If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.—1 John 1:9 (NIV)
Is something weighing on your heart? Ask God to lift the burden of guilt and shame. Be honest and share your feelings. Because of your faith, His mercy is available to you. He will purify your spirit with His forgiveness.
Loving Father, I am ready to release these dark feelings and forgive myself. I trust Your love and mercy will move me forward.
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. ––Matthew 25:35-36
The Bible has a lot to say about strangers. Many biblical scholars believe Jesus used the word to refer to non-Jews—anyone “outside” the tribes of Israel. In Hebrew, the word in this context is translated “foreigner or alien.” Lots of folks use this verse to try to argue for and against helping illegal immigrants. While border issues are an important topic, I think an over-focus on them as it relates to Matthew 25 misses Jesus’ key point:
We feed, clothe, help, and extend empathy first, and ask questions later.
Like everything in God’s Word, context is critical. Jesus admonishes us to help feed and clothe those who have little and those who are sick and in prison. This mandate comes at the end of the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats: There will be a separation—a sorting—of the sheep (God’s children) on the right, and the goats (those who reject Christ) on the left. And once again (similar to what Jesus says about helping the poor in James 1 as a definition—or marker—of “genuine religion”), our attitude toward the “least of these” is a marker of our position as either a sheep (redeemed) or goat (unredeemed).
What’s the upshot of all this for God’s man? Jesus places a HUGE emphasis on helping the orphan, widow, and stranger (those different from us) as an outward, visible sign of our faith. Does it mean we are a goat doomed to hellfire if we don’t help the poor? No, we are saved by grace. However, if it’s important to Jesus, it demands priority for us.
A friend of mine always has a couple cases of bottled water in his trunk along with protein bars. Every time he goes to a big box hardware store he passes them out to the day laborers there hoping to pick up some work. Does he ask to see immigration cards prior to giving them water? No. Jesus wouldn’t either.
Father, actions speak louder than words—let me help those who need it as an act of obedience to Jesus’ mandate.
One week ago, Americans spoke loudly and clearly to keep the American experiment alive.
A few years back, I visited the National Archives here in Washington, D.C., with a Member of Congress. We had the rare privilege of seeing some of our nation’s founding documents — papers not typically on public display. It wasn’t a “National Treasure” adventure, but it was an unforgettable moment for a student of history like me. One of these documents was the original U.S. Senate’s markup of the Bill of Rights, sent over from the House in 1789.
Another was a simple but profound page: George Washington’s inaugural address, delivered on April 30, 1789. His speech was brief — only about 10 minutes — but the words were powerful. As he took his first steps as the leader of a new nation, Washington said:
“Since we ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of Heaven, can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right, which Heaven itself has ordained: And since the preservation of the sacred fire of liberty, and the destiny of the Republican model of Government, are justly considered as deeply, perhaps as finally staked, on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people.”
From the very beginning, our republican form of government — placing the power to govern into the hands of the people — was viewed as an “experiment.” Why? Because nothing like it had ever been tried before. Self-government, grounded in the rule of law and crafted for a nation this vast and diverse, was unprecedented. The Constitution was new, untested, and the Founders knew that true power now rested with the people, not a monarchy or ruling elite. They also understood that this experiment depended not only on good laws but on a bedrock of virtue and morality, rooted in timeless truth.
John Adams captured this reality in 1798. “Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people,” he insisted. “It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
Washington had previously stated this point in his Farewell Address in 1796. This grand experiment of ours, he reminded us, could not survive if truth and morality were ignored or discarded.
And thank God, there are still Americans who understand that reality today — who saw that what Kamala Harris offered was an agenda that would have aborted this experiment and snuffed out our hard-won freedoms.
But we can’t be lulled into complacency. The American experiment isn’t on autopilot; it is not “safe and secure.” Our work is far from over. Right now, we have an opportunity, a window, to fortify the moral foundation of this experiment — to restore, promote, and protect what Washington called the two great pillars of our political prosperity: religion and morality.
As the scriptures declare: Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.
Bible in a Year :
Those who are kind benefit themselves.
Today’s Scripture & Insight :
Proverbs 11:16-25
Two friends were shopping for a laptop in an electronics store when they ran into basketball great Shaquille O’Neal. Aware that O’Neal recently suffered the loss of his sister and a former teammate, they empathetically offered their condolences. After the two men returned to their shopping, Shaq approached them and told them to pick out the nicest laptop they could find. He then bought it for them, simply because they saw him as a person going through a difficult time and was moved by their kindness.
