Monthly Archives: July 2024

Harbinger’s Daily News

The Rapture Is The Catalyst That Will Suddenly Change Everything

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If you are like me, you wonder how much closer we can get to the start of the Tribulation before we meet Jesus in the air. When I wrote about nearness of the seal judgments (Revelation 6) a couple of years ago, I thought that by now, they surely would have at least begun.

The globalists themselves seem frustrated at the lack of progress in implementing their agenda. The WEF (World Economic Forum) joined with the UN last fall in recommitting themselves to attaining all of the UN’s seventeen Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. They know something is holding back their diabolical plans to enslave the world under a totalitarian Marxist regime. We know it’s the restraining force of the Holy Spirit (see 2 Thessalonians 2:3-8).

The closer we get to the start of the Day of the Lord, the more we understand how the Rapture will serve as a catalyst to jumpstart many of the events we read about in the book of Revelation.

I imagine an electronic jigsaw puzzle where all the other pieces light up after someone puts the last one in its proper place. In this case, it’s the Rapture. It’s the missing piece.

We Are So Close

It’s never been more apparent just how rapidly the world will descend into utter chaos following our disappearance.

Paul described the antichrist as the “man of lawlessness” and wrote that “the mystery of lawlessness is already at work” (2 Thessalonians 2:3, 7). The increase of lawlessness in just the past ten years staggers the imagination. Who would have ever thought we would see a sign on the streets of San Francisco warning thieves they would face prosecution if they stole items exceeding $950 in total value?

Major store chains in the U.S. report shoplifting in billions of dollars per year.

Inflation in the U.S. is much higher than reported and hurting many, many people. Even so, it’s only by the Lord’s restraining hand that we have not yet reached the dire economic conditions described in Revelation 6:5-6. It’s clear that such astronomical inflation is right on our doorstep. I say this because of what I see in America:

  • Our national debt is rapidly approaching $35 trillion. We have added over $2 trillion dollars to that total since October 1, 2023!
  • The printing of money to cover America’s massive national debt will lead to devastating hyperinflation; it’s unavoidable. Many wonder why this hasn’t already happened.
  • Illegal immigration is also accelerating the current pace of inflation. The money that the government prints and gives to people breaking the law in this way increases the demand for the same amount of goods; this is the fundamental cause of inflation.
  • Fires at food processing plants, the bird flu, and the globalists’ plans to curtail farming and eliminate cattle will continue to put upward pressure on food prices everywhere in the world.

I could cite much more evidence pointing to the nearness of all the judgments of Revelation chapter 6, but it’s time for good news.

Suddenly

If anything, the multiplicity of signs pointing to the nearness of the Tribulation reminds us that the Rapture and the judgments that follow it will happen suddenly. In the midst of writing about the Lord’s appearing to take us home, Paul addresses the abruptness to the start of the Day of the Lord in 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3: “For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘There is peace and security,’ then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.”

This “day” will strike the unsuspecting world like a bolt of lightning, but not for us. In 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10, the Lord promises to come for us before the start of the Day of the Lord. The “wrath” mentioned in these verses refers to what happens during the Day of the Lord, not to hell.

It will be a day just like today when we will instantly disappear. 1 Corinthians 15:52 tells us the Rapture will happen in the “twinkling of an eye,” which is quicker than a blink. Jesus’ direct intervention in the world will come without warning just as no one expects to discover a thief in their home in the middle of the night.

In the book of Revelation, Jesus tells us four times that “I am coming quickly” (3:11, 22:7, 12, 20). The Greek word for “quickly” is tachu, which in some cases is translated “soon.” In these verses, however, it refers to suddenness of Jesus’ return for us.

This is most definitely not a reference to the Second Coming, which will not happen with such abruptness. The events of Revelation 19:11-20:4 will likely occur over the course of several hours, if not several days. John earlier said that when Jesus comes “with the clouds … every eye will see him” (Revelation 1:7). The Rapture will happen before people have time to even blink, let alone witness it.

As watchers, we are well aware of the dangers of setting a date for the Lord’s appearing. Whenever we mention the nearness of the Rapture, someone always seems to remind us of this.

As we see the Tribulation rapidly approaching our world, however, would it not also be an equally serious mistake to assume that the Rapture will not happen today or this week, month, or year? I believe so.

The New Testament closes with the word of the verses below, which include Jesus’ last recorded message to His church: “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen” (Revelation 22:20-21)

The closer we get to the start of the Day of the Lord, the clearer it becomes how the Rapture will unravel all pretenses of “peace and security” in the world, open the door for the seal judgments of Revelation 6 to occur, and lead to the appearing of the antichrist.

Jonathan Brentner is an author, writer, and Bible Teacher with a passion for encouraging believers with a sound biblical worldview and the nearness of Jesus’ appearing.

 

The Rapture Is The Catalyst That Will Suddenly Change Everything

News and Info

American Farmers Are Pretty Happy With That SCOTUS Fish Decision

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In all the brouhaha the Friday after the disastrous debate between Trump and POTATUS, a pretty important Supreme Court decision came down. SCOTUS overturned the long-time deference to what was called “The Chevron Doctrine.” The ruling cheered the hearts of so many freedom lovers who had watched in horror as bureaucratic tyrants took over the administration of law, regulatory power, and punishment that are constitutionally the purview of Congress alone.

