Daily Archives: January 19, 2024

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — God’s Protective Love

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Bible in a Year :

Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.

Matthew 7:15

Today’s Scripture & Insight :

Matthew 7:13–23

One summer night, the birds near our home suddenly erupted into chaotic cawing. The squawking intensified as the songbirds sent piercing calls from the trees. We finally realized why. As the sun set, a large hawk swooped from a treetop, sending the birds scattering in a screeching frenzy, sounding the alarm as they flew from danger.

In our lives, spiritual warnings can be heard throughout Scripture—cautions against false teachings, for example. We may doubt that’s what we’re hearing. Because of His love for us, however, our heavenly Father provides the clarity of Scripture to make such spiritual dangers plain to us.

Jesus taught, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves” (Matthew 7:15). He continued, “By their fruit you will recognize them. . . . Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.” Then He warned us, “By their fruit you will recognize them” (vv. 16–17, 20).

“The prudent see danger and take refuge,” Proverbs 22:3 reminds us, “but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.” Embedded in such warnings is God’s protective love, revealed in His words to us.

As the birds warned each other of physical danger, may we heed the Bible’s warnings to fly from spiritual danger and into God’s arms of refuge.

By:  Patricia Raybon

Reflect & Pray

What spiritual warning has been speaking to your heart? How has Scripture confirmed a warning to you?

The Scriptures warn with love, dear God, and we thank You. May we heed those words today.

http://www.odb.org

John MacArthur

Grace to You; John MacArthur – Christ’s Gentle Example

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 “Walk . . . with all . . . gentleness” (Ephesians 4:1-2).

Jesus is the greatest example of gentleness: He became angry when God the Father was dishonored, but not when He, the Son, was.

Jesus Christ is our supreme example of gentleness. Paul refers specifically to this in 2 Corinthians 10:1. Jesus Himself said, “I am gentle and humble in heart” (Matt. 11:29).

Jesus showed righteous indignation when it was proper. When He found the Temple filled with people selling exorbitantly priced sacrificial animals, He drove them out, pouring out their money and overturning tables (Matt. 21:12). He told them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a robbers’ den” (v. 13). Jesus later said to the scribes and Pharisees, “You serpents, you brood of vipers, how shall you escape the sentence of hell?” (23:33). He did not stand idly by while the Temple was defiled. He spoke out in judgment against hypocrites who dishonored God.

Even though Jesus became angry when God was maligned, He neither retaliated against nor condemned those who attacked Him. “Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously” (1 Peter 2:21-23). When God’s Temple was defiled, Jesus cleaned it out. But when the temple of His body was defiled, enduring the agony of the cross, with mockers all around, all He said was, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). That’s supreme gentleness—total selflessness.

It’s so easy to strike back when someone criticizes or attacks us, but that’s not the way of the gentle Christian trying to walk worthy. The only time we should let the lion in us roar is when God’s honor is at stake. Jesus forgave those who crucified Him. How can we do any less to those who hurt us?

Suggestions for Prayer

We all fall short of Christ’s example of gentleness.  Pray that God would help you each day to reflect more and more the gentleness of Christ.

For Further Study

Read the account of Christ’s arrest and crucifixion in Matthew 26:47—27:50.

  • Did He have the power to strike back (26:53)?
  • Find all the instances you can in which Christ demonstrated His gentleness.

From Strength for Today by John MacArthur 

http://www.gty.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Self-Acceptance

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I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.

— Psalm 139:14 (NKJV)

The psalmist David confessed that he was a work of God and that God’s work is indeed wonderful. Most of us would cringe at the thought of confessing that we are wonderful, but we need to accept and love ourselves as God’s creation and children. I finally realized after years of struggling with self-rejection that if God, who is perfect, could accept and love me, I could too. Today I needed to be reminded of this truth and thought it might also encourage you.

We are not truly free until we love and accept ourselves in a godly and balanced way. You might think that if you did so, it would be selfish, but it is actually the opposite. It sets you free from being self-centered or needing to be first in everything in order to feel valuable. Selfishness drives us to try and get more and more for the outer man (fleshly man), but a God-ordained love and acceptance fills us with such satisfaction in the inner man that we no longer need to compare ourselves or compete with others. We are content just to be loved!

Prayer of the Day: Father, thank You for loving me and accepting me as Your child. Help me learn how to love—and like—myself even while You’re working in me, making me the person You created me to be!

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Alistair Begg

Truth for Life; Alistair Begg – No Other Name

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There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

Acts 4:12

Near the campus of Northwestern University in suburban Chicago, there is a vast temple erected by the Bahá’í faith. It’s a magnificent structure, with nine porticos—one for each of nine major world religions—all leading to one central auditorium. The architecture is meant to signify the many paths to “truth,” which Bahá’ís believe cannot be found in any one dogma, person, or entity.

