Daily Archives: January 15, 2024

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Serving Others for Jesus

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Bible in a Year :

Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.

Mark 10:43

Today’s Scripture & Insight :

Mark 10:35–45

Actress Nichelle Nichols is best remembered for playing Lieutenant Uhura in the original Star Trek series. Landing the role was a personal win for Nichols, making her one of the first African American women on a major TV show. But a greater win was to come of it.

Nichols had actually resigned from Star Trek after its first season, to return to her theater work. But then she met Martin Luther King Jr., who urged her not to leave. For the first time, he said, African Americans were being seen on TV as intelligent people who could do anything, even go to space. By playing Lieutenant Uhura, Nichols was achieving a greater win—showing Black women and children what they could become.

It reminds me of the time James and John asked Jesus for the two best positions in His kingdom (Mark 10:37). What personal wins such positions would be! Jesus not only explained the painful realities of their request (vv. 38–40) but called them to higher goals, saying, “whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant” (v. 43). His followers weren’t to seek personal wins alone but, like Him, use their positions to serve others (v. 45).

Nichelle Nichols stayed with Star Trek for the greater win it provided for African Americans. May we too never be content with a personal win alone but use whatever position we gain to serve others in His name.

By:  Sheridan Voysey

Reflect & Pray

What are your current personal and career goals? What doors could you open for others right now?

Dear Jesus, show me how to use my position to serve others in Your name.

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 – Setting Boundaries

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The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.

— Proverbs 29:25 (ESV)

It is wrong for anyone to try to control us, but it is equally wrong for us to allow it. We must stand up for ourselves and be determined to please God rather than other people. My mother allowed my father to control her out of fear, and everyone in the family paid the price for her refusal to stand up for herself and us. Fear is a real thing, but it has no power over us except what we give it. Author and psychologist Henry Cloud says that we get what we tolerate.

The best thing is never to start a relationship by letting yourself be controlled and manipulated. But if you are already in that situation, it is not too late to stand up for yourself. It will be more difficult to do than it would have been had you had boundaries from the beginning of the relationship, but it can still be done. Let the person who is controlling you know that you realize you have been allowing them to control you and that you will no longer let it continue. They may react in an angry and even a violent manner, but in the end, they will respect you for it.

It is God’s will for us to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and in order to do that, we will find that we must often say no to the demands of people. People who will only stay in relationship with you if they are allowed to control you don’t really love you. They are simply using you to help them get what they want. You deserve better than that and are far too valuable to let anyone abuse or misuse you.

If you have a history of not speaking up or just “going along to get along,” taking the first step toward freedom will be the most difficult. Satan is delighted to rob you of your God-ordained destiny, and he can easily do it through the fear of other people. The apostle Paul said that had he been trying to be popular with people, he would not have become an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ (Gal. 1:10). Think seriously about that for a moment, and then take a look at your own life and make sure you are not missing God’s will by being overly concerned about keeping people happy. We should want to please and make people happy, but not if the price of doing so is disobeying God. The Word of God tells us to follow peace and I want to strongly recommend that you begin doing that. Anyone who truly cares about you will want you to follow God even if it means you can’t give them what they want. God is always with you to help you do what you need to do.

Prayer of the Day: Father, give me the courage to stand up for myself to those who try to control me. Help me to always follow Your will and value my worth the way You value me. In the name of Jesus, I choose to follow Your guidance rather than the approval of other people, amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Alistair Begg

Truth for Life; Alistair Begg – The Triumphant King

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Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.

Revelation 1:4–5

What do you do when your Christian convictions and the circumstances of your life appear to declare two different truths?

This was the conundrum facing the first readers of the book of Revelation. The last book in our Scriptures was not written to confuse but to bless (Revelation 1:3). We ought not to regard it as if it were a collection of riddles or some theological Rubik’s Cube. Rather, we must understand that John was writing to readers in a historical context—first-century believers who were being buffeted and persecuted by the authorities of their day—in order to offer hope and assurance.

The gospel was being preached, and the people of God were absolutely convinced that even as Jesus had gone, so He would return. They believed that, as the ascended Lord and King, Jesus was fully in control of all circumstances and His will was being established throughout the whole earth. That was their conviction. But when they looked at their circumstances, these did not seem to square with those convictions. None of the things that they affirmed to one another and shared with their friends and neighbors appeared to be happening. Mockers abounded. In fact, the apostle Peter had already warned the believers, “Scoffers will come in the last days,” and they would ask, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation” (2 Peter 3:3-4).