For the decades the Chevron deference was in effect, it meant that bureaucrats had almost unfettered power to create new laws and regulations out of thin air and impose penalties for running afoul of them. Court cases that challenged said authority invariably defaulted to the department in question because, in instances where there were vagaries in a statute or language, the previous SCOTUS Chevron decision said deference must be given then “to the agency’s interpretation of the language.”

The US Supreme Court’s ruling on the Chevron doctrine in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo (Loper), will profoundly impact multiple industries regulated by federal agencies that have grown accustomed to being the ultimate arbiter of ambiguous language in their applicable laws, rules and regulations. Those days are over—courts no longer have to defer to federal agencies when resolving such ambiguities.

Originally decided in 1984, Chevron became a watershed decision in which courts used its two-part test as the standard for interpreting when a statute is ambiguous or silent, deferring to the administrative agency’s reasonable interpretation of the statutory language. Chevron U.S.A. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, 467 US 837 (1984)…

No longer do politically appointed federal bureaucrats have the power to make rules as they go along.

…The theory underlying the deference afforded agencies in Chevron is that experts who work within federal agencies are often better attuned to the impact of new laws and how they should be implemented within the context of specific industry practices, policies and trends. For example, Judge Friendly once noted that Medicaid law is “almost unintelligible to the uninitiated.” For heavily regulated industries like healthcare and securities, in the wake of Loper, judges across the US, many of whom are unfamiliar with the complexity of the relevant regulatory schemes, may offer potentially conflicting interpretations of the same statute, rule or regulation, thereby creating challenges for industry participants who need to conduct business throughout the country. Of course, the theory underpinning Chevron has its limitations as regulators’ views can change over time. Afterall, the heads of federal agencies promulgating and enforcing their rules and regulations are political appointees who are not necessarily constrained by prior agency practice.

We all cheered the news when it broke, even though we were wrapped up in debate fall-out to boot. Agencies with a good comeuppance due them sprang immediately to mind – Energy with their recently announced and ridiculous CAFE standards, the EPA working in concert with them over banning natural gas stoves and ruining your refrigerator. Just for starters.

As Ilya Shapiro said (well, sort of), “Whoda thunk it?”

Whoever thought that an obscure case about fishing regulations would bring down a core part of modern administrative law, the rules that govern the executive-branch agencies that write the rules by which we live our lives? In Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, the Supreme Court has overturned the 1984 case Chevron U.S.A. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, which told judges to defer to “reasonable” agency interpretations of their operative statutes. Originally meant to streamline the Reagan administration’s deregulatory agenda in the face of judicial obstruction, the doctrine wound up enabling a ratcheting up of bureaucratic bloat.

Good for the Court to recognize that its 40-year-old experiment in rebalancing the relationship between administration and judicial review has failed. And indeed, the Court itself hasn’t used the doctrine in nearly a decade. As Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in his majority opinion (joined by five colleagues): “At this point all that remains of Chevron is a decaying husk with false pretensions.”

It’s been a couple of weeks now, and there is an idea of what size tsunami of change, thanks to this decision, might actually wash through the office buildings in D.C.

For example, the Food and Drug Administration has wide latitude to set its own rules, as does the Security and Exchange Commission. Both have been under increasing scrutiny and incurring broader legal action against certain of their dictates. But now, with Chevron gone, do the lawsuits about their rules become a deluge? What about the climate-related disclosure requirements that the SEC has set up? Both agencies are ripe for a litigation explosion.

I hadn’t thought about the impact on American agriculture, either, until I got one of my little newsletters this morning. Farmers are hoping this decision will get a number of government monkeys off their backs and are thanking the menhaden fishermen for going the SCOTUS distance.

…This ruling by the Supreme Court throws a wet blanket on how government agencies have operated for the past 40 years.

Predictably, bureaucrats are now playing the Chicken Little card saying the sky will fall, rivers will turn red, and the skies will turn black. Meanwhile, businesses and many average joes are celebrating the ruling saying maybe – just maybe –a little common sense has been restored in how our lives and businesses are regulated on a daily basis.

The Ripple Effect
Could this be the nudge needed so we can start to have some truly honest two-sided discussions about things like gas stoves, gasoline cars, and burping cows before we hastily put everything we know out to pasture? Maybe the world, in which every day is a new day with another new regulation, will finally stop spinning or at least slow down.

There is no doubt the overturning of the Chevron Doctrine will certainly clip the powers of federal agencies to issue regulations. This will most heavily impact agriculture when it comes to federal regulations surrounding food and drug safety, environmental and welfare standards. The real world impact at the agency level is that these regulations will be harder to create and enforce, affecting progressive efforts in specific areas like agriculture runoff, wetland protection, climate, and animal treatment guidelines.

…For example, this could thwart the Biden Administration’s EPA’s unwavering push to regulate the waters of the U.S — down to the sometimes dry creek running through your back 40. This ruling essentially puts the EPA up a creek without a paddle.

…Here’s a tip of the cap, to some scrappy East Coast fishermen. Well done!

Republicans are also determined to look into any actions implemented because of the Chevron deference and “rollback” the executive overreach when they find it.

…The conservative Republican Study Committee (RSC) said House committees “have an opportunity to review any regulatory action that was justified by Chevron deference toward agency interpretation.” The RSC views the overturning of Chevron as a way to “reclaim congressional authority” and roll back what they see as executive overreach. The committee’s memo encouraged its members to “scour Biden-era regulatory actions and highlight any that should be considered for judicial review post-Chevron.” This indicates a specific focus on reviewing and potentially challenging regulations implemented during the Biden administration.

That’s the way to do it.

And not a minute too soon.

