community protested the proposed celebration. More on that later.

The month is celebrated by other communities across the nation in July, but it isn’t recognized as a national holiday.  Why not?

As you look at the list of nationally celebrated months, it’s clear that not everyone agrees with the values that are being celebrated, yet still they are recognized. So why is it that so many sub-groups, as far as population numbers are concerned, get the approval, but the actual religion that the nation was founded on is cast aside?

A great argument for a national celebration can be found in the “Declaration of American Christian Heritage Month,” which was adopted by the Constitution Party of Pennsylvania (CPPA) on October 16, 2021.

The problem, in my opinion, is twofold. First, the current politicians who are in office are gutless. There is no reasonable explanation for why an American Christian Heritage Month isn’t on the national calendar. The second reason ties directly into the first. Every time the subject is brought up, it’s always attacked. Instead of pointing out the obvious and sticking to their guns, the politicians fold like a cheap suit.

What took place in El Dorado County is a microcosm for what happens in too many cities and counties across the country. Even before the resolution was passed, the haters were crawling out of the woodwork. The critics were the usual suspects. The Freedom Fom Religion Foundation (FFRF) is a band of atheists who seemingly hate everything about American values and tradition. The FFRF is led by a particularly nasty piece of human flesh named Annie Laurie Gaylor. Gaylor is a narcissist. In her world, it’s her way or the highway. Lke all radical leftists, she claims to be open minded and accepting, but her actions prove to be the exact opposite. It should upset every American when any politician or political party caves to these singularly motivated morons. By the way, their argument never really changes. The names and places may change, but their argument never really does. All they do is continuously regurgitate the same tired stance, which proves their ignorance is based on nothing but an inane hatred toward any sense of personal spiritual belief and an acceptance that things exist beyond human understanding.

Here is Gaylor reveling in the fact that her own stupidity once again duped a group of weak-kneed politicians: “Hurrah for reason, inclusion and the principles of our secular Constitution triumphing against Christian nationalist propaganda.”

So, let’s look at how ridiculous this argument is. The Constitution is not secular, no matter how long Gaylor wishes upon her atheist star. The United States Constitution is based on Christian values. It’s those same values that allow the freedom for morons like Gaylor to pontificate against the very foundation that allows her rhetoric to be spoken publicly. Also, if having a month that recognizes Christian heritage is propaganda in Galor’s simple mind, then what is Black History Month or LGBTQ Pride Month? Are they not propaganda for those groups of Americans? Of course they are. The only difference is that the idea that some Americans believe in a higher power offends her delicate sensibilities. Her argument is not only weak, it’s also bigoted. Just because you can convince the weak minded to cast aside common sense does not mean you are right.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), another critic, is an oxymoron if there ever was one. Like the FFRF, they also love to get involved in these issues to espouse nonsense. They do so for the same reasons: to exploit the weakness of politicians, and to try and stay relevant (which they are not).

The ACLU believes the resolution “conveys that the County supports, promotes and endorses specific religious beliefs and, as such, violates the California Constitution.”

Really? Does celebrating Black History Month endorse black superiority? Does celebrating LGBTQ Month endorse the fact that everyone should be mentally deranged?

Celebrating an American Christian Heritage Month does not mean in any way, shape, or form that Christianity is being endorsed. It simply recognizing that there are Christian Americans who are allowed to be proud of who they are and celebrate it. The fact that it makes the leadership of the ACLU uncomfortable is not only hypocritical, it is disgusting in its very nature.

Last, and perhaps most surprisingly, is a group of Jews who were very vocal against the idea of Christians being able to be proud of who they are.

Marla Saunders, a Jewish massage therapist in South Lake Tahoe, said she was “verklempt” after the decision, using the Yiddish term meaning “overcome by emotion.” Saunders started an online petition calling on the board to rescind the proclamation. It garnered more than 1,000 self-righteous signatures in September. “I am definitely teary with joy,” she said.

“Teary with joy”? Over the celebration of a Christian Heritage Month Being rescinded? Perhaps she needs to change whatever oils and candles she is using during her massage sessions. They obviously have affected her ability to think clearly.

Rabbi Evon Yakar of Temple Bat Yam in South Lake Tahoe commended the board for taking action but criticized them for promoting the idea that America is a Christian nation.