Millennia before that encounter, Solomon wrote, “Those who are kind benefit themselves” (Proverbs 11:17). When we consider others’ needs and do what we can to help and encourage them, we’re rewarded ourselves. It may not be with a laptop or material things, but God has ways of blessing us that this world can’t measure. As Solomon explained just one verse earlier in the same chapter, “A kindhearted woman gains honor, but ruthless men gain only wealth” (v. 16). There are gifts from God that are worth far more than money, and He measures them generously in His perfect wisdom and way.
Kindness and generosity are part of God’s character, and He loves to see them expressed in our own hearts and lives. Solomon summed up the matter well: “Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed” (v. 25).
By: James Banks
Reflect & Pray
How has God shown kindness to you? In what ways can you show His love to others today?
Dear God, I love Your kindness. Please help me to become more like You so that I may share Your love in practical ways.
Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man whose strength is in You, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. Passing through the Valley of Weeping (Baca), they make it a place of springs; the early rain also fills [the pools] with blessings. They go from strength to strength [increasing in victorious power]; each of them appears before God in Zion.
Psalm 84:5-7 (AMPC)
I have discovered that when I am unhappy, I am tempted to start blaming my unhappiness on some circumstance or person in my life who is not giving me what I feel I need. Satan wants us to think that nothing will ever change, that things will only get worse. He wants us to inventory every disappointing thing that has ever happened in our lives and think about how mistreated we have been. We can either be angry or we can look to God to meet our need.
We will absolutely never fulfill our destinies and succeed at being all God has planned for us if we don’t think according to the Word of God. Even if I have negative circumstances, I can stay happy by having right thoughts toward them. That’s why we need to constantly keep our minds and hearts focused on Him and not on our circumstances. When our strength is in God, even the difficult places in life can be turned into blessings.
If we really understood the power of words, I think we would change the way we talk. Our talk should be confident and bold, not fearful. Fearful talk not only affects us in an adverse way, but it affects those around us.
Prayer of the Day: Lord, I draw my strength from You today. Help me to keep my eyes on You and see the difficult places turned into pools of blessings, amen.
Why divisiveness threatens our democracy and the gospel is our hope
A federal disaster relief official reportedly ordered workers to bypass the homes of Donald Trump’s supporters as they surveyed damage from Hurricane Milton in Florida. As a result, when FEMA workers identified residents who could qualify for federal aid, at least twenty homes with Trump yard signs or flags were not given the opportunity to qualify for assistance. The official was later fired.
Donald Trump and Joe Biden will meet in the White House today, but the rancor between their parties will endure long past last week’s election.
And like Trump supporters passed over for help in Florida, there will be victims all around.
The enemy is the other party
American elections are typically won by candidates who convince voters that (1) they are facing an enemy they cannot defeat and (2) the candidate will defeat their enemy if they vote for him or her. At various times, this “enemy” has been a foreign belligerent, such as Germany, Japan, or the Soviet Union, or a domestic challenge such as economic downturns.
Today, the “enemy” is the other party.
One side sees itself as the defender of preborn babies and traditional morality. The other side sees itself as the defender of women’s reproductive freedom, civil rights, and equality for all. These are crucial causes that far transcend electoral politics.
Many on each side are convinced that for them to win, the other side must lose. Not only because the other side’s causes are wrong, but because those who hold them are dangerous to America.
This is a different form of prejudice than I have seen in my lifetime. Discrimination against Jews and other racial minorities is a tragic fact of life across the world, an issue I discuss at some depth in my new website article, “A visit that marked me for the rest of my life: Four roots of antisemitism and three urgent calls to action.” As I note, people typically discriminate against those they envy, consider to be succeeding unfairly, or see as inferior to themselves.
But to disparage and even despise another American because of their political affiliation and the assumption that they are therefore hazardous to our nation—that is something else.
And an ominous threat to the future of our democracy.
If this divisiveness persists
If you and I were living in a monarchy, we would need to get along with the monarch more than with each other. If we were living under communism, we would need to get along with communist officials more than with our neighbors.
But we live in a democratic republic where we elect each other to office, hold each other accountable through elections, jury trials, and the media, support the state with our taxes, trade with each other in commerce, and live with each other in community.
As a result, the more polarized we become, the less functional our society becomes.