This is a whale of a good fish story with what could be a really happy ending.

BEEGE WELBORN 7:00 PM | July 12, 2024

Source: American Farmers Are Pretty Happy With That SCOTUS Fish Decision – HotAir

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – From Age to Age

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Bible in a Year :

Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Exodus 7:7

 

Today’s Scripture & Insight :

Exodus 7:1-13

Two grandmothers from Texas became media sensations recently for completing a journey around the world in eighty days at the age of eighty-one. The globetrotting best friends of twenty-three years traveled to all seven continents. They started in Antarctica, tangoed in Argentina, rode camels in Egypt, and took a sleigh ride while at the North Pole. They visited eighteen countries including Zambia, India, Nepal, Indonesia, Japan, and Italy and ended their trip in Australia. The duo said they hoped they’d inspired future generations to enjoy traveling the world, regardless of their age.

In Exodus, we read about two octogenarians who were recruited by God for a different kind of adventure of a lifetime. He called Moses to go to Pharaoh and demand he free God’s people from bondage. God sent Moses’ older brother Aaron for support. “Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh” (Exodus 7:7).

This request would feel daunting at any age, but God had handpicked these brothers for this assignment, and they followed His instructions. “So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded” (v. 10).

Moses and Aaron had the honor of witnessing God deliver His people from more than four hundred years of slavery. These men demonstrate that He can use us at any age. Whether we’re young or older, let’s follow Him wherever He leads.

By:  Nancy Gavilanes

Reflect & Pray

How have you seen God’s faithfulness in your life? How can you serve Him in this season?

Dear God, please help me to follow You all the days of my life.

 

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – The Power of the Holy Spirit

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But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you….

Acts 1:8 (AMPC)

The Spirit of God gives power to those who want to hear His voice and serve Him. A person may desire to do something and not have the power to do it, but that power can come through receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

You may remember that Jesus was baptized by immersion in water, but He was also baptized in the Holy Spirit. In other words, He was immersed in power, which enabled Him to do the task His Father sent Him to do. Acts 10:38 says, God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power,” and that He “went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him (NKJV ). Before Jesus’ public ministry began, He was anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we are able to hear God’s voice more clearly and we are equipped for service in the kingdom of God because we are able to draw on the power (ability, efficiency, and might) of the Holy Spirit we received when He came upon us to be His witnesses. This power enables us to do what God wants us to do.

It is important to see that Jesus did not do any miracles or other mighty acts until after He was empowered by the Holy Spirit. If Jesus needed the power of the Spirit, we certainly do, too. Ask Him to fill you with the power of His Spirit today and every day.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, thank You for Your Holy Spirit. Thank You for forgiving me, leading me, strengthening me, and guiding me through the peace only found in You. Fine tune my heart to always receive and follow peace, amen.

 

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Is J. D. Vance’s story “an only-in-America tale”?

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Donald Trump’s selection of J. D. Vance as his running mate continues to generate headlines this morning, and for good reason. As David A. Graham writes in the Atlantic, “J. D. Vance’s rapid rise from obscurity to the vice-presidential nomination is an only-in-America tale.” Consider the facts and judge for yourself:

  • James David Vance grew up in a broken home in rural Ohio, surrounded by economic and social decline.
  • His parents divorced when he was a toddler. His mother struggled with substance abuse, so he was raised by his grandmother.
  • He enlisted in the Marines, served in Iraq, then graduated in two years summa cum laude from Ohio State University, where he majored in political science and philosophy.
  • He earned a law degree at Yale, where he served as editor of the Yale Law Review.
  • He wrote Hillbilly Elegy, a bestselling memoir of the travails of working-class America. The book was made into a movie directed by Ron Howard.
  • He founded a venture capital firm, then was elected to the Senate on his first try.
  • At thirty-nine years of age, he has been nominated for vice president of the United States.

Now consider his counterpart:

  • Kamala Devi Harris was born in Oakland, California. Her mother emigrated from India to attend the University of California, Berkeley, where she met Harris’s Jamaican-born father, Donald. Her mother became a cancer researcher, while her father became a Stanford University economics professor.
  • Her parents divorced when she was seven years old. At age twelve, she moved with her mother and sister to Montreal, where she attended high school and founded a dance troupe.
  • She graduated from Howard University in Washington, DC, majoring in political science and economics and serving on the debate team. She earned a JD in 1989, worked as a deputy district attorney in Alameda County, California, and was elected San Francisco district attorney in 2003.
  • She was elected California attorney general in 2010, the first African American and the first woman to hold the position.
  • In 2016, she became the second African American woman and first South Asian American woman to be elected to the US Senate.
  • In 2020, she was elected vice president of the United States, becoming the first female, the first Black, and the first Asian American to hold the position.

Both are “made-in-America” narratives. But as we’ll see today, there’s more to the story.

“From a nation of joiners to a nation of loners”

Our national ethos, as expressed in our founding declaration that “all men are created equal,” especially encourages the rise of individuals from obscurity to the highest levels of power.

But over the generations, this declaration has morphed from “all men are created equal” to “all people are equal.” Darwin taught us that we are not the purposeful creation of God but the coincidental product of natural selection. Freud convinced many that belief in a Creator is a fantasy based on the infantile need for a dominant father figure. Postmodernists have persuaded our culture that all truth claims are personal and subjective (which, of course, is an objective truth claim).

As a result, according to existentialist philosopher Martin Heidegger, we are actors on a stage with no script, audience, director, past, or future. Courage, he claimed, is facing the meaninglessness of life as it is.