While the church was small and beleaguered, the empires of man were growing in strength and significance. Persecution was increasing in its intensity, and the Evil One doubtless came and insinuated to these suffering Christians that they had bought into a great delusion. They needed Jesus to come and give them His perspective so that their troubles would not discourage, perplex, or overwhelm them. They needed to understand simply this: that Jesus was still the triumphant Lord and King. His resurrection from the dead had declared His authority and His integrity. He could be trusted with His people’s lives and futures.

In a world that continues to oppress God’s people, the book of Revelation is exactly what the church today needs. While economic gloom, material deprivation, and issues of morality and personal identity threaten to unravel the minds of men and women, John’s message reminds us that our Christian faith is sufficient for the challenges and questions that confront us. Do your circumstances suggest to you that perhaps your convictions about your faith might be mistaken? Rest in this assurance: Jesus rose, Jesus reigns, and ultimately, Jesus wins.

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

Revelation 1:1–8

Topics: Christ as King Christ as Lord Trials

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 Wants You To Love Him Most

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“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.” (Matthew 22:37-38)*

What is an idol? You have probably heard about them in missionary stories, and you’ve read about them in the Bible. An idol is a piece of wood or stone shaped like a person or an animal, and people worship it. Right?

That is one kind of idol. But there are other kinds, too. An idol is anything that we love more than God. An idol could be a person, an object, a hobby, a goal, or a desire. God commands us to love Him first. And first means most. God wants to be our highest love.

If we really knew and understood our God, we would have no trouble loving Him most. He is so worthy of our love. He is mightier, wiser, kinder, and more beautiful than any being we can imagine. His love for us is deeper and stronger than we can even begin to understand. He is perfectly holy, and yet He is merciful and forgiving. No one else could ever come close to being like Him. He is, as His Word says, “altogether lovely.”

It is only when we take our eyes off our God that other things seem more important to us. What is taking first place in your heart?

God wants and deserves to be our highest love.

My Response: » Who or what is in first place in my heart? » Do I need to ask God to help me get rid of an idol so that I can love Him most?

*NOTE: The audio recording lists the passage as Matthew 23:37-38, however, the correct passage is Matthew 22:37-38.

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Whom should voters elect in Iowa? Why did God create such a chaotic, unpredictable world?

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As I write this morning, the temperature where I live is nineteen degrees. It will be much, much colder in Iowa tonight, with wind chills forecasted in Des Moines of minus thirty-five degrees. And yet, thousands of Republicans will brave the elements to participate in the Iowa caucus, the first contest of the 2024 presidential elections.

Which candidate has the best chance of being elected? Of governing effectively? Are these the same thing?

Speaking of elections: according to the Wall Street Journal, “China’s least preferred candidate” won the presidential vote in Taiwan on Saturday. Should voters have elected someone who is more closely aligned with China, perhaps forestalling military conflict in the future? Or would this only accelerate China’s aggression?

Meanwhile, a Houthi cruise missile fired from Yemen toward a US warship was shot down by a fighter jet yesterday, the first attack by the Houthis since strikes on the rebels began on Friday. Should the US and its allies desist from further attacks on the militants lest they escalate the conflict in the Middle East? Or would this only escalate the conflict?

Reflecting on the fact that we cannot know the future consequences of present choices, I found myself asking why an all-knowing, all-loving, all-powerful God created and allows a world that is so chaotic and unpredictable.

Then I realized: he didn’t.

A thought experiment

Try a thought experiment with me: Call to mind the last time you made a choice that you know was God’s will for you. Looking back on the consequences of that decision, are you glad you made it?

Now think of the last time you made a choice that you knew was not God’s will for you. Looking back on its consequences, are you sorry you made it?

From the Garden of Eden to today, we know enough about the future consequences of obeying God’s will to know that we should always obey God’s will.

  • We learn from Adam and Eve that the “will to power,” Satan’s temptation to “be like God” (Genesis 3:5), should always be resisted.
  • Abraham shows us that following God’s will even when we don’t understand it leads to our best future (cf. Hebrews 11:8).
  • Joseph teaches us that refusing sexual temptation (Genesis 39) leads to our best life and largest influence.
  • By contrast, David’s adultery with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11) proves that yielding to lust leads to devastating consequences that far outweigh the pleasure promised in the moment.
  • Because Paul submitted to Christ on the Damascus road (Acts 9), he became the greatest evangelist, missionary, and theologian the world has ever known.
  • Because John chose to worship Jesus on Patmos (Revelation 1), he met the risen Christ personally and received his Revelation for the world.

We could go on, but the pattern is clear: God always gives his best to those who leave the choice with him. By contrast, as I often warn, sin will always take us further than we wanted to go, keep us longer than we wanted to stay, and cost us more than we wanted to pay.