“This was not about celebrating one group’s heritage,” said Yakar. “This is about the clear use of language in the proclamation that our country was founded as a Christian country, and that is what we are celebrating. I commend the board for reflecting on and revisiting the proclamation, and I applaud them for rescinding it. I believe they did a good thing in reflecting on the divisiveness this caused.”

No, Rabbi, the proclamation did not cause the divisiveness. In this case your short0sightedness did.

America Is a Christian nation, founded on Christian beliefs and values. I urge you all to understand that, and I urge all of the gutless politicians nationwide to acknowledge it as well.

These values were earned and defended through the toughest of circumstances. They will not be forgotten, dismissed, or cast aside for the appeasement of the delusional left.

Source: Why Can Everyone Celebrate Who They Are Except Christians? – PJ Media

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Persistent Pizza

Leave a comment

Bible in a Year:

Let us not become weary in doing good.

Galatians 6:9

Today’s Scripture & Insight:

Galatians 6:2–10

At age twelve, Ibrahim arrived in Italy from West Africa, not knowing a word of Italian, struggling with a stutter, and forced to face anti-immigrant putdowns. None of that stopped the hardworking young man who, in his twenties, opened a pizza shop in Trento, Italy. His little business won over doubters to be listed as one of the top fifty pizzerias in the world.

His hope was then to help feed hungry children on Italian streets. So he launched a “pizza charity” by expanding a Neapolitan tradition—buy an extra coffee (caffè sospeso) or pizza (pizza sospesa) for those in need. He also urges immigrant children to look past prejudice and not give up.

Such persistence recalls Paul’s lessons to the Galatians on continually doing good to all. “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9). Paul continued, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (v. 10).

Ibrahim, an immigrant who faced prejudice and language barriers, created an opportunity to do good. Food became “a bridge” leading to tolerance and understanding. Inspired by such persistence, we too can look for opportunities to do good. God, then, gets the glory as He works through our steady trying.

By:  Patricia Raybon

Reflect & Pray

How does your persistence glorify God? In your life, what deserves more godly persistence and loving charity from you?

When I consider giving up, dear God, inspire me to endure in You.

http://www.odb.org

John MacArthur

Grace to You; John MacArthur – Leaving a Righteous Legacy

Leave a comment

“By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks” (Heb 11:4).

The character of your life will determine the legacy you leave to others.

Bible scholar James Moffatt wrote, “Death is never the last word in the life of a . . . man. When a man leaves this world, be he righteous or unrighteous, he leaves something in the world. He may leave something that will grow and spread like a cancer or a poison, or he may leave something like the fragrance of perfume or a blossom of beauty that permeates the atmosphere with blessing.”

That’s illustrated in the lives of Adam and Eve’s first sons: Cain and Abel. Cain was an unrighteous man who sought to please God by his own efforts. God rejected him (Gen. 4:5). Abel was a righteous man who worshiped God in true faith. God accepted Him (v. 4).

In a jealous rage, Cain murdered Abel, becoming the first human being to take the life of another. He forever stands as a testimony to the utter tragedy of attempting to please God apart from true faith. For “without faith,” Hebrews 11:6 says, “it is impossible to please Him.” Cain tried and failed—as have millions who have followed in his footsteps.

Abel, on the other hand, was the first man of faith. Prior to the Fall, Adam and Eve had no need of faith in the same way as their descendants. They lived in the paradise of Eden and had direct contact with God. Their children were the first to have need of faith in its fullest sense.

Cain’s legacy is rebellion, heartache, and judgment. Abel’s is righteousness, justice, and saving faith. His life proclaims the central message of redemption: righteousness is by faith alone.

What legacy will you leave to those who follow? I pray they will see in you a pattern of righteousness and faithfulness that inspires them to follow suit.

Suggestions for Prayer

  • Praise God for righteous Abel and all who have followed his example.
  • Ask Him to guard you from ever rebelling against His Word.

For Further Study

Read Genesis 4:1-16 and 1 John 3:11-12.

  • What was God’s counsel to Cain after rejecting his offering?
  • Why did Cain kill Abel?
  • How did God punish Cain?

From Drawing Near by John MacArthur

http://www.gty.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – What’s the Problem?