This mindset is not much different from the cultural environment in which the apostle Paul lived. The Roman Empire was very open, very willing to think expansively, and very prepared to absorb all kinds of religions. Indeed, Rome housed a vast collection of idols and gods in its pantheon, paying homage to its belief in multiple avenues to truth.

How, then, could such a pluralistic, open, polytheistic culture also feed Christians to lions in the Colosseum? Why did Emperor Nero target believers, even going so far as to use their bodies as human torches to light his parties?

The answer lies in a simple fact: Roman culture could not and would not tolerate Christianity because Christians were not prepared to simply add Christ to the imagined pantheon. Rather, they held fast to the truth that, as Peter and John courageously told the same Jewish court that had sentenced the Lord Jesus to death, there is salvation in no name other than that of Jesus. In first-century Roman culture, as soon as people professed this belief, they were scorned, and mocked, and sometimes even sentenced to death.

Pluralism cannot abide—indeed, it is often mercilessly intolerant towards—those who reject its view that all paths are equally valid. Some 2,000 years later, we must acknowledge that we are living in an environment not incomparable to the Roman Empire, albeit thankfully less brutal in its persecutions. Biblical Christianity, with a Christ who will come again in glory, an inerrant Bible, and a triune Godhead, is an offense to a pluralistic world.

Despite what the world around us may believe, though, Jesus does not belong on a pedestal next to other false gods or religious figures. He is far more than just another portico that leads to truth. As the Philistine god Dagon fell and was broken before the ark of the Lord (1 Samuel 5:1-4), so all others will be revealed to be nothing compared to Him. That message is not popular, but it remains true—and it is wonderful, for if there were no crucified Savior, there would be no way at all to eternal life, for all other ways lead only to death. One day Buddha, Muhammad, and every other false prophet will bow at Jesus’ feet and declare that He is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Until that day comes, hold fast to the truth and seek to point people to the one who is the way, the truth, and the life that we all need (John 14:6). It was Christians following the example of John and Peter’s refusal to give up or stay silent that changed the Roman Empire; by God’s grace, we could likewise transform the world today as we follow in their footsteps.

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

Acts 4:1–22

Topics: Jesus Christ Pluralism Salvation

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 Brings Good out of Sadness

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Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

Will I trust God to bring good out of the sad time I’m going through?

One day, I brought home a bright red helium balloon. I was so proud of it! I could hardly wait to get it out of the car and begin playing with it. But no sooner had my feet touched the pavement of our driveway than it slipped out of my hand and went floating away toward the clouds. I was disappointed and angry. It wasn’t fair! I had lost my balloon before I even had a chance to play with it.

But my dad had an idea. “I’ll get my binoculars,” he said. “Let’s watch your balloon till it’s out of sight.” We stood out in the backyard, my dad and I, for a long time that evening. We passed the binoculars back and forth, tracking the red balloon’s flight into the sky. What fun we had! That evening that had begun so sadly ended up filled with laughter and joy. It was one of my favorite times spent with my father.

God, our Father, sometimes allows things to happen in our lives that seem very bad to us. Things might happen that hurt and disappoint us and make us want to scream, “It’s not fair!” But God has wonderful plans for those painful times. He may want to teach us something new about Himself. He may want us to come closer to Him. We get to know Him better as we pray and trust Him in times of suffering. He causes all things to work together for good to us if we are His children. Maybe someday you will look back on your saddest time as the best time you ever spent with your Father.

God brings good out of His children’s pain and suffering.

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John Hagee

Hagee Ministries; John Hagee –  Daily Devotion

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

Matthew 5:6

A tug-of-war exists between what we want and what we actually need. We often want brownies when we should choose broccoli! We desire things our way, but God asks us to submit to His will.

When these forces collide, we experience hunger pains. Sometimes, we long to give in to fleshly desires. Sometimes, we yearn to submit to the Holy Spirit. The one that we feed prevails.

How many are starving to death spiritually and do not even realize it? In America this year, 867,000 marriages will end in divorce, 46,000 lives will be cut short by suicide, and 68,000 people will die from accidental overdoses—famished for hope, relief from pain, and love.

The prophet Amos predicted a famine where people would long for the Word of the Lord. They would starve because they sought fulfillment outside God’s will. We have craved power and never been more out of control, riches and never been emptier, pleasure and never been more bankrupt.

The simple answer for this deep hunger is the Good News of Jesus Christ. He brings hope to the desolate, breaks the chains of the addict, and redeems broken relationships. To the hungry and thirsty, come try the Bread of Life and the Living Water. He satisfies our longing and fills us with every good thing.

His anointing truly does lift the burdens off our bowed-down backs and destroy the yokes of bondage. Pressed down, shaken together—our cups run over!