As a result, it’s clear that the world God created is not so unpredictable that we must live without hope. Our Father has told us all we need to know to know that choosing his will in the present is always best for our future.

So, here’s the best way to find hope in a chaotic world:

Stay faithful to the last word you heard from God and open to the next.

What does this mean in practical terms?

First: Submit to the Spirit every day.

You cannot give God “tomorrow” today because “tomorrow” does not exist. This day is the only day there is. All of God there is, is in this moment.

So begin every day by taking it to the throne of God and entrusting it to him (Ephesians 5:18). Ask his Spirit to bring to mind anything that is hindering his work in your life, confess what comes to your thoughts, and claim your Father’s forgiving grace. Turn your day, influence, abilities, and challenges over to him. Ask him to lead and empower you.

If every Christian would do this one thing every day, our world could never be the same.

Second: Trust the consequences of your choices to God’s unconditional love.

One of the challenges to unconditional obedience is our fear that it will cost others. What about our family’s future? Our finances? We are right: as Oswald Chambers observed, “If we obey God it is going to cost other people more than it costs us.” But he added: “If we obey God, he will look after those who have been pressed into the consequences of our obedience. We have simply to obey and leave all consequences with him.”

Remember that the God who “is” love (1 John 4:8) loves each of us as if there were only one of us (St. Augustine). He loves your family and friends as much as he loves his own Son (John 17:23).

So take your next step of obedience, trusting that God’s best for you is also his best for those you love. You cannot measure the eternal significance of present faithfulness.

“God’s blessing must be our objective”

Pope St. Clement I was the bishop of Rome in the late first century, holding his office from AD 88 to his death in AD 99. In a letter to the church at Corinth, he wrote:

God’s blessing must be our objective, and the way to win it our study. Search the records of ancient times. Why was our father Abraham blessed? Was it not because his upright and straightforward conduct was inspired by faith? As for Isaac’s faith, it was so strong that, assured of the outcome, he willingly allowed himself to be offered in sacrifice. Jacob had the humility to leave his native land on account of his brother, and go and serve Laban. He was given the twelve tribes of Israel.

Honest reflection upon each of these examples will make us realize the magnitude of God’s gifts. All the priests and Levites who served the altar of God were descended from Jacob. The manhood of the Lord Jesus derived from him. Through the tribe of Judah, kings, princes, and rulers sprang from him. Nor are his other tribes without their honor, for God promised Abraham: “Your descendants shall be as the stars of heaven.”

It is obvious, therefore, that none of these owed their honor and exaltation to themselves, or to their own labors, or to their deeds of virtue. No, they owed everything to God’s will. So likewise with us, who by his will are called in Christ Jesus. 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 forever and ever. Amen.

His first-century wisdom is God’s twenty-first-century invitation to us.

“I just want to do God’s will”

Martin Luther King Jr. was born on this day in 1929. On April 3, 1968, the great civil rights leader told an assembled crowd in Memphis, “I just want to do God’s will. . . . And so I’m happy tonight; I’m not worried about anything; I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.”

He was assassinated the next day. But the movement he led continues, helping our nation keep our founding declaration that “all men are created equal.”

How fully do you “want to do God’s will” today?

Denison Forum

John Hagee

Hagee Ministries; John Hagee –  Daily Devotion

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The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted.

Luke 4:18

The Spirit of God has anointed Jesus to break the yokes—the shackles of Satan—in our lives. When Jesus abides in us, the power of His anointing is brought to bear in our every need.

Jesus brings the gospel to the poor—not just those lacking in financial resources, but any of us who experience lack in our lives. Our bank accounts may be full, but our heart accounts can be empty. Our All in All recognizes the places where we fall short and brings the good news of His sufficiency into the equation.

In place of turmoil, He gives peace. In place of doubt, He gives confidence. In place of exhaustion, He brings refreshing. In place of weakness, He grants strength.

Jesus has come to heal the brokenhearted. Our hearts are so susceptible to brokenness. They can be crushed through circumstances beyond our control, destroyed by decisions that we long to take back, or shattered by tragedies of the past.

One touch of His anointed hand can restore the splintered fragments. He fills our hearts with hope again. We sing a new song. We learn to love once more. He is a God of second chances and new beginnings.

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. May God provide for your every need according to His glorious riches. Even though your weeping may last through the night, His joy will come in the morning!

Today’s Bible Reading: 

Old Testament

Genesis 31:17-32:12

New Testament 

Matthew 10:27-11:6

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 13:1-6

Proverbs 3:16-18

https://www.jhm.org

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – We Need Both!