Leave a comment

All the Israelites grumbled and deplored their situation, accusing Moses and Aaron, to whom the whole congregation said, Would that we had died in Egypt! Or that we had died in this wilderness! Why does the Lord bring us to this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and little ones will be a prey. Is it not better for us to return to Egypt?

— Numbers 14:2–3 (AMPC)

“What is your problem?” That’s the question I would have liked to ask the Israelites! Their chief occupation seemed to be to grumble. As the verses above tell us, they not only lamented and groaned about their situation, but they also accused Moses of bringing them into the wilderness so they could die. In other scripture passages, we read that they complained about the food. God provided manna for them, and all they had to do was pick it up fresh every morning—but they didn’t like the heavenly diet.

In short, it wouldn’t have mattered what God did for them or what Moses and Aaron told them. They were committed to complaining. They had formed the grumbling habit. And much of it is a habit! If you grumble about one thing, it’s not long before there is something else to complain about.

When two moaners come together, the situation gets worse. What about the million or more people who came out of Egypt? Once the disease of disgruntlement struck, it became like a virus and infected them all. They were negative about everything. When the slightest problem arose, they were ready to return to Egypt. They preferred bondage as slaves rather than pressing on into the Promised Land.

One time Moses sent twelve spies into the land, and they came back and reported what wonderful, fertile land they had seen. (Read the story in Numbers 13 and 14.) The complainers joined with 10 of the spies (again, all but Joshua and Caleb). “Yes, it’s a great place,“ they agreed. But grumblers never stop with positive statements. They added, But the people who dwell there are strong…and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers… Numbers (13:28, 33 AMPC).

Had they forgotten all the miracles God had done for them? Yes, they had. That’s where Satan trips up many people. They whine—and often it’s about a small thing. They find fault with something. If they don’t realize what they’re doing by allowing such thinking to continue, they don’t need to ask, “What is the problem?” What they need to learn to say is, “I don’t have a problem; I am the problem.”

That was exactly the situation in Moses’ day. The enemy in Canaan wasn’t any worse, bigger, or more powerful than what the people constantly faced. But what if their problems really were more serious? If God could destroy the Egyptians at the Red Sea, why wouldn’t He give them another miracle? They were His people, and He loved them.

They themselves were the problem, and they never accepted that fact. Forty years of wandering, and they never got the message. How dense could they be? I’ve wondered many times. Of course, it’s easy to say that—because I wasn’t there, and I can see the situation with hindsight. It’s harder to examine our own lives and see why we gripe and moan.

“But my situation is different,” people often say to me.

That’s true, but the spirit in which you operate is the same as those in ancient Israel. You’re so caught up in grumbling, complaining, and seeing what’s wrong that you have no energy or time to appreciate what’s good.

“What is good about your life?” I once challenged a woman who complained about almost everything.

She stared at me and realized I was serious. “Well, I have a good husband. I have two children whom I love, and they love me.”

I smiled and said, “Go on.”

She caught on, and her face lost its down-at-the-mouth look. Although she didn’t say it in those words, she admitted, “I guess I don’t have a problem. I’ve been the problem.”

Exactly!

Prayer of the Day: Spirit of God, please forgive me for seeing others or my surroundings or the situation I’m in as the problem. I’ve been unhappy because I haven’t faced that I am my biggest hindrance to deliverance and victory. Forgive me and set me free, I pray in the name of Jesus, amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Alistair Begg

Truth for Life; Alistair Begg –The Heart That God Accepts

Leave a comment

Then David arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his clothes. And he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped.

2 Samuel 12:20

When David’s child, born as a result of his adultery with Bathsheba, was afflicted with sickness, it awakened within the king a spiritual zeal that had been dormant. David began to seek God, and he prayed desperately that God might spare his little boy. He refused to eat, and he no longer lived his life as usual while his child’s life hung in the balance.

David had previously attempted to cover over his sin by trying to pawn off his child on the unsuspecting Uriah, whose wife he had slept with. But when God, in His mercy, confronted David with his sin, the king’s posture completely changed. David sought God because God had first sought David and softened his heart. Such a change could only be brought about by the work of God.