If our divisiveness persists, the day will come when we won’t trust the validity of our elections or the character of those we elect. We won’t trust the justice of our courts or the veracity of our media. We won’t trust the integrity of our financial systems or the goodwill of our neighbors.
We will therefore see increasing attempts to restrict the freedom of speech of those we consider dangerous (here’s one post-election example). Crime will escalate as criminals see others not as victims but as means to their ends. People will congregate in communities, schools, businesses, and churches that share their political ideology and listen only to media with which they agree, further fragmenting the social fabric of our nation. And our consensual democracy will become more endangered with each passing year.
But the good news is that the gospel is the good news we need most.
Roman soldiers and Jewish priests
Jesus’ first followers were anything but a homogeneous lot.
Matthew collected taxes for the Roman Empire, while Simon the Zealot was aligned with a guerrilla movement seeking its overthrow. In a day when Jews and Gentiles despised each other, Jesus’ movement included both. In a society where women were devalued, women were among his most visible followers. Demoniacs were healed, adulterers were forgiven, and both were welcomed into his family of faith.
His movement soon encompassed people from fifteen different language groups (Acts 2:9–11). It came to include Roman soldiers and jailers along with Jewish priests and Pharisees.
Was this because people in the first century were more gracious, forgiving, and charitable than we are? Or was it because there’s something transformative and unifying about the message they embraced? And something attractive about their lives once they embraced it?
“With Christ joy is constantly born anew”
Tim Keller encapsulated the message of Jesus:
The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.
If I truly believe that I am “loved and accepted in Jesus Christ,” I am free to love and accept you as I am loved and accepted by my Lord. But if I do not embrace this fact, I am as susceptible to the divisiveness of our day as anyone.
I feel deeply the weight of our moral issues and see those with whom I disagree as deeply and tragically wrong. It is only when I embrace the transforming truth of the gospel that I can see others as God sees them. It is only then that I can be a cultural missionary who speaks the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) rather than a cultural warrior who must defeat his enemies.
Only Jesus can turn hearts inflamed by animosity into hearts empowered by grace. Only he can inspire us to choose forgiveness over vengeance. Only he can replace the cycle of retribution with the joy of community. Pope Francis was right:
The joy of the gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness, and loneliness. With Christ joy is constantly born anew.
For the sake of our democracy and the health of your soul, will you take time to “encounter Jesus” again today?
Wednesday news to know:
*Denison Forum does not necessarily endorse the views expressed in these stories.
Quote for the day:
“You could join a church. You can go through a religious ceremony. You can say a prayer and not be changed. But if you really encounter Jesus, you will be changed. No one encounters Jesus and remains the same.” —Derek Prince
by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.
“For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.” (2 Chronicles 16:9)
Since God in His essence is spirit (note John 4:24) and is omnipresent, one might wonder how He could have physical eyes. The fact is, however, that the Bible frequently refers to His eyes. In fact, this phrase, “the eyes of the LORD,” occurs no less than 21 times in the Bible.
While this is hard to understand in one way, it is wonderfully clear when we remember God is omnipotent and omniscient, as well as omnipresent. “He that formed the eye, shall he not see?” (Psalm 94:9). We may not be able to understand the actual seeing mechanism of spiritual eyes; nevertheless, “the eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3).
The prophet Zechariah reminds us not to “[despise] the day of small things,” for they will be observed by “the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth” (Zechariah 4:10). The phrase is used first of all in connection with those terrible times when “the wickedness of man was great” and “the earth was filled with violence” (Genesis 6:5, 11). Yet God could still see righteous Noah there. “Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD” (Genesis 6:8), and he and his family were saved through the awful worldwide Flood.
The last usage of the phrase is in Peter’s epistle, quoting Psalm 34:15: “For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil” (1 Peter 3:12). We do well to remember always that one of the great names of God is “Thou God seest me” (Genesis 16:13) and then conduct ourselves accordingly, aware that our God is indeed watching us with deep love and concern. HMM
I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. — Galatians 2:20
We have to battle through our moods into absolute devotion to Jesus Christ, to get out of the hole of our own experience into abandoned devotion to him. Think about what the New Testament says about Jesus Christ, and then think about the trifling, inadequate faith many of us have. The New Testament says that Jesus Christ can present us faultless before the throne of God, unutterably pure, absolutely rectified, and profoundly justified. It says that he has “become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30). Yet we base our faith not in him but in our experiences. We complain that this or that hasn’t happened to us, and we talk about