How’s this working for us?

The Wall Street Journal interviewed a variety of Americans about their feelings following the attempted assassination of Donald Trump last Saturday. According to the article, “they pointed fingers and expressed anger, fear, and heartbreak.” However, nearly to a person, “they also expressed a sense of dread, saying there seems to be no good news on the horizon.”

They are not alone. According to the New York Times, our country has been transformed in recent decades “from a nation of joiners to a nation of loners.” The article interviews Harvard political scientist Robert Putnam, whose research shows that in the last fifty years, political polarization, economic inequality, and individualistic morality have fomented an epidemic of social isolation and loneliness.

Is this the epitaph of our age?

This is where the uniqueness of the biblical worldview is especially relevant.

On the one hand, Christians believe that we are each created personally by God in his image (Genesis 1:27) and so valuable to him that his Son died to purchase our salvation (Romans 5:8). On the other, we also believe that we are members of a larger body (1 Corinthians 12:27) who find our ultimate purpose and joy in community with our spiritual family.

You and I can experience the abundant life of Christ only through a personal, passionate union with him. He taught us, “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). As Oswald Chambers notes, “The essential thing is my personal relationship to Jesus Christ. . . . To fulfill God’s design means entire abandonment to him.”

But we are only one of the branches on the vine. We are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). We experience God most fully in community. When we pray for each other, serve each other, hold each other accountable to biblical truth, and serve Jesus with each other, we offer our broken culture a redemptive community they can find nowhere else.

This adage could therefore be the epitaph of our age:

“With God, all things are possible. Without God, all things are permissible.”

Choose wisely today.

Wednesday news to know:

*Denison Forum does not necessarily endorse the views expressed in these stories.

Quote for the day:

“Once we deeply trust that we ourselves are precious in God’s eyes, we are able to recognize the preciousness of others and their unique places in God’s heart.” —Henri Nouwen

 

Denison Forum

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – Wonderful Things to Come

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by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.

“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9)

This fantastic promise refers back to another great promise given by God to His people: “For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him” (Isaiah 64:4).

The Old Testament promise applied primarily to the nation of Israel, but its New Testament extension incorporates it in a global promise to all who love the Lord of glory, “crucified” by “the princes of this world” (1 Corinthians 2:8), the One who was also the Savior of the world.

Comparison of the two prophetic promises yields three vital truths. First, these things that God has prepared for His loved ones have been in view “since the beginning of the world” and have been revealed in part by the prophets, who have been speaking also “since the world began” (Luke 1:70).

Second, those who “wait for him” in the Old Testament are synonymous with those who “love him” in the New. The apostle Paul joins both themes together when he says: “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness …and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8).

Finally, we cannot even begin to comprehend the glorious things God has prepared for those who love Him and wait for Him. In some measure, the Spirit later revealed them in part through John’s eyes and ears when he saw “the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven” and heard “a great voice out of heaven saying…God himself shall be with them, and be their God” (Revelation 21:2-3). Then our eyes shall fully see, and our ears hear, and our hearts understand the fullness of God’s love in Christ. HMM

 

 

 

 

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

My Utmost for His Highest

My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers – The Miracle of Belief

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My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words. —1 Corinthians 2:4

Paul was a scholar and an orator of the highest abilities. When he says that he didn’t use “wise and persuasive words” in delivering the gospel, he isn’t speaking out of self-deprecating humility. He’s saying that if he’d tried to impress people with his talent when he preached the gospel, he would have veiled the power of God. Paul knew that belief in Jesus is a miracle produced by the redemption—by the sheer, unaided power of God—not by making fancy speeches.

As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are called to follow Paul’s example. If we are going to preach the gospel, we must practice a special kind of fasting—not from food but rather from eloquence and impressive diction, from everything that might hinder the word of God coming through us to reach others. The power of the redemption does flow through the preaching of the gospel, but we have to recognize that this power is never due to the personality or the eloquence of the preacher.

“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us” (2 Corinthians 5:20). Preachers are representatives of God. We are commissioned to present his gospel, not human ideals. If it’s only because of my charisma that people desire to be better, they’ll never get anywhere near Jesus Christ. Anything that flatters me in my preaching will end in making me a traitor to Jesus, because I will prevent the creative power of his redemption from doing its work. “And I,” said Jesus, “when I am lifted up . . . will draw all people to myself” (John 12:32).

Psalms 18-19; Acts 20:17-38

 

https://utmost.org/

Billy Graham

Billy Graham – Jesus to the Rescue

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God is our refuge and strength, a tested help in times of trouble.
—Psalm 46:1 (TLB)

Scripture tells us that God tempts no one. Temptation always comes from the devil. God will test us and allow us to endure the temptation, but the devil does the tempting. How do we overcome it? A little girl once told her method. “When the devil comes knocking at the door,” she said, “I don’t answer it. I send Jesus to the door.” And that is exactly the way to take care of it. Send Jesus to the door!

We all face temptation. How will you handle it next time it comes knocking?

Lea este devocional en español en es.billygraham.org.

Prayer for the day

Lord Jesus, help me to remember the power of Your holy name!