Then came the dreadful news: the child had died. The late theologian Alec Motyer compared repentance to gathering back a stone that has been thrown into a pool: you can get the stone back, but the ripples upon the water will continue to spread.[1] David repented of his abuse and adultery, and God, in His mercy, accepted David’s repentance. But God did not stop the ripples.

Yet God was still able to use this tragedy to form David into the man that he needed to be. David responded in a strange and unexpected way: he arose, cleaned himself up, and went into the house of the Lord. The one who had been hiding from God now went to meet with God. The tragic death of David’s son did not lead David to stay at arm’s length from God. No, it led him into an even deeper relationship with Him.

When he entered the house of the Lord, David would have needed to bring a lamb without blemish as a sacrifice. But that was not the only sacrifice he brought. He also offered the only damaged sacrifice that is acceptable to bring into God’s house: as David later wrote, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Psalm 51:17).

God did not leave David to cover up his sin, and He did not leave him alone in dealing with the consequences of his sin. God’s treatment of David reveals that He cares deeply about the state of His children’s hearts. He will go to great lengths to bring you back when you wander away from Him. More than anything else, God wants you to have a broken and contrite heart before Him. When He makes you confront your sin, or afflicts you, or doesn’t give you what you desire, don’t assume that it is because He doesn’t love you. It is because He is graciously drawing you closer to Himself.

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

2 Samuel 12:1-10

Topics: Repentance Restoration Sin

FOOTNOTES

1 Treasures of the King: Psalms from the Life of David (InterVarsity UK, 2007), ch. 13.

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

http://www.truthforlife.org

Kids 4 Truth

Kids4Truth Clubs Daily Devotional – God Is Perfect

Leave a comment

 “As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.” (2 Samuel 22:31)

When Tracy was in elementary school, she decided she was going to be perfect. She decided she would never sin anymore: She would never talk back to her parents or tell a lie. She would never again fight over toys or demand her own way. She was going to be the world’s first-ever perfect kid.

Most people try to “be good” – but Tracy planned to go one step beyond that: “Be perfect!” And her plan even lasted for a little while! Probably for a whole five minutes or so.

It did not take Tracy very long to learn that the only perfect Person anywhere is God. God has never sinned, and He never will sin. God never had to make the decision – as Tracy did – not to sin. God just didn’t sin because God cannot sin. It is impossible for God to make mistakes. God cannot mess up on accident. God cannot mess up on purpose. God is God. He always has been and always will be absolutely perfect.

Part of God’s “being perfect” means that every decision He makes about you and your life is right. Part of God’s “being perfect” means that every decision He makes about your country and its leadership is right. Part of God’s “being perfect” means that every decision He makes about your family and your parents is right.

Romans 12:2 says, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.”

God’s will is perfect – which means every plan He has for you is perfect: It is the absolute best plan possible. The word “conform” means “to change shape.” So what is the verse saying? God’s job is to be perfect. Our job is to obey Him and submit to His perfect plans.

God cannot make mistakes any more than man can be perfect.

My Response:
» Am I having a hard time accepting something that God is doing in my life right now?
» How can I change my heart’s responses and my words and actions to show that I am trusting a perfect God Who never makes mistakes?

Home Page
Denison Forum

Denison Forum – “Victims and martyrs awaiting our deaths”: The plight of Palestinian civilians and the only source of lasting peace

Leave a comment

A White House fence was vandalized Saturday night as pro-Palestinian protesters shook the gate to one entrance to the executive mansion. Some chanted obscenities about President Biden.

This was just one of many such events across the country over the weekend as protesters rallied to demand a ceasefire in the Israel–Hamas war. They were not alone in their sentiments: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for “humanitarian pauses” in the fighting to allow more deliveries into Gaza of food, water, medicine, and other supplies, echoing a similar call by President Biden earlier in the week. The New York Times editorial board agreed, as have numerous US political leaders and Arab ministers in the region.

The Palestinian death toll has risen above nine thousand since the conflict began; more than 3,900 of the total, roughly 40 percent, were under the age of eighteen. A journalist, grieving the death of a fellow journalist and eleven members of his family, said, “We can’t bear this anymore. We are exhausted, we are here victims and martyrs awaiting our deaths, we are dying one after the other and no one cares about us or the large-scale catastrophe and the crime in Gaza.”