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. Taste and see that God is good! Nothing else can satisfy! No other name will save! No other hand can deliver! There is none like Him! He is greatly to be praised!

Today’s Bible Reading: 

Old Testament

Genesis 39:1-41:16

New Testament 

Matthew 12:46-13:23

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 17:1-15

Proverbs 3:33-35

https://www.jhm.org

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – Power in the Word

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So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Romans 10:17

 Recommended Reading: Psalm 107:19-20

In the famous and epic movie The Ten Commandments, whenever Pharaoh would make a decision or issue an edict, he would say authoritatively, “So let it be written; so let it be done!” The royal scribes would dutifully record the Pharaoh’s words for posterity. The message was clear: Pharaoh’s words were powerful; they were the guiding force in Egypt.

In an even more authoritative way, the words of God are alive and powerful (Hebrews 4:12). By His words, God spoke into existence the earth and everything in it. Jesus is called the Word of God—the incarnation of the will and words of God (John 1:1-2). And Peter says that by God’s words—His “great and precious promises”—we become “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4). And Paul writes that our faith comes by hearing “the word of God” (Romans 10:17).

We gain power and maturity in our spiritual life as the Spirit of God illuminates the Word of God on a daily basis. Make God’s Word a priority in your life.

I hold one single sentence out of God’s word to be of more certainty, and of more power, than all the discoveries of all the learned men of all the ages.
Charles Spurgeon

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – Your One Thing

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 The one thing I ask of the LORD—the thing I seek most—is to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, delighting in the LORD’s perfections and meditating in his Temple. 

—Psalm 27:4

Scripture:

Psalm 27:4 

The most spiritual people I’ve met have been the most down-to-earth. They didn’t speak in pious tones or act like they were above it all. The truly godly people I’ve known have been fun to be around. They’ve been great salt-of-the-earth kind of people.

David was a truly spiritual man. We know this from the psalms he wrote. They’re a window into his soul. For instance, he wrote, “My heart is confident in you, O God; my heart is confident. No wonder I can sing your praises!” (Psalm 57:7 NLT).

David was focused. He knew where he was going and wasn’t fickle. He knew what mattered in life.

In Psalm 27:4, he said, “The one thing I ask of the Lord—the thing I seek most—is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple” (NLT).

The apostle Paul had a similar goal in life. He said, “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us” (Philippians 3:13–14 NLT).

Do you have this “one thing” in life like Paul did? Do you know where you are going? Do you know what really matters?

The problem is that a lot of us don’t know what matters in life. We’re trying to live in two worlds. We want to be Christians on the weekend. We’ll go to a church service, but the rest of the week we leave God out of our lives.

God wants to be a part of everything we do. He wants to be at the forefront of our lives.

What is your one thing in life that is more important than anything else? What are you really focused on?

Some people might say their one thing in life is their business. They want be successful. They want to get established. They want to make money and a lot of it.

Another person might say their one thing is family. They want a strong family and don’t want it to fall apart.

Someone else might say their one thing in life is ministry. They want God to use them.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to succeed in business, wanting a strong family, or wanting an effective ministry. But if you make that your main thing, then it is the wrong thing. The main thing should be Jesus.

A truly spiritual person is someone who can enjoy life and love God. A truly spiritual person can have fun but at the same time know where their priorities are.

If you put God first in your life, He might not give you everything you want. Or, He might give you more than you want. But He always will give you what you need.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie
Days of Praise

Days of Praise – Where Is Jesus Now?

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by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.

“Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.” (Matthew 24:26)

The above warning was given by Christ in His famous Olivet discourse about His future second coming, right after He had predicted that many “false Christs” would first come, deceiving many (v. 24). That prediction has been fulfilled many times during the following centuries, but He Himself has not yet returned, in spite of the claims of these latter days.

However, His present location is no secret. After His resurrection and final instructions to His disciples, “he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God” (Mark 16:19). We must remember that He arose bodily from the grave, then ascended bodily to God’s throne, and that “this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven” (Acts 1:11) will return. Until He returns, therefore, He is seated bodily at the right hand of the presence of the triune God in heaven. In fact, there are no less than 21 references in the Bible to the Lord Jesus now being at the right hand of God.

It is not strictly correct to say or sing that Jesus can come into our hearts unless it is clearly understood that He is there symbolically in the presence of the indwelling Spirit of Christ. In this way, “God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts” (Galatians 4:6) so that “Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith” (Ephesians 3:17).

In the physical sense, however, the Lord Jesus Christ, still in His physical but now immortal body, is at “the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:3) and will remain there until He returns physically back to fulfill all the remaining promises in the Scriptures and to establish the kingdom for which He created us. HMM

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