 

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GuidePosts

Guideposts – Devotions for Women – The Joy of Praising God

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Hallelujah! Praise God from heaven, praise him from the mountaintops; Praise him, all you his angels, praise him, all you his warriors, Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, you morning stars; Praise him, high heaven, praise him, heavenly rain clouds; Praise, oh let them praise the name of God—he spoke the word, and there they were!—Psalm 148:1 (MSG)

Try to say the above verse without sounding excited. It’s almost impossible! Just reading the words fills you with the joy of knowing that you serve a mighty God. When your spirit needs a boost, spend a few minutes praising Jesus. Invite joy into your life. Praise Him for who He is, what He’s done and what He has promised to do.

Heavenly Father, thank You for being my victorious Savior, best friend and Holy Lord.

 

 

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

Every Man Ministry

Every Man Ministry – Kenny Luck -Who Am I? 

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The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.  ––Romans 8:15-16

 

The Holy Spirit changes the way we think about ourselves to create a secure and accepted man who seeks to please God. Versus what? An insecure man who battles for the acceptance of others, seeks to please people, and who loses his identity in the process. The Holy Spirit tells us over and over, “Your dad loves you.” When we let in the truth about how God feels about us, we transform and become “more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37).

The Holy Spirit reminds me of my future, which gives me confidence in the present. When a man feels good about the vision he is working toward, he confidently pursues it. If you have time to prepare for a cross-country drive, don’t you feel more confident than if you wake up one morning and are suddenly told without warning?

The Holy Spirit reminds every believer that a very specific process of becoming like Christ and a very specific plan for the future will be executed because we are in Christ. I call it the end zone dance. Or using our cross-country trip metaphor, you could call it the terminus. The destination.  It is a moment in time when we celebrate the victory of Christ and our own part in that victory. The end zone destination is in sight, as is the glory that goes with it.

When the Holy Spirit enlightens a man, He explains and makes clear the will of God. His personality and mission are intimately linked to affecting our thinking and in doing so, He influences our living. His knowledge, power, authority, and proximity to God’s man gives the Holy Spirit the swing vote on all matters of life.

Don’t leave your life journey in the hands of anyone but the Holy Spirit.

Father, You see me as more than a conqueror in spite of how I see myself. Thank You for plotting my course in life and guiding me toward the end zone.

 

 

Every Man Ministries

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – News Worth Celebrating

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Bible in a Year :

Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him.

2 Timothy 2:11

Today’s Scripture & Insight :

2 Timothy 2:8-13

For more than two centuries, the hymn placed first in the Methodist hymnbook was “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing.” Written by Charles Wesley and originally titled “For the Anniversary Day of One’s Conversion,” the song was composed to commemorate the radical renewal sparked by his faith in Jesus. It has eighteen stanzas proclaiming the glory of God’s goodness to those who repent and follow Christ.

Such faith is worth celebrating—and worth sharing. In 2 Timothy 2, Paul encourages Timothy to remain steadfast in his faith and to persevere in sharing it. He noted, “This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal” (vv. 8-9). Rather than second-guess his choices, Paul reminds Timothy to remember the good-news message: “Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David” (v. 8), came not to rule but to serve and ultimately to die for the sins of the world so that we may have peace with God. Death didn’t win. Jesus rose from the grave.

And just as it set free those who believe, the message itself isn’t bound. “God’s word is not chained,” said Paul (v. 9), not even from places where death seems to have won: prison cells, hospital beds, gravesides. In Christ, there’s hope for all people. That’s news worth celebrating!

By:  Matt Lucas

Reflect & Pray

How do you celebrate the good news of Jesus in your daily life? Whom can you share this good news with?

Father, thank You for saving me and giving me opportunities to share the good news with everyone.

 

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – With God’s Help

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For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance shall arise for the Jews from elsewhere, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows but that you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this and for this very occasion?

Esther 4:14 (AMPC)

One of the most confident women we find in the Bible is Esther, who rescued her people from certain death at the hands of an evil and hateful man. Though her beauty didn’t hurt, it was her character and quiet confidence that helped her find favor with the king, Xerxes. She took a great risk when she made her way to Xerxes’ inner court uninvited. But God honored her and the prayers that the other Jews were praying, and Xerxes received her warmly. In the end, Esther saved her people from perishing.

Confidence is holding on to a strong faith in God, a faith that is backed up with a complete knowledge and understanding that with God’s help you can do anything. Fear brings a lack of confidence in God and in you. It is a destructive, debilitating belief that “you can’t.” As a woman, you can do amazing things, but you will have to become confident. Replace your fears with confidence and watch what God can do. God always does His part, making seemingly impossible things possible!

Prayer of the Day: Lord, with Your help, Esther saved her people, and with Your help, I can do the impossible. I look forward to the great things You are going to do in my life, amen.

 

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Remembering Corey Comperatore

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A “real-life superhero” and the pathway to sacrificial courage

Today’s news cycle is being dominated by former President Donald Trump’s announcement of J. D. Vance as his running mate, the first night of the Republican National Convention, the dismissal of Mr. Trump’s classified documents case, and President Biden’s interview with NBC’s Lester Holt last night. However, I want to focus this morning on a story I don’t want us to miss before it fades from the headlines.

Corey Comperatore was an engineer, a former chief of the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Company in Pennsylvania, and a lifelong volunteer firefighter. He was also a husband and the father of two daughters.

When shots rang out last Saturday at a rally for former President Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, one of Corey’s daughters later described how her father reacted. “He shielded my body from the bullet that came at us,” she wrote in a social media post. “He loved his family. He truly loved us enough to take a real bullet for us.”

Corey Comperatore died defending those he loved. His daughter called him a “real-life superhero.”

