Monthly Archives: November 2024

My Utmost for His Highest

My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers – The Concentration of Spiritual Energy

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. . . the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me. — Galatians 6:14

If you want to know the energy of God—the energy of the resurrection life of Jesus Christ—in your physical body, you must do more than simply think on the tragedy of God on the cross; you must brood upon it. Cut yourself off from distractions, stop taking an obsessive interest in your personal spiritual development, and consider, bare-spirited, the tragedy of God. The instant you do, his energy will be in you.

“Turn to me,” says God (Isaiah 45:22). God must become the dominating object of your attention. Pay attention to the objective Source and the subjective energy will follow. We lose power when we fail to concentrate on the right thing. The right thing is the cross of Jesus Christ. The cross is the only thing we are called to preach—not salvation or sanctification or healing. In much preaching today, the focus is placed not on the cross but on its effects. Churches are criticized as feeble, and the criticism is justified because there has been no concentration of spiritual energy, no brooding on the tragedy of Calvary or on the meaning of redemption.

Concentrate on the cross in your preaching, and though the members of your audience might not seem to pay attention, they’ll never be the same again. If I talk my own talk, it’s of no more importance to you than your talk is to me. But if I talk the truth of God, you will meet it again, and so will I. When you concentrate on the great point of spiritual energy—the cross—keeping in contact with this center where all the power lies, its energy will be let loose. The proclaiming of the cross of Jesus Christ does its own work.

Ezekiel 27-29; 1 Peter 3

Wisdom from Oswald

“When the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?” We all have faith in good principles, in good management, in good common sense, but who amongst us has faith in Jesus Christ? Physical courage is grand, moral courage is grander, but the man who trusts Jesus Christ in the face of the terrific problems of life is worth a whole crowd of heroes.

 

 

https://utmost.org/

Billy Graham

Billy Graham – Enjoy Life

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Now you are happy with the inexpressible joy that comes from heaven itself.
—1 Peter 1:8 (TLB)

Christians are to enjoy life and enjoy one another. When children see no joy in their home, no joy in your Christianity, they will not be attracted by it. When they see you excited about going to a ball game, or watching television, and then dragging around to do spiritual things, they will soon get the idea that Christianity does not mean much to you. Your attitude will rub off. My wife says that the best way to get a child to eat his food is to see his parents enjoying theirs. Our children will not be attracted to Christ if we make Him seem dull.

Does turning to Jesus mean giving up all the fun things in life? Read Billy Graham’s answer.

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

Prayer for the day

May I live so close to You, Jesus, that those around me will see Your joy.

 

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GuidePosts

Guideposts – Devotions for Women – Diligent and Focused

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Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.—Proverb s 10:4 (NIV)

The Bible encourages us to be responsible stewards of the resources He has given us. Therefore, when you need a boost of energy to be more productive, ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit so that you can be diligent and responsible in all you do.

Dear Lord, help me use my talent and time to benefit others. Please help me be diligent and focused.

 

 

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

Every Man Ministry

Every Man Ministry – Kenny Luck – Choosing the Light (Day 2)

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Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.  ––2 Timothy 2:14-15

Our default condition is cynicism.

Unless you live on a secluded island or in the Artic Circle with no internet, it’s easy to see why we can be so negative. Wars and rumors of wars. Killer viruses. Crazy political divisions. Corrupt leaders.

Negativity—and its cousin cynicism—is like being caught outside in a rainstorm: you will be drenched in it unless you have protective gear.