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He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Hebrews 13:5

 Recommended Reading: Deuteronomy 31:7-8

It’s easy to say to a lonely person: “But remember, you have the Lord with you all the time!” That’s true, but it’s not what God said to Adam in the Garden of Eden: “It is not good that man should be alone” (Genesis 2:18). We’re created with an intense need for fellowship with both our Lord and with other people. We need both! Psalm 68:6 says, “God sets the solitary in families.”

If you feel alone, work specifically on cultivating your daily walk with the Lord and enjoy His fellowship. Then, in that context, ask Him to bring into your life a person or group of people who can be a family for you. Of course, we can’t be passive in the process. We need to find someone to whom we can minister and a church in which we can become involved.

The Lord knows all our needs, and He has promised to meet them. Don’t give up and don’t despair. Lean on Him who will never leave or forsake you.

God [is] at work, ready to transform our loneliness into a positive experience that…draws us into the very thing we long for: a closer, deeper, more satisfying relationship with Him and others.
Ruth Graham

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – Spiraling Downward

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For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death. 

—2 Corinthians 7:10

Scripture:

2 Corinthians 7:10 

Have you ever known someone who appeared as though they would really make their mark in life? They looked like they were going to do well, but then they self-destructed.

That is what happened to Saul, the first king of Israel. He started out well, but things went from bad to worse because he disobeyed God. And when his successor, David, emerged on the scene, Saul began to relentlessly hunt him down.

On more than one occasion, Saul tried to murder David because he was paranoid and jealous of him. And when Saul went to battle against the Philistines and realized that he was clearly defeated, he killed himself.

Saul had so much promise and potential, but he threw his life away. He was more concerned with what others thought of him than with what God thought of him. He was shallow. He was vain. And he was a fool.

In fact, he once admitted, “I have been a fool and very, very wrong” (1 Samuel 26:21 NLT). Or, as the New King James Version puts it, “I have played the fool and erred exceedingly.”

Like Saul, we can play the fool in our lives as well.

We play the fool when we disobey God, even in the smallest matters. Spiritual decline is gradual. Saul’s failure wasn’t immediate. At first, he was humble, but then pride set in. He took matters into his own hands and did what God told him not do.

We play the fool when we attempt to justify the wrongs we have done. More than once, Saul blamed others for something he had done wrong. And when he finally owned up to his sin, it was only to save face. We must be honest about our sin and admit it when we’ve done something wrong.

We play the fool when we allow hatred and jealousy to control our lives instead of love. There always will be people who do better in life than we do. There always will be someone who is better looking, in better shape, and more intelligent than we are. And if allow jealousy to control us, then we’ll be miserable people. Instead, we can thank God for everything He has given us because we don’t deserve any of it.

Saul threw his life away, and his jealousy ultimately destroyed him. In the end, if he had genuinely repented, God would have forgiven him.

The Bible says, “For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death” (2 Corinthians 7:10 NLT).

In other words, if we’re really sorry for something we’ve done, then we will stop doing it. But to say we’re sorry and continue in a path of disobedience shows that we’re not sorry at all.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie
Days of Praise

Days of Praise – The Incarnate Wisdom

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by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.


“The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.” (Proverbs 8:22-23)

The book of Proverbs repeatedly extols the virtues of true wisdom founded on the fear of the Lord. In the eighth chapter, however, beginning at verse 22, the theme changes, retreating far back in time to creation itself and even before. The statements in the next 10 verses, especially, must be of an actual divine Person. From the New Testament perspective, especially with John 1:1-14 as the definitive exposition, it becomes clear that the divine wisdom of Proverbs 8:22-31 is none other than the incarnate Word of John’s prologue.

The Lord Jesus Christ, indeed, fits perfectly all the statements in this particular section of Proverbs, which then gives marvelous new insight into the events of creation and the divine fellowship in the Godhead before the creation. Note that in these first two verses, the Lord’s “ways” were prior to His “works” and that He “possessed” His Son “from everlasting.” This is the profound doctrine of “eternal generations” whereby the Son is “brought forth” continually from the Father, forever manifesting Him in His creation.

The New Testament makes it plain that Jesus Christ is, indeed, the incarnate wisdom of God. He is the “Word” by whom all things were made (John 1:1-3). He is “the truth” (John 14:6) and “the light” (John 8:12) by whom alone men can come to God and follow Him. He is called “the power of God, and the wisdom of God” in 1 Corinthians 1:24, and He called Himself “the wisdom of God” in Luke 11:49.

All of the vaunted knowledge of the world’s thinkers and scientists is empty and futile apart from the Lord Jesus Christ, the living Word of God, for in Him alone are found “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). HMM

https://www.icr.org/articles/type/6