In the face of such tragic suffering, widespread calls for a ceasefire or at least a “humanitarian pause” in the fighting are understandable. But there’s more to the story.

Why the “true fight” has not yet begun

The Wall Street Journal editorial board warns that a “pause” in the conflict would only strengthen Hamas. In their view, “The way to help Palestinian civilians isn’t to slow the Israeli advance. The less control Hamas has over Gaza’s streets, the more civilians can escape the fighting and the more aid can be brought in securely.”

They note that “the ground invasion has already allowed humanitarian assistance to ramp up, with more than one hundred truckloads now arriving each day.” And they warn that “Hamas would use freedom of action to keep civilians as shields and pilfer more aid—limiting what Israel can let in.”

All this while, according to the Jerusalem Post, the “true fight” has not yet begun. It notes that most Hamas terrorists are in the southern part of Gaza, where Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers have not yet advanced. The IDF’s incursion into Gaza has not killed or arrested the vast majority of Hamas’s forces, which number approximately forty thousand and prepared for Israel’s invasion by creating a vast web of fortified tunnels. Nor has the IDF’s advance slowed, much less eliminated, rocket fire by Hamas on southern Israel and the Tel Aviv area.

“If we do not defeat Hamas, we cannot survive here”

Hamas officials and soldiers are known to hide in hospitals and among civilians. For example, an Israeli airstrike on Friday hit an ambulance that the IDF claims was being used by a Hamas terrorist cell.

Hamas has also spent years stockpiling enough fuel, food, and medicine in its tunnels to keep fighting for three or four months without resupply. Meanwhile, Palestinian civilians face massive shortages amid a growing humanitarian crisis.

All this to say, if Israel continues its offensive against Hamas, things are likely to get much, much worse for civilians in Gaza. However, as I noted a few days ago, if Israel does not defeat Hamas to such an extent that Jewish citizens feel they and their families are safe in their country again, many may immigrate to other countries, imperiling the future of the nation and fulfilling Hamas’s stated goal to “obliterate” Israel from the region.

This is why one Israeli commander stated, “If we do not defeat Hamas, we cannot survive here.”

So, Israel has to defeat Hamas without incurring civilian casualties to the degree that America stops supporting the war and jihadist groups in Lebanon and the West Bank join the conflict. But incurring such casualties is a central part of Hamas’s nefarious strategy to turn world opinion and Muslims in the region against Israel.

“Peace is not the mere absence of war”

My purpose today is twofold: First, to explain briefly why the conflict between Israel and Hamas is so complicated, defying simple resolution. Second, to use this crisis to illustrate our abiding need for the only true peace humans can experience in this fallen world.

In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus declared, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Matthew 5:6). He also stated, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (v. 9). In Gaudium et Spes (Latin for “joy and hope”), the Second Vatican Council noted:

Peace is not the mere absence of war or the simple maintenance of a balance of power between forces, nor can it be imposed at the dictate of absolute power. It is called, rightly and properly, a work of justice. It is the product of order, the order implanted in human society by its divine founder, to be realized in practice as men hunger and thirst for ever more perfect justice.

As a result, “peace” is a “fruit of the Spirit” that proceeds from “love” (Galatians 5:22). Accordingly,

If peace is to be established it is absolutely necessary to have a firm determination to respect other persons and peoples and their dignity, and to be zealous in the practice of brotherhood. Peace is therefore the fruit also of love: love goes beyond what justice can achieve.

Thus, peace ultimately depends on knowing the One who promised, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you” (John 14:27). As a result:

Peace on earth, born of love for one’s neighbor, is the sign and the effect of the peace of Christ that flows from God the Father. In his own person the incarnate Son, the Prince of Peace, reconciled all men to God through his death on the cross.

Paul greeted his readers, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:2). Note the order: we must experience God’s grace to have true peace with him, others, and ourselves.

The old truism is true: No God, no peace. Know God, know peace.

What will you do to know God and make him known today?

Denison Forum

John Hagee

Hagee Ministries; John Hagee –  Daily Devotion

Leave a comment

Matthew 25:13

Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming

Armed with the blueprints of the ark, Noah went to work. In light of the coming flood, Noah did not delay to gather the gopher wood and get started.