Cynicism is not the same as skepticism. As we discussed in a previous reading, skepticism can be a valuable tool as we “test the spirits” of this age to discern right from wrong, reality from deception. Cynicism is defined as:

1 : the belief that people are only interested in themselves and are not sincere 

2 : the fact of using someone’s feelings or emotions to your own advantage

For God’s man, it’s critical to engage in healthy skepticism while fighting against cynicism. For a submitted follower of Christ …

  • Skepticism questions thoughtfully; cynicism assumes thoughtlessly
  • Skepticism verifies information to confirm the facts; cynicism speculates about the facts
  • Skepticism gives the benefit of the doubt; cynicism doubts without benefit
  • Skepticism engages the opinions of all sides; cynicism rejects the opinions of those not in its tribe
  • Skepticism examines the truth of God’s Word and judges it to be real; cynicism bends the Word to fit its position
  • Skepticism tests the spirits of the enemy; cynicism succumbs to the spirits of the enemy

Don’t let cynicism gain a foothold in your life. It’s toxic, demonic, and absolutely no good to anyone. Healthy, godly skepticism, on the other hand, allows us to confront in love; it commands us to question various opinions and doctrines. When used well, skepticism sharpens our faith, and allows us as brothers to sharpen iron against iron.

Father, help me apply healthy skepticism to the decisions and opinions I confront each day, and may I grow in discernment through Your Holy Spirit.

 

 

Every Man Ministries

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – Being Thankful Despite Trials

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Bible in a Year :

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to [God] and praise his name.

Psalm 100:4

Today’s Scripture & Insight :

Psalm 100

I’ve been following and praying for a fellow writer who’s been posting online about her cancer journey. She alternates between sharing updates about her physical pain and challenges and sharing prayer requests with Scripture and praises to God. It’s beautiful to see her courageous smile whether she’s in the hospital awaiting treatments or at home wearing a bandana because her hair is falling out. With each challenge, she never fails to encourage others to trust God during trials.

When we’re going through difficulties, it may be challenging to find reasons to be grateful and to praise God. However, Psalm 100 gives us reasons to rejoice and give God praise despite our circumstances. The psalmist says: “Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture” (v. 3). He adds, “For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations” (v. 5).

Whatever our trial, we can take comfort knowing that God is near to our broken hearts (34:18). The more time we spend with God in prayer and reading the Bible, the more we’ll be able to “enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise” and “give thanks to him and praise his name” (100:4). We can “shout for joy to the Lord” (v. 1) even and perhaps especially when we’re in a difficult season because our God is faithful.

By:  Nancy Gavilanes

Reflect & Pray

What are you grateful for? What can you praise God for right now?

Dear God, please help me to praise You even in my trials.

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – You Can Live in an Atmosphere of Peace

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He Himself withdrew [in retirement] to the wilderness (desert) and prayed.

Luke 5:16 (AMPC)

We live in a noisy society. Some people have to have some noise in their atmospheres all the time. They always have music or the television on or the radio playing. They want someone with them all the time so they can talk. Each of these things done in balance is good, but we also need complete quiet and what I call “alone time.”

In order to enjoy a peaceful atmosphere, we must create one. Outer peace develops inner peace. Find a place where you can go that is quiet, a place where you will not be interrupted, and learn to enjoy simply being quiet for periods of time.

I have a certain chair in my living room where I sit and recover. The chair is a white recliner that faces a window to our yard, which is filled with trees. In the spring and summer, I can watch the birds, rabbits, and squirrels. There was a time when I would have considered that boring, but not now—now I love it. When I return from a conference, I go home, take a hot bath, and then sit in that chair.

Sometimes I sit there for several hours. I may read a little, pray, or just look out the patio door window, but the point is I am sitting still and enjoying the quiet. I have discovered that quiet helps me recover.

Being still has a soothing effect on us. If we find peaceful places and remain in them for a while, we will begin to feel calmness engulf our souls. Waiting on God quietly does more to restore our bodies, minds, and emotions than anything else.

We regularly need quiet time to wait on God. Insist on having it; don’t let anyone take it from you. Jesus made sure He had seasons of peace and alone time. He ministered to the people, but He slipped away regularly from the crowds to be alone and pray (see Luke 5:15–16). Surely if Jesus needed this type of lifestyle, we do also.

Prayer of the Day: Father God, help me prioritize and savor silent, quiet moments in my life. Help me to rest in Your presence by trusting in You and being quiet so that I might take Your peace with me when I go back to normal activity, amen.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Pam Bondi to be next Attorney General after Gaetz drops out

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Understanding the difference between productive trust and empty loyalty

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz was always going to be the most difficult of President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet selections to get through the Senate confirmation process. He was nominated under a shroud of investigations by the Department of Justice in 2020 and, more recently, the House Ethics Committee on accusations of illicit drug use, paying for sex—including sex with a minor—and obstruction of government investigations. Gaetz’s conduct gave reason to doubt his worthiness to be the government’s top attorney, despite the charges being dropped in his DOJ case and the House investigation not yet concluded when he had resigned to pursue the AG nomination.

There was some speculation that his nomination was part of why Trump broached the topic of recess appointments last week. Yet, Gaetz was in Washington on Thursday morning, working with Vice President-elect JD Vance to build support for his approval. Eventually, however, it became clear that such approval wasn’t coming.

After the race in Pennsylvania was finally called in favor of Republican Dave McCormick, the GOP will have a fifty-three-seat majority in the Senate, with only fifty votes needed for Trump’s nominations to be approved. Thursday’s conversations confirmed that at least four Republicans were already firm in their opposition, with several more inclined to vote no. Given that no Democrats were expected to vote in Gaetz’s favor, that left intervention from Trump as his only viable path to the position.

Faced with that reality, Gaetz chose to withdraw from consideration, posting on X that:

While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition. There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General. Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1.

News broke Thursday evening that Trump has already pivoted to former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi for the cabinet position. So, who is Pam Bondi, and will her path to confirmation be any simpler than that of Gaetz?

Who is Pam Bondi?

Pam Bondi has been a prominent figure in Republican circles for some time now and was elected attorney general in Florida in both 2010 and 2014. After serving the maximum two terms, she left in 2019 to help defend Trump in his first impeachment trial after he was accused of attempting to tie the offer of further military assistance for Ukraine with help in investigating Joe and Hunter Biden.

Bondi then continued her role as part of Trump’s legal team during the 2020 election before leaving to become the chair of the Center for Litigation at the America First Policy Institute, a conservative think tank staffed with several former Trump administration officials. She resumed her role working more closely with Trump in the buildup to the 2024 election and spoke at one of his final rallies earlier this month.

The President-elect said of Bondi,

“For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans—Not anymore. Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again. I have known Pam for many years — She is smart and tough, and is an AMERICA FIRST Fighter, who will do a terrific job as Attorney General!”

And many of those she will have to convince in order to succeed where Gaetz did not seem to agree with Trump’s assessment.

Will Bondi be approved?

Senator Lindsay Graham (R-SC) predicted that Bondi “will be confirmed quickly because she deserved to be confirmed quickly.” Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) echoed those sentiments, stating that “She’ll be an incredible Attorney General.” Sen. Tommy Tubberville of Alabama and Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota were similarly effusive in their praise.

And while, as of this writing, the senators who led the charge against Gaetz’s approval have yet to comment, the prevailing opinion seems to be that Bondi will be confirmed. Should that happen, she will become yet another of Trump’s former and current allies to be given a prominent role in his Cabinet.

Of all the qualities that come up most frequently with Trump’s Cabinet picks, loyalty and trust seem to be among the most common. And it’s understandable why he would prize those characteristics, given the opposition he’s faced in the past. Yet, loyalty and trust are only valuable insofar as they enable someone to speak hard truths and be heard.

If Trump surrounds himself with people who will simply tell him what he wants to hear, he is likely to fail as president. However, if he surrounds himself with people who can deliver honest critiques in a way he can trust, he is set up to succeed.

And that same principle applies to each of us as well.

What kind of God are you looking for?

When you think about the inner circle of people who have the most influence on your life, how would you describe them? Are they people who tell you what you want to hear, or people you can trust to tell you what you need to hear?

And, even more importantly, when you go to God for guidance, which of those two outcomes are you most hoping for? Do you want a God that will affirm your desires or a God that will guide you to a life he can bless, even if it requires walking down some paths you would prefer not to tread?

I’m guessing most of us would like to say we want the latter relationship with the Lord, but is that truly reflected in the way you live? Do you surround yourself with people God can use to speak his truth into your life? And do you pray looking for a particular answer, or are you open to whatever the Lord wants to say?

Be honest in how you answer those questions, as there are few people more damaging to lie to than yourself.

So take some time today to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal which is true for you, even—and especially—if you may not want to hear his answer. Then make whatever changes are necessary to build a relationship with him and with others based on productive trust rather than empty loyalty.

Let’s start today.

Friday news to know:

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

Quote of the day:

“If we are full of pride and conceit and ambition and self-seeking and pleasure and the world, there is no room for the Spirit of God, and I believe many a man is praying to God to fill him when he is full already with something else.” —DL Moody

 

Denison Forum

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – Things We Can’t Do Without

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by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.

“That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.” (Ephesians 2:12)

There are many things in this world that we can easily get along without, but some are absolutely essential. First of all, we need Christ. Otherwise we are like the Gentiles described in our text—“without Christ…having no hope, and without God in the world.”

Second, if we were ever to be saved, Christ must shed His blood for our sins, for “without shedding of blood is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22). In order for His death to be effective for our salvation, He was “in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).

Before Christ’s work actually becomes effective in our personal salvation, it must be believed and received by faith, for “without faith it is impossible to please him” (Hebrews 11:6). This faith must be true faith, which transforms the life, for “faith without works is dead” (James 2:20). Works do not bring salvation, but saving faith brings “things that accompany salvation” (Hebrews 6:9).

Among those things that accompany salvation is holiness, “without which no man shall see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). Another is the privilege of chastisement! Our heavenly Father must deal with His errant children in loving discipline. Otherwise, “if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye…not sons” (Hebrews 12:8).

There are thus seven things we cannot do without. We cannot do without Christ, without the shedding of His blood, without His sinlessness, without faith in Him, without works for Him, without holiness unto Him, and without chastisement by Him. He said, “Without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5). But with Him, we have everything. HMM

 

 

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

My Utmost for His Highest

My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers – The Secret of Spiritual Coherence

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May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. — Galatians 6:14

When people are first born again, they become incoherent. They display a certain amount of unregulated emotion; their actions seem not to make sense. Yet this incoherence is only on the surface. The external life of the apostle Paul appeared haphazard, but underlying everything he did was a strong, steady coherence. Paul was rooted and grounded in God, and because of this he was able to let his external life change without it causing him distress.

Most of us aren’t spiritually coherent for the simple reason that we care more about external coherence than internal coherence. Paul lived in the basement; his consistency was down in the fundamentals, where the order of God’s purpose reigns. Most of us live in the upper stories, among the coherent critics, where external consistency is all that matters. The two spaces do not begin to touch each other. The great basis of Paul’s coherence was the agony of God in the redemption of the world—the cross of Jesus Christ.

Restate to yourself what you believe, then do away with as much of it as possible. Get back to the bedrock of the cross of Christ. Viewed as a single event in history, the cross is an infinitesimal thing; from the point of view of the Bible, it’s more important than all the empires of the world. If, when we preach, we drift away from brooding on the tragedy of God upon the cross, our preaching will produce nothing. It won’t convey the energy of God, and though it may be interesting, it will have no power. But if we preach the cross, the energy of God will be set loose. “God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. . . . We preach Christ crucified” (1 Corinthians 1:21, 23).

Ezekiel 24-26; 1 Peter 2

Wisdom from Oswald

Sincerity means that the appearance and the reality are exactly the same.Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, 1449 L

 

https://utmost.org/

Billy Graham

Billy Graham – Whose Son Is He?

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To us there is but one God, the Father . . . and one Lord Jesus Christ . . .
—1 Corinthians 8:6

Ultimately, in one way or another, or at one time or another, we shall be faced with this question: What think ye of Christ? Whose Son is He? If Jesus Christ is not who He claimed to be, He is a deceiver, or an egomaniac. We must answer this question with both belief and action. We must not only believe something about Jesus, but we must do something about Him. We must accept Him, or reject Him.

Jesus made clear who He was, and why He came into the world. He asked His disciples, “Whom do men say that I, the Son of man, am?” They told Him of a variety of designations on the human level. Then Jesus turned to them and asked, “But whom say ye that I am?” Whereupon Peter replied with his historic affirmation, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:13-16).

This is the apex of faith. This is the pinnacle of belief. This is where the faith of each must rest if he hopes for salvation. Christ is inescapable! You, too, must decide, “What shall I do with Christ?”

Have you made a decision for Christ?

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

Prayer for the day

You are the Christ, Lord Jesus, Son of the living God! In adoration I worship You—my Redeemer.

 

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GuidePosts

Guideposts – Devotions for Women – Peace, Purpose and Fulfillment

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Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.—Proverb s 3:5–6 (NIV)

Surrendering to God means acknowledging that His ways are higher than your ways. Let go of your understanding and trust that He has a better plan than anything you could imagine. Trust that He will guide you in the right direction and lead you on the path of righteousness.

Heavenly Father, I can find peace, purpose and fulfillment through surrender.

 

 

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

Every Man Ministry

Every Man Ministry – Kenny Luck – Choosing the Light (Day 1)

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You will show me the way of life,
granting me the joy of your presence
and the pleasures of living with you forever.  ––Psalm 16:11, nlt

Jordy is almost always smiling. He’s the first person you see when you pull into the parking lot at church—with his reflective vest and orange directional wand. Not only is he there every Sunday, for several services, but he also volunteers at the food bank several days a week. No slapped on “Sunday smile,” either—he’s smiling on Monday when you run into him at the grocery store.

Honestly, Jordy kind of ticked me off a little for the first year or so after I met him. “He’s got to be faking it—no one is this happy all the time,” I thought. Week in and week out, same enthusiastic Jordy. Same me, waving back, a little flummoxed and frustrated. Then it hit me: “What if his happiness is real?” I had to find out …

One Sunday I caught Jordy after the crowds had thinned out. So I asked him, “Jordy, every time I see you, you are smiling. What’s your secret?”

He didn’t hesitate. He said, “Kenny, I spent the first half of my life unhappy and cynical. But after my 12-year-old son died of leukemia and my wife left me, I had to make a choice. Either totally surrender to the darkness or totally surrender to God. I chose the latter.”

Yeah. Wow. I had to hold it together as I walked back to my car. Once inside, I just sat there silently with tears running down my face. “Lord, please forgive me for judging Jordy as some sort of ‘fake Christian.’ He’s just the opposite.”

As God’s men, we have the same choice each day: God knows there is plenty to be cynical about in our respective lives. So we choose to take up the battle—and make no mistake, it is a battle—each morning to fight the darkness. The reality is that reports of death, disease, and disaster can be overwhelming; folks in our circle are suffering. Deny, ignore, pretend it’s not real? No. We follow a Man who lived in reality, but chose to confront that reality with the Father’s love. We do the same. We choose the same.

How? Take the posture of surrender each morning: “Lord, I can’t control the negativity and darkness, but I can allow Your light to filter through me. You are real, so make my joy real as You flow through me.”

Let God be the light through you. No need to fake it. Be the vessel that chooses to encourage, congratulate, and honor.

Lord, I can be cynical at times—pull out the roots of negativity in me, heal me, and then move more powerfully through me with Your joy.

 

 

Every Man Ministries

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – The Appointment

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Bible in a Year :

People are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.

Hebrews 9:27

 

Today’s Scripture & Insight :

Hebrews 9:23-28

On November 22, 1963, US president John F. Kennedy, philosopher and writer Aldous Huxley, and Christian apologist C. S. Lewis all died. Three well-known men with radically different worldviews. Huxley, an agnostic, still dabbled in Eastern mysticism. Kennedy, though a Roman Catholic, held to a humanistic philosophy. And Lewis was a former atheist who as an Anglican became an outspoken believer in Jesus. Death is no respecter of persons as all three of these well-known men faced their appointment with death on the same day.

The Bible says that death entered the human experience when Adam and Eve disobeyed in the garden of Eden (Genesis 3)—a sad reality that has marked human history. Death is the great equalizer or, as one person put it, the appointment that no one can avoid. This is the point of Hebrews 9:27, where we read, “People are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.”

Where do we find hope about our own appointment with death and what follows? In Christ. Romans 6:23 captures this truth perfectly: “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” How did this gift of God become available? Jesus, the Son of God, died to destroy death and rose from the grave to offer us life forever (2 Timothy 1:10).

By:  Bill Crowder

Reflect & Pray

How does it make you feel to ponder your own inevitable appointment with death? How have you prepared for it?

Dear God, thank You for sending Your Son to pay the price for my sins and to die in my place. Thank You for offering me eternal life.

Learn more about having a personal relationship with God.

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Trusting God When You Don’t Understand

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Jesus said to him, You do not understand now what I am doing, but you will understand later on.

John 13:7 (AMPC)

The thing that is the most difficult for me (and that I despise the most) may be the thing God uses to change me. Transformation rarely comes when we are continually joyful, and all is perfect in our circumstances. God wants to make us strong spiritually, and that requires trusting Him when nothing makes sense to us.

I have found that those things I once thought were my worst enemy eventually became my friends because they pushed me deeper into my walk with God. When God is all we have, we usually tend to hold on to Him tightly and we get to know Him very well.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I know nothing can separate me from Your love, so when life hurts, help me to use it in order to drive me closer to You. Help me embrace these challenges and teach me to trust You deeply in all things, amen.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Famed evangelist and social activist Tony Campolo dies at 89

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Why the temptation he faced is relevant to us all

Tony Campolo, the world-famous evangelist and social justice preacher, died Tuesday at the age of eighty-nine. When I heard the news, I debated whether or not to write on it.

Many of you may be too young to know why Campolo’s ministry matters. Those of us familiar with him know that his story is problematic on several levels. I worried that my comments might violate the biblical warning, “Do not speak evil against one another, brothers” (James 4:11).

Then I decided that there is a larger principle at work here that applies to each of us, whatever we know or think about Rev. Campolo and his legacy.

“Trying to see the world as he saw it”

Tony Campolo was born a second-generation Italian immigrant in 1935. His family attended an American Baptist congregation in West Philadelphia until it shut down as white people fled their African American neighbors for the suburbs. Tony’s father then took his family to a Black Baptist church nearby, where they worshiped.

As a student at Eastern College (now a university), Campolo studied John Wesley, the father of Methodism, in a class on “Christian classics.” He said he was moved by the Wesleyan revival with its “social consciousness, attacking slavery, championing the rights of women, ending child labor laws.” He added: “The Wesleyan vision was warm-hearted evangelism with an incredible social vision. Trying to see the world as he saw it changed me greatly.”

As a young pastor, Campolo experienced racism in his church and community. He left his church to get a doctorate in sociology and took a teaching position at Eastern in 1964, where he encouraged students to volunteer with children in Philadelphia. He also helped start a school in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. To recruit students and raise money for ongoing projects, he began accepting speaking invitations. At one point he was speaking five hundred times a year.

Campolo clearly identified with evangelicals, writing in 2015: “I surrendered my life to Jesus and trusted in him for my salvation, and I have been a staunch evangelical ever since.” He also said, “I believe the Bible to have been written by men inspired and guided by the Holy Spirit.”

Why he affirmed same-sex marriage

However, in 1985, Campolo was charged with heresy. In his book A Reasonable Faith, he urged Christians to care for others by stating that Jesus lives in all people, whether or not they are Christians. He also wrote that human-ness and God-ness are one and the same.

A group chaired by the renowned theologian J. I. Packer determined that Campolo’s unbiblical assertions were “evangelical inadvertence rather than any wish to insinuate universal salvation or justification by works.” Campolo responded by clarifying his belief that “saving grace . . . comes only in surrender to the Lordship of Christ.”

Campolo was active in the Democratic Party, running unsuccessfully for Congress in 1976 and working with President Bill Clinton to develop AmeriCorps in the 1990s. He also served as one of Clinton’s personal spiritual advisors during the Monica Lewinski scandal. In 2007, he and author and activist Shane Claiborne founded Red Letter Christians to highlight the “red letter” words of Christ in Scripture and thus his social and ethical teachings.

In 2015, he came out in favor of same-sex marriage ahead of the Supreme Court’s Obergefell v. Hodges decision. He explained that he had changed his mind after spending time with LGBTQ Christians in committed, monogamous relationships and reflecting on the fundamental purpose of marriage. In his view, marriage exists primarily for sanctification; if a same-sex marriage encouraged people to grow in the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23), he believed that the church should affirm it.

“Captive to the word of God”

I heard Tony Campolo speak several times and was always moved by his prophetic critique of evangelicals with regard to those in need. His call for us to mobilize our resources to serve “the least of these” mirrors Jesus’ call to us all (Matthew 25:31–46). I also understand his desire to impact society through political engagement and his compassion for LGBTQ persons.

At the same time, his story highlights a temptation we all face: interpreting God’s word through the prism of our personal experiences, values, and passions rather than interpreting our lives through the prism of Scripture.

The deeper our passions, the greater this temptation.

We must not revise our biblical theology to align with our personal passions, no matter how strong they may be. This is not only because God’s word, like God’s character, is timeless and unchanging (Malachi 3:6; James 1:17; Hebrews 13:8; Isaiah 40:8; 1 Peter 1:25). It is also because God’s word possesses a transformative power no other words can claim.

We are “born again . . . through the living and abiding word of God” (1 Peter 1:23) as “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). “The implanted word . . . is able to save your souls” (James 1:21) as the Holy Spirit uses the word of God to convict us of our sins (John 16:8), bring us to salvation (cf. Acts 10:44), and grow us in sanctification (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

As I told my seminary students, the only word God is obligated to bless is his word.

If we do not speak the authoritative word of God to the issues we face, no matter how difficult this may be, we rob people of that truth which can most encourage, liberate, and transform them. If we alter God’s word to fit our culture, we rob those we seek to serve of God’s best for their lives.

Martin Luther, in explaining his Protestant commitment to sola Scriptura (“only the Bible”) as the source of his theology and life, testified:

“My conscience is captive to the word of God.”

Is yours?

Thursday news to know:

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

Quote for the day:

“We should read the Bible as those who listen to the very speech of God.” —F. B. Meyer

 

Denison Forum

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – Peacemakers

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by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.

“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” (Matthew 5:9)

In this seventh (out of nine) of the Beatitudes with which Christ began His Sermon on the Mount occurs the first mention in the New Testament of the important word “peace.”

But how can one be a peacemaker? Note that Christ did not say: “Blessed are the pacifists.” There are many today who talk about peace, but how does one make peace?

The answer lies in the example of Christ Himself. He is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), and He “made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself” (Colossians 1:20).

The real problem is that there can be no lasting peace between man and man as long as there is enmity between man and God. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:18).

With that problem settled, we are now in a position to become true peacemakers, for we also can lead others to God through Jesus Christ. He “hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we…pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:18-20).

As ambassadors for Christ, we are true ambassadors for peace. The best possible contribution we can make toward world peace, racial peace, industrial peace, family peace, or personal peace is to help people become reconciled to God through faith in the peace-making work of Christ on the cross. “These things I have spoken unto you,” says the Lord Jesus, “that in me ye might have peace” (John 16:33). HMM

 

 

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

My Utmost for His Highest

My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers – It Is Finished

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I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. — John 17:4

The death of Jesus Christ was the performance in history of the mind of God. Jesus’s death wasn’t martyrdom; it wasn’t something that happened to Jesus or that might have been prevented. The death of Jesus Christ was on purpose. It was the very reason he came.

When you preach, take care not to belittle Jesus’s death or make his cross unnecessary. We do this when we preach that our heavenly Father forgives us because he loves us. Our Father does love us, but this isn’t the reason he forgives us. The reason is the death of Christ. To preach otherwise makes the redemption “much ado about nothing.” God could forgive humanity in no other way than by the death of his Son, and Jesus is exalted as Savior because of his death. “We do see Jesus . . . crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death” (Hebrews 2:9). The greatest note of triumph that ever sounded in the ears of a startled universe was the note sounded on the cross: “It is finished” (John 19:30). This is the last word in the redemption of humankind.

Anything that belittles or seeks to obliterate the holiness of God by a false view of his love is untrue to the revelation of God given by Jesus Christ. Never allow the thought that Jesus Christ stands with us against God out of pity or compassion. Jesus Christ became a curse for us, not out of sympathy but by divine decree. Through the conviction of sin we are able to realize the overwhelming significance of this curse. Shame and penitence are gifts, given to us by the great mercy of God, which enable us to grasp the meaning of Calvary. Jesus Christ hates the wrong in humankind, and Calvary is the estimate of his hatred.

Ezekiel 16-17; James 3

Wisdom from Oswald

The sympathy which is reverent with what it cannot understand is worth its weight in gold. Baffled to Fight Better, 69 L

 

 

https://utmost.org/

Billy Graham

Billy Graham – Life Worth Living

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. . . ye might have life through his name.
—John 20:31

“Is life worth living?” To scores of people life has ceased to be worth living. To all of you I have good news. God did not create you to be a defeated, discouraged, frustrated, wandering soul, seeking in vain for peace of heart and peace of mind. He has bigger plans for you. He has a larger orb and a greater life for you.

The answer to your problem, however great, is as near as your Bible, as simple as first-grade arithmetic, and as real as your heartbeat. Upon the authority of God’s Word, I tell you that Christ is the answer to every baffling perplexity which plagues mankind. In Him is found the cure for care, a balm for bereavement, a healing for our hurts, and a sufficiency for our insufficiency.

Here are 15 comforting Bible verses for troubled times.

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

Prayer for the day

Teach me, Lord, as today I read Your Word, that the life You would have me live is one of joy and fulfillment.

 

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GuidePosts

Guideposts – Devotions for Women – Follow His Lead

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Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.—Romans 12:2 (NIV)prayer

Ask God to help you release anything stopping you from aligning with His will. He will help you make choices that follow His plan and stay on the path He has set for you. Trust that He will provide every step of the way.

Almighty and loving God, please help me be open to Your guidance. I want to follow Your lead in all that I do.

 

 

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

Every Man Ministry

Every Man Ministry – Kenny Luck – Chain Reactions 

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Just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.  For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.  ––Romans 5:18-19

One man’s obedience brings life to many. We simply do not know how far-reaching one act of obedience to God will be and what consequences our choices will have for others.

This reason alone would be enough to seek God’s will in all matters. When the moment of our greatest challenge arrives, we want to be in the habit of saying yes to God rather than debating or compromising. Being ready means we aren’t considering our own rewards or consequences, but the impact of our choices upon others.

This is the kind of unselfish obedience that is most like Jesus Christ’s. While there may be some wrestling, we want to have a strong spiritual resolve to see God’s will done. Spiritual obedience and spiritual disobedience set in motion consequences we cannot undo. All decisions that affect our relationships with God and others involve defying one voice and obeying another.

What chain reactions is our obedience or disobedience creating in eternity?  It’s a sobering thought if you’re like me and have a colorful past. When we realize the progression of the disobedience of Adam, we can start to understand the passion of Jesus on this whole issue of doing life God’s way. It makes more sense to believe that Jesus was big on obedience with His men not because He wanted strict, legalistic adherences to the guidelines, but because He was aiming to correct the chain reactions.

Thank you, Father, for reminding me of the seriousness of my choices.

 

 

Every Man Ministries