“We are all on our last cruise”

Donald Trump’s near assassination illustrates John F. Kennedy’s prophetic statement: “If anyone is crazy enough to want to kill a president of the United States, he can do it. All he must be prepared to do is give his life for the president’s.” If the person presumably better protected than anyone in our country can be in mortal danger, so are we all.

Recent celebrity deaths include sex therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer, actress Shannon Doherty, and fitness guru Richard Simmons. Russian Czar Nicholas II and his family were executed on this day in 1918; John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife, and her sister perished in a plane crash on this day in 1999. Shark attacks and the rising threat of bird flu are in the news as well.

An American Airlines flight parked at its gate at San Francisco International Airport was evacuated recently because of smoke in the cabin. Metaphorically, we’re all on that flight. Robert Louis Stevenson made a similar point:  “Old and young, we are all on our last cruise.”

According to Jesus, none of us knows when our time will come: “Always be ready, because you don’t know the day or the hour the Son of Man will come” (Matthew 25:13 NCV). However, while we cannot know the hour of our death, we can prepare for it. We can decide today that we will respond as Corey Comperatore did: with sacrificial courage and selfless love.

How can we do this?

“No more stirring symbol of man’s humanity to man”

Aristotle taught: “Moral excellence comes about as a result of habit. We become just by doing just acts, temperate by doing temperate acts, brave by doing brave acts.”

One person said of Corey Comperatore’s sacrifice: “He was a firefighter. Why am I not surprised his instinct was to put his own body in harm’s way?” I have been privileged to pastor several firefighters over the years and can testify personally to the truth of this statement.

Kurt Vonnegut agreed: “I can think of no more stirring symbol of man’s humanity to man than a fire engine.” Think about it—when everyone else runs from the conflagration, firefighters run to it as quickly as they can get there, knowing they may not return.

The Greek historian Thucydides was right: “The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding go out to meet it.”

Stated succinctly: If we live for others today, we’re more likely to be willing to die for them tomorrow.

How can we do this?

“If we live, we live to the Lord”

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro testified that Corey Comperatore went to church every Sunday. This is unsurprising: A longtime friend called him “a great man who loved his family fiercely and did the same with God.”

As a result, Corey found in his Lord the strength to follow his example: “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Followers of Jesus know these facts to be true:

  • “Godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world” (1 Timothy 6:6–7).
  • “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20).
  • “If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s” (Romans 14:8).

As a result, we are free to “set your mind and heart to seek the Lᴏʀᴅ your God” (1 Chronicles 22:19). We are free to live—and to die—for his glory and the common good. We are free to serve others whether or not we are served, to love them whether or not we are loved, and to live each day for our eternal reward and theirs.

St. Augustine observed:

We do not seek, nor should we seek, our own glory even among those whose approval we desire. What we should seek is their salvation, so that if we walk as we should they will not go astray in following us. . . .

If then you are good, praise is due to him who made you so; it is no credit to you, for if you were left to yourself, you could only be wicked. . . . And so, my brothers, our concern should be not only to live as we ought, but also to do so in the sight of men; not only to have a good conscience but also, so far as we can in our weakness, so far as we can govern our frailty, to do nothing which might lead our weak brother into thinking evil of us.

Otherwise, as we feed on the good pasture and drink the pure water, we may trample on God’s meadow, and weaker sheep will have to feed on trampled grass and drink from troubled waters.

The philosopher Andrew Bernstein was therefore right:

“The hero is the man who lets no obstacle prevent him from pursuing the values he has chosen.”

Will you be a hero today?

Tuesday news to know:

*Denison Forum does not necessarily endorse the views expressed in these stories.

Quote for the day:

“We can walk without fear, full of hope and courage and strength to do his will, waiting for the endless good which he is always giving as fast as he can get us able to take it in.” —George Macdonald

 

Denison Forum

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – Be Truly Converted

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by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.

“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.” (Acts 3:19)

To be “converted” can mean many things. The Greek word simply means to “turn” or “change directions.” Christian conversion, however, refers to turning away from the whole world system and turning to God through Christ. Similarly, to “repent” in the Greek essentially means to “think differently” and, in a Christian context, to change one’s whole thought process from worldly reasoning to spiritual, centered in Christ and the Scriptures. Genuine Christian repentance and conversion result in having one’s “sins…blotted out” and thus true “times of refreshing” from the Lord.

But without real repentance and conversion, there is no salvation. Jesus said: “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3, 5), and He also said: “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3).

There are, sad to say, multitudes of men and women who think they are Christians but are not. This is evidenced by the lack of real change in their thinking and living from the beliefs and practices of the world. “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Christ Himself has warned that “many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord,…And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you” (Matthew 7:22-23). Therefore, it behooves all who profess Christ to seriously review their personal belief and behavior in terms of their conformity to the world of men or to the Word of God. As Paul exhorted: “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves” (2 Corinthians 13:5). HMM

 

 

 

 

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

My Utmost for His Highest

My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers – The Notion of Divine Control

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Ask and it will be given to you. . . . How much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! —Matthew 7:7, 11

Jesus is laying down the rules of conduct for those who have his Spirit. Through the simple argument of these verses, he urges us to keep our minds filled with the idea of God’s control behind everything, which means that the disciple must maintain an attitude of perfect trust and an eagerness to ask and to seek. Jesus wants us to learn this way of reasoning: “God is my Father. He loves me. I will never think of anything he will forget. Why should I worry?”

Fix your mind on the idea that God is there. Once your thoughts are settled on this line, it becomes as easy as breathing to recall that your heavenly Father is behind everything that happens. Even when perplexities and difficulties press in on you, remembering the “much more” of your Father comes naturally and without effort. Before when troubles arose, you sought help from other people. Now, the notion of divine control is so powerfully formed in your mind that you go directly to God.

There will always be moments when God’s guidance is not at all obvious, moments when he does not lift the darkness. But trust him. Jesus said that God will appear at times like an unkind friend, but he is not (Luke 11:5–8). He will appear at times like an unnatural father, but he is not (vv. 9–13). He will appear at times like an unjust judge, but he is not (18:1–8). Keep the idea strong and growing in your mind that nothing happens unless God wills it. Rest in perfect confidence in him and learn to pray from this place of certainty. Prayer is not only asking; it is cultivating the frame of mind in which asking is perfectly natural. “Ask and it will be given to you.”

Psalms 16-17; Acts 20:1-16

 

 

 

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

We are not to preach the doing of good things; good deeds are not to be preached, they are to be performed.

 

https://utmost.org/

Billy Graham

Billy Graham – Solving the Problem

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Lord, grant us peace; for all we have and are has come from you.
—Isaiah 26:12 (TLB)

Only a few years ago children were delighted at the prospect of a trip to the wharves to see the great ships come in. Today they are blasé about helicopters and jet planes. We who once marveled at the telegraph now take for granted the far greater miracle of television. Not so long ago many of the physical diseases were termed hopeless and incurable. Today we have drugs so effective that age-old diseases are becoming rare. We have accomplished much, of that there is no doubt. But with all this progress, we have not solved the basic problem of the human race. We can build the highest buildings, the fastest ships, the longest bridges—but we still can’t govern ourselves, or live together peacefully and with equality.

Is a better, more peaceable world really possible?

Lea este devocional en español en es.billygraham.org.

Prayer for the day

In loving and being loved by You, there is all I have longed for, my Savior, Jesus Christ.

 

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GuidePosts

Guideposts – Devotions for Women – The Other Side of Grief

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He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.—Isaiah 53:3 (KJV)

In the above verse, Jesus is “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.” When you feel alone with your grief, know that God understands your pain. Share your heartache with Him and take comfort in realizing He fully understands what you are going through. He will support you and guide you to the other side of grief.

Lord, sometimes I feel no one else understands the depths of my hurt. But You do! You are the Source of my healing. I am not alone in my pain.

 

 

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

Every Man Ministry

Every Man Ministry – Kenny Luck – You, God, and the Jackass

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“We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored!”  ––1 Corinthians 4:10, NKJV

 

Consider the jackass. Otherwise known as the donkey, it’s estimated that mankind started domesticating them 5,000-7,000 years ago. Today, there are more than 50 million donkeys in the world—you can still see wild ones in the Southwest here in the US.

 

A male donkey—or ass—is called a jack, and a female is called a jenny. Funny how the name “jackass” has come to be associated with men behaving like 12-year-old boys jacked up on Red Bull at a loosely chaperoned sleepover. Let’s face it, there’s good reason why stupid-acting people aren’t called “jenny asses.”

 

Joking aside, the jackass is an amazing animal. Need a workhorse that’s, well, cheaper and more practical than a horse? Behold the donkey. They can go without water for three days with no problem, and cover all types of terrain. They’re the veritable Jeeps of the equine world.

 

The pagan sorcerer Balaam trusted his donkey to fulfill his mission to go curse the Israelites on behalf of their Moabite enemy, King Balak. But the angel of the Lord blocked the donkey’s way three times, and each time Balaam beat the beast. Finally the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth and it said, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?” (Numbers 22:28)

 

So who acted like a jackass here? Not the donkey. Fortunately, Balaam finally came around and refused to curse the Israelites, despite Balak demanding seven times. Then Balaam saw himself as “one who hears the words of God, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened” (Numbers 24:4).

 

As God’s men we don’t follow the world’s standards of what is wise and what is foolish. Sometimes we’re the wise donkey—speaking God’s truth while looking the fool in the eyes of men—and sometimes we’re the stubborn human—needing to be told that WE are the one acting like a jackass.

 

Father, help me be a fool for You rather than a jackass for the world.

 

 

Every Man Ministries

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – “It’s nothing short of miraculous”

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Reflections on the attempted assassination of former President Trump

Donald Trump wrote on his social media platform TruthSocial yesterday that it was “God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening,” allowing him to survive Saturday’s assassination attempt. The Wall Street Journal editorial board similarly wrote, “It’s nothing short of miraculous that Mr. Trump avoided death by a literal inch.”

According to the New York Times, the picture of the bloodied former president, his fist raised, flanked by an American flag, is “already the indelible image of our era of political crisis and conflict.”

“We are living through an age of rage”

At this writing, authorities are still trying to determine a motive for the attempted assassination. The twenty-year-old alleged gunman made a $15 donation when he was seventeen to a group that supports Democratic politicians, but he was also a registered Republican.

If political rhetoric was in fact a motivating factor for the shooter, the tragedy further demonstrates the power of hateful speech to incite hateful actions.

Legal scholar Jonathan Turley responded to the shooting: “We are living through an age of rage. It is not our first, but it may be the most dangerous such period in our history.” In the first attempted assassination of a current or former president in the social media era, partisan reaction and conspiracy theories swiftly illustrated his warning.