Noah had enough faith to believe that if God said it, He would bring down the rain. He had enough reverence to take action on the plans God had given him.

He must have enlisted the help of his three sons as he built the mammoth boat that would save his family and the animals of the earth. Their father’s faith and fear must have been contagious. His devotion and determination convinced them.

Some have doubted the success of Noah’s ministry. All around him, his neighbors continued to eat, drink, and celebrate life’s events. How they must have laughed and scorned the crazy man whose whole life had been derailed by this building project!

But on the day that the storm clouds gathered, the people that Noah loved the most walked into the boat with him. God closed the door on the ark of their salvation.

Let’s believe in the words of God and get to work on the plans that He has placed in our hearts. Like Noah, let’s be undeterred in our work for the Savior. If we do not grow weary in doing good, we will reap a reward.

Blessing:

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. Trust in the Author and Finisher of your faith. He orchestrates every step that you take. Your sure reward awaits!

Today’s Bible Reading: 

Old Testament

Ezekiel 14:12-16:42

New Testament 

Hebrews 7:18-28

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 106:1-12

Proverbs 27:4-6

https://www.jhm.org

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – Joy Among the Angels

Leave a comment

Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.
Luke 15:10

 Recommended Reading: Luke 15:8-10

Corrie ten Boom, the Dutch Christian, often spoke of salvation as the “decision that [makes] the angels sing.” Whenever she led someone to Christ, she was aware of rejoicing taking place in heaven.

Of the Gospel writers, Luke refers to angels most often. He relates Jesus’ parable of the woman finding her lost coin. She called her neighbors to rejoice with her. Jesus said, “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (15:10, NIV).

Think of the moment you received Christ as your Savior. Perhaps you weren’t aware of it, but your decision was celebrated with joy and singing among the Lord and His angels.

Angels are intrigued by salvation and rejoice when a person accepts Christ as Savior. When anyone comes to Christ, let’s rejoice like the angels in heaven.

The angels of heaven rejoice over sinners that repent: saints of God, will not you and I do the same? I do not think the church rejoices enough. We all grumble enough and groan enough: but very few of us rejoice enough.
Charles Spurgeon

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – Email from God

Leave a comment

Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are my constant guide. 

—Psalm 119:98

Scripture:

Psalm 119:98 

When we want to know the will of God, we need to look in the Word of God. The psalmist wrote, “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105 NLT).

God never will lead us contrary to what the Bible teaches. The Bible is the clear revelation by which we measure all other so-called revelation. It is the rock of stability by which we measure our fickle human emotions.

The way we know whether something is true or right is by comparing it to what Scripture teaches.

This is important, because sometimes even believers allow their emotions to get the best of them instead of basing their decisions on the clear teaching of the Bible.

God speaks to us through His Word. We find everything we need to know about Him in the pages of Scripture. Jesus said, “Look, I have come to do your will, O God—as is written about me in the Scriptures” (Hebrews 10:7 NLT).

The apostle Paul wrote, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right” (2 Timothy 3:16 NLT).

The Bible straightens us out. It shows us what is wrong in our lives. That’s why we need to immerse ourselves in it. And as we read the Bible, often we’ll discover a certain verse that speaks directly to our situation. We’ll find the answer we were looking for.

Yet sadly, many of us won’t even open it.

Let’s say that you’re expecting an email from someone. You think, “I just wish he’d write me! Why don’t I hear from him?”

Then one day you open your email and see a message in your inbox from the person you’ve been waiting to hear from. But instead of reading it, you get upset and think, “Why doesn’t he ever talk to me?”

You need to open that email and read the message.

Some Christians never read the Bible, but then they say, “God never speaks to me. I never hear Him. Why doesn’t He say something to me?”

They just need to read the Bible. It’s our email from God, our message from Him. But the words don’t simply jump out. First we must open God’s Word. We have to read it.

But rather than reading God’s Word, a lot of believers go to church, listen to a sermon from the pastor, and think it will hold them over for a week or two.

Can you imagine surviving on one meal per week? That isn’t much. How about one meal per day? That is tough.

We need to feed ourselves spiritually more often. We need more of the Word of God in our lives. But we can’t wait for other people to prepare it and serve it to us. We must learn to dig in for ourselves and read the Bible.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie