Monthly Archives: May 2024

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – Redeeming the Time

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by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.

“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15-16)

This incisive expression—“redeeming the time”—occurs also in Colossians 4:5: “Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.” The Greek word for “redeem” means to “buy back,” to “ransom,” or even to “rescue.” That is, time is a very valuable asset in danger of being lost forever unless it is rescued or redeemed.

As a matter of fact, time is just about the most valuable asset we have. If we squander our money or lose our health, there is always the possibility of earning more money or being restored to health, but wasted time is gone forever. In our text, those who are wise redeem the time, whereas those who are fools waste or misuse it. The word in the original for “circumspectly” is translated “diligently” in Matthew 2:7. The text thus indicates that those who redeem the time are walking diligently; the parallel passage in Colossians 4:5 says they are walking in wisdom. The time God gives us, therefore, should be used both carefully and diligently.

The marvelous passage in the 139th Psalm that describes the growth of the human embryo concludes with a remarkable declaration: “In thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them” (Psalm 139:16). The words “my members” are not in the original, and “in continuance” is actually the Hebrew word for “days.” Thus, the verse is really telling us that all of our days were written in God’s book even before we were conceived. Each day of our lives is vitally important in the plan of God.

“So,” as Moses prayed to the Lord, “teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). HMM

 

 

 

 

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

My Utmost for His Highest

My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers – Vital Intercession

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Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. — Ephesians 6:18

If we are praying as this verse commands, our prayers might cost the ones for whom we pray more than we expect. When we begin to intercede in prayer for others, God begins to lift them into a totally
different sphere, a process that may involve trials and difficulties. We have to make sure that our natural sympathy doesn’t get in God’s way. If we slip from identifying with his interests in others into personal sympathy for them, our vital connection with God will be lost. Putting sympathy first is a rebuke to him.

It is impossible to pray vitally unless we have perfect confidence in God. Personal sympathy and prejudice weaken this confidence; identification with God ensures it. Whenever we stop being identified with God, it is because of sympathy, not sin. Sin isn’t likely to interfere with our relationship to God, but sympathy will make us say, “I refuse to allow this to happen.” When we refuse to allow God to have his way, we have lost our vital connection with him.

If we are interceding properly, we have neither time nor inclination to pray for our own sad, sweet selves. It’s not that we’re working hard to keep thoughts of ourselves at bay; thoughts of ourselves simply aren’t there. In vital intercession, we are completely and entirely identified with God’s interests, and our natural sympathy—for ourselves and for others—is entirely eclipsed.

1 Kings 14-15; Luke 22:21-46

 

 

https://utmost.org/

Billy Graham

Billy Graham – Seeing Our Need

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Only a fool would say to himself, ‘There is no God.’ And why does he say it? Because of his wicked heart, his dark and evil deeds. His life is corroded with sin.
—Psalm 53:1 (TLB)

We live like a little ant on this little speck of dust out in space. We get a Ph.D. degree and we strut across the stage and say, “Well, I don’t know whether or not there is a God.” And we can’t even control ourselves. We can’t even keep from blowing ourselves apart. We can’t even keep from manufacturing nuclear weapons that could destroy the world. We can’t even keep from hating each other, and fighting with each other, and killing each other. We can’t even keep from stealing from each other. We can’t even keep from dying, because all of us are going to die. No wonder the Bible says, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God,” because a man that would deny the existence of God is a fool.

Prayer for the day

Almighty God, help me to live in such a way, that when I tell others of Your existence, they will be drawn to acknowledge and receive You.

 

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GuidePosts

Guideposts – Devotions for Women – The Power of Personal Experience

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Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.—2 Corinthians 1:3–4 (NIV)

Someone said, “The courage it takes to share your story might be the very thing someone else needs to open their heart to hope.” Reflect on your life, and ask Jesus to help you find ways to inspire others and give them hope by sharing a personal experience.

Dear Lord, guide me to bless others with my story.

 

 

https://guideposts.org/daily-devotions/devotions-for-women/devotions-for-faith-prayer-devotions-for-women/

Every Man Ministry

Every Man Ministry – Kenny Luck – Misplaced Passions

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My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight. ––Proverbs 3:21

A man asked himself a question as he sat on the edge of a bed in a swanky hotel suite, sitting next to and chatting amiably with the naked playmate of the month. He says to himself, How long can this go on? How much can you want? How much can you have?  

He eventually arrived at the ultimate question: Can you have too much fun?

God’s man is called to invest his passions in the service of life, not invest his life in the service of his passions. God knows we have a finite amount of energy to devote to something, and He designed that energy to be put toward knowing and loving Him and His love for us. The object you worship hijacks your soul, morphs your characters, and transforms your conduct. In Raymond Chandler’s classic LA noir novel The Long Goodbye, hard-boiled detective Philip Marlowe

 says this about his object of worship: “Alcohol is like love. First kiss is magic, the second is intimate, the third is routine. After that, you take the girl’s clothes off.”

Polluting our soul is Satan’s goal. He wants to put sand in your spiritual gas tank. He will try to infect you with desires to increase, indulge, and impress. He will try hard to get you to blend worldly passions into your godliest passions. Satan’s deception is this: Material things are safe to love because they are easy to love—they require nothing, they are soulless. Don’t worship things, or become more concerned with the things you have or don’t have than God and people. Don’t be deceived by your biggest enemy.

Before you take that first sip of whatever “thing” you have in front of you, check the label. Imbibe only in those things that draw you closer to the Father.

Father, I am so vulnerable without you. Thank you for placing your Holy Spirit in me, may I never have a lapse of memory regarding your love for me.

 

 

Every Man Ministries

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – A Creator We Can Trust

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Bible in a Year :

God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son.

John 3:16

Today’s Scripture & Insight :

John 3:10-17

The “monster” in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is one of the most widely known literary characters, captivating our cultural imagination. But close readers of the beloved novel know that a strong case can be made that Shelley actually portrays Victor Frankenstein, the delusional scientist who created the creature, as the real monster. After creating an intelligent creature, Victor denies him any guidance, companionship, or hope of happiness—seemingly guaranteeing the creature’s descent into desperation and rage. Confronting Victor, the creature laments, “You, my creator, would tear me to pieces and triumph.”

Scripture reveals how different the true Creator of all things is—with unchanging, tireless love for His creation. God didn’t create on a whim, but out of love created a beautiful, “very good” world (Genesis 1:31). And even when humanity turned from Him to choose monstrous evil instead, God’s commitment to and love for humanity didn’t change.

As Jesus explained to Nicodemus, God’s love for His creation was so great He was willing to give even what was most dear to Him—“his one and only Son” (John 3:16)—that the world might be saved. Jesus sacrificed Himself, bearing the consequences of our sin, so “that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him” (v. 15).

We have a Creator we can trust with our hearts and lives.

By:  Monica La Rose

Reflect & Pray

How does God’s commitment to His creation impact you? How can you respond to His love for you?

Dear God, thank You for being a good Creator who I can trust.  

 

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Making Wise Choices

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I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.

Romans 7:15 (NIV)

Have you ever said or done something in a moment of intense emotion and then said, “I can’t believe that I just behaved that way”? Have you ever felt shocked or perhaps embarrassed about your words or actions? We’ve all had this experience. Even the apostle Paul, who wrote today’s scripture, struggled to do the things he knew he should do and not do the things he shouldn’t.

Without God’s help we have difficulty doing things in moderation. We may eat too much, spend too much, entertain ourselves too much, or say too much. When we give in to excess, we feel like doing something, so we do it, giving no thought to the consequences. Later, we regret it.

We don’t have to live in regret. The Holy Spirit enables us to make wise choices. He urges us, guides us, and leads us, but we still have to cast the deciding vote. If you have been casting an unhealthy or foolish vote, all you need to do is change it. Make a decision not to do what you feel like doing unless it agrees with God’s will.

Wise choices have nothing to do with feelings. You do not have to feel a certain way to choose to make good decisions. Making wise choices isn’t always easy, but it is much better than suffering the consequences of a foolish decision. Even when something is not easy, through Christ we can choose to have a positive attitude because we know we are using wisdom in our lives.

Prayer of the Day: Help me, God, to follow Your Holy Spirit and make wise choices.

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Why should you care that today is the National Day of Prayer?

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Why should you care that today is the National Day of Prayer? You know the correct answers to the question, of course:

  • You are to pray for our leaders and thus for our nation (1 Timothy 2:1–2).
  • You are in fact to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
  • You want God’s best for our country and her people.
  • It is a patriotic privilege to join with other Christians in interceding for America.

All good responses, obviously. Here’s one more:

Americans find themselves, and there is no reasonable way to deny this, in a moment of profound crisis. The country is changing, and the substance of that transformation is not clear. Americans are divided, and those divisions go well beyond ideological differences. They cut to the marrow of the bone. Too often we see each other as enemies. Disagreement is saturated with contempt. Mutuality drowns in the bitterness of our public discourse. The sense of common purpose and public good has been thrown into the trash bin as we huddle in our silos.

Is this the doomsaying of an extremist ranting on social media to get clicks and likes?

Actually, these are the observations of Dr. Eddie S. Glaude Jr., the James C. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor at Princeton University and former president of the American Academy of Religion. His solution to our crisis frames the discussion I’d like us to have today:

The salvation of democracy itself . . . requires that we understand that democratic flourishing cannot be, in John Dewey’s words, “separated from the individual attitudes so deep-seated as to constitute character.”

Then Dr. Glaude makes this point in italics:

We must be the kinds of people democracies require.

How can we be such people today?

Using a fly swatter to play golf

It is a category mistake to use something for a purpose it was not intended to fulfill. You wouldn’t use a fly swatter to play golf or a bicycle to travel to Hawaii.

Neither should we expect temporal strategies to satisfy eternal needs. The psalmist spoke for us all when he testified, “I am a sojourner on the earth” (Psalm 119:19).

Jesus identified the path to the transformation Americans need for the sake of America: “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

St. Cyril of Alexandria (AD 376–444) commented on Jesus’ statement:

Just as the trunk of the vine gives its own natural properties to each of its branches, so, by bestowing on them the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, the only-begotten Son of the Father, gives Christians a certain kinship with himself and with God the Father because they have been united to him by faith and determination to do his will in all things. He helps them to grow in love and reverence for God, and teaches them to discern right from wrong and to act with integrity.

What does this mean in practical terms?

Courageous prayer and the courage to pray

The Bible says Abraham “grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God” (Romans 4:20). There is a reciprocal relationship at work here: The more I glorify God, the stronger I grow in my faith. Then, the stronger I grow in my faith, the more I glorify God. The closer I am to the “light of men” (John 1:4), the more I reflect his light and am changed by it. And the more I am changed by it, the more I reflect it.

When King Darius commanded the Babylonians to pray only to him, Daniel courageously defied this idolatrous edict by continuing to pray to the one true God (Daniel 6:6–10). What we might overlook in reading this story is the possibility that Daniel’s continued prayer gave him the courage to defy the edict. The more he prayed, the more he was empowered to pray.

How does this conversation relate to today’s National Day of Prayer?

The more we pray for our nation, the more our connection with God through prayer will empower and encourage us to pray for our nation. And the more we are empowered to pray, the more we will want to pray.

Then, when we have been thus empowered by the Spirit, we are more equipped and enabled to be the answer to our prayers:

  • As we pray for Americans to come to Christ, we are more likely to lead them to Christ through our witness and example.
  • As we pray for our leaders, we are more likely to engage with them personally and to enter public service ourselves.
  • As we pray for our nation to turn to biblical truth and morality, we are more likely to become the change we wish to see.

In short, praying for our nation on this day—and every day—is one of the most patriotic ways we can serve our nation. As a result of such a commitment, we will “be the kinds of people democracies require.”

May it begin with me.

And with you.

Thursday news to know:

Quote for the day:

“The whole reason why we pray is to be united into the vision and contemplation of God to whom we pray.” —Julian of Norwich

 

Denison Forum

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – Wandering Stars

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by Henry M. Morris III, D.Min.

“[They are] wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.” (Jude 1:13)

This short reference is somewhat enigmatic. The five “wandering stars” of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn were clearly known in Jude’s day, and their behavior had been plotted for many centuries. The Bible also uses “stars” as figures of speech for angelic beings in Job and Revelation.

It is clear in context that Jude is referencing ungodly people, most likely influential leaders in the churches who are damaging and defiling the work of the kingdom. The particular focus of this example is that they are “reserved” for a “blackness of darkness for ever.”

Earlier, Jude cited “the angels which kept not their first estate” as being “reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day” (v. 6). Peter alludes to the same punishment of “angels that sinned” who were delivered “into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment” (2 Peter 2:4).

But it does not appear that Jude is speaking of angels in today’s text. Beginning in verse 8, Jude begins to tie his illustrations to people—leaders who are misusing their role and privileges for evil rather than good. All of the previous examples are obvious: filthy dreamers, natural beasts, those behaving like Cain, Balaam, or Korah—even the waterless clouds, fruitless trees, and foaming waves are easily compared to human behavior.

How do we apply this illustration? Since the Creator made all things, His revealed Word often provides insight about the true nature of the universe long before we discover it. Comets were observed in Old Testament times. Today we know that they “wander” for some time but eventually dissipate into “the blackness of darkness for ever.” Just so, these “stars” may wow some for a season, but they are reserved for an eternity in hell. HMM III

 

 

 

 

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

My Utmost for His Highest

My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers – The Passion of Patience

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Though it linger, wait for it. — Habakkuk 2:3

Patience is not indifference. Patience is an immensely strong rock, withstanding all onslaughts. The vision of God is the source of patience, because it gives moral inspiration. Moses was able to be patient, not because he had a sense of duty but because he had the vision of God: “He persevered because he saw him who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:27). If God gives you a time of temptation in the wilderness, when there is no word from him at all, be patient. The power to endure is yours because you see God.

A person who has had a vision of God is devoted to God himself, not to any particular cause or issue. You always know if the vision you’re having is of God because of the inspiration it brings. When you see God, everything around you is energized. Everything is larger, more vibrant, more.

“Though it linger, wait for it.” The proof that we have the vision is that we are reaching out for more than we have grasped. It is a bad thing to be satisfied spiritually. We have the tendency to look for satisfaction in our experience. We think that because we’ve experienced salvation and sanctification, we have the power to endure anything. The instant we begin to think this way, we are on the road to ruin. If we have nothing more than our experiences, we have nothing. If we have the inspiration of the vision of God, we have more than we can experience.

Never let yourself relax spiritually. Press on toward your goal. “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me” (Philippians 3:12).

1 Kings 12-13; Luke 22:1-20

 

 

https://utmost.org/

Billy Graham

Billy Graham – God Is in Nature

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When I consider thy heavens . . .
—Psalm 8:3

To look into a microscope is to see another universe so small that only the electronic microscope can even find it. For instance, it is revealed that one single snowflake in a snowstorm with millions of other snowflakes is the equivalent of twenty billion electrons. Scientists are learning that the miniature world of a single living cell is as astonishing as man himself. God says that we can learn a great deal about Him just by observing nature. Because He has spoken through His universe, all men are without excuse for not believing in Him. This is why the Psalmist said, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God” (Psalm 14:1).

Prayer for the day

The infinitesimal beauty of Your creation speaks to my heart of the certainty of Your presence, almighty and everlasting God.

 

 

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GuidePosts

Guideposts – Devotions for Women – Reward Yourself

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The one who gets wisdom loves life; the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper.—Proverbs 19:8 (NIV)

Are you a good friend to yourself? Do you ever reward yourself by doing something that makes your spirit soar and your heart sing? Reflect on your accomplishments and the many life lessons you have learned. Treat yourself. You deserve it.

Dear God, sometimes I put myself at the end of my to-do list. Today, help me remember that being good to myself is essential for my wellbeing.

 

 

https://guideposts.org/daily-devotions/devotions-for-women/devotions-for-faith-prayer-devotions-for-women/

Every Man Ministry

Every Man Ministry – A Gift to Give

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To know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. ––Ephesians 3:19

Grace. It is a gift from God and it is a gift to be passed forward. Jesus illustrated this in the Parable of the Wicked Servant (Matthew 18:25-31). His point: You didn’t deserve grace but now that you have it, you better give it as liberally as you received it. If we don’t, this same thing grieves the Holy Spirit. The fact is, the Holy Spirit heals by leading and prompting all believers to show to others what God has shown them in the person of Christ.

One of my favorite episodes in the Word is when Jesus forgives the thief on the cross. Jesus saw that His heart was repentant, and so He gave Him grace. The thief knew that Jesus didn’t deserve to be crucified, and saw beyond his own pain to acknowledge that. Is it possible for us to do that for others?

By honestly and sincerely saying a prayer we can restore equilibrium in this area. This prayer acknowledges that, in spite of our best intentions, we can sadden and disappoint the Holy Spirit. Pray this prayer as a simple realignment, or if a relationship is challenging you in the area of forgiveness.

Holy Spirit, thank you for helping me feel God’s grace, mercy, and acceptance. I am sorry for not reproducing this experience more in my relationship with others. I don’t want to grieve you by being greedy with your grace. I want God’s grace to flow to me and through me. Remind me of what you went through on the cross for me.  Remind me of my mission here on earth to be an agent of that same grace. Help me to let go of resentments and trade them in for your grace.

Make me an encouragement like you, building others up in simple ways—with my wife, with my children, with those not like me, and with those you will bring into my life today. As you heal me with Your grace and love, explode that healing out of me to heal my relationships. I don’t want to grieve you; I want just to please you, Amen.

 

Every Man Ministries