In my Daily Article Special Edition response to the shooting Saturday, I quoted a number of Democratic leaders who stated their gratitude that Mr. Trump was safe. Others, however, responded in horrific ways. For example, a Colorado state representative tweeted, “The last thing America needed was sympathy for the devil but here we are.” (His post was quickly deleted and roundly condemned by his party’s leaders.) Some on the right were likewise quick to blame President Biden and Mr. Trump’s other critics for the attack.

“Do not speak evil against one another”

Saturday’s shooting has a larger social context. In a nationwide poll conducted last month, 10 percent of those surveyed said the “use of force is justified to prevent Donald Trump from becoming president.” A third of those giving that answer also said they owned a gun. On the other side, 7 percent of those surveyed said they “support force to restore Trump to the presidency.” Half of these respondents said they owned guns.

Words provoke actions. This is why Scripture warns us, “Do not speak evil against one another” (James 4:11), and commands us “to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people” (Titus 3:2).

How you and I respond to Saturday’s shooting will significantly impact our witness in our secularized culture. Let us obey these biblical commands by “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). Then our light in the darkness will glorify our Lord and draw others to him (Matthew 5:14–16).

New York Times columnist David French, a conservative evangelical but also a longtime critic of Mr. Trump, responded to the shooting: “There has rarely been a better time to love our enemies, to pray for our nation, and to remember—during one of the most fraught political campaigns in generations—that each and every one of us is a human being, created in the image of God.”

A misfiring gun and a grenade that did not explode

A 2008 report by the Congressional Research Service stated that direct assaults against presidents, presidents-elect, and candidates have occurred on fifteen separate occasions. Ten incumbents, including four of the previous six presidents, had been targeted. Four of the ten (and one candidate) died as a result of such attacks.

Of the forty-five individuals serving as US president, thirteen (about 29 percent) have been subject to actual or attempted assassination. This number does not include Saturday’s shooting.

Some examples of near-misses:

  • Theodore Roosevelt was spared in 1912 when a steel case for his glasses and his fifty-page speech kept a bullet from striking his vital organs.
  • Bullets fired at Franklin Roosevelt three weeks before his 1933 inauguration missed him, but they hit and killed the Chicago mayor standing nearby.
  • On September 5, 1975, a person standing two feet from President Gerald Ford pointed a gun at him, but it misfired. Seventeen days later, a person standing forty feet from the president fired a shot at him, narrowly missing. She raised her arm again, but a former Marine dove toward her and grabbed her arm, possibly saving Mr. Ford’s life.
  • The “Devastator” bullets fired at Ronald Reagan in 1981 were designed to explode on impact, but the one that struck the president likely malfunctioned because it apparently ricocheted off the door of his armored limousine before hitting him.
  • An attacker threw a grenade at George W. Bush during an event in Tbilisi in 2005, but it did not explode.

These tragedies and near-tragedies, coupled with Saturday’s shooting, call us to intercede for ”all who are in high positions” (1 Timothy 2:2). Consequently, please join me in praying even more fervently for Donald Trump, Joe Biden, and others in leadership. Ask God to enable the Secret Service and others to protect them. Pray for the family of the Corey Comperatore, the man killed in the shooting, and for David Dutch and James Copenhaver, who were injured.

“Ascend above the hate”

And pray for God to use this tragedy to lead our nation past the bitterness and divisiveness of these days. Following the shooting, Mr. Trump stated, “It is more important than ever that we stand united.” Last night, President Biden used a rare Oval Office address to condemn political violence and to plead with Americans to “resolve our differences at the ballot box.”

The morning after her husband was shot, former First Lady Melania Trump released a letter in which she likewise implored our nation:

Ascend above the hate, the vitriol, and the simple-minded ideas that ignite violence. We all want a world where respect is paramount, family is first, and love transcends. We can realize this world again. Each of us must demand to get it back. We must insist that respect fills the cornerstone of our relationships, again.

To “realize this world again,” let us begin on our knees today.

Monday news to know:

*Denison Forum does not necessarily endorse the views expressed in these stories.

Quote for the day:

“Intercessory prayer might be defined as loving our neighbor on our knees.” —Charles Bent

 

Denison Forum

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – Devoted to Prayer

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Bible in a Year :

Devote yourselves to prayer.

Colossians 4:2

Today’s Scripture & Insight :

Colossians 4:2-6, 12-13

“I’ve been praying for you for fifty years,” said the elderly woman. My friend Lou looked into her eyes with profound gratitude. He was visiting the Bulgarian village that his father grew up in and left as a teenager. The woman, a believer in Jesus, lived next to his grandparents. She began to pray for Lou as soon as she heard about his birth a continent away. Now, over half a century later, he was visiting the village on a business trip, and while there he spoke to a group about his faith. Lou hadn’t become a believer in Jesus until he was almost thirty, and when this woman approached him after he spoke, he wondered about the impact her persistent prayers had made on his coming to faith.

We’ll never know the full effect of our prayers this side of heaven. But Scripture gives us this counsel: “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful” (Colossians 4:2). When Paul penned those words to believers in the small city of Colossae, he also asked for prayer himself so that God would “open a door” for his message wherever he went (v. 3).

Sometimes we may think, I don’t have the spiritual gift of prayer. But of all the spiritual gifts listed in the Bible, prayer isn’t among them. Perhaps this is because God longs for each of us to pray faithfully, so that we may see what only He can do.

By:  James Banks

Reflect & Pray

How have you benefited from the prayers of others? Whom are you praying for today?

Father, thank You that You want to hear from me! Please help me to treasure the opportunity to talk to You and pray for others each day.

 

 

 

http://www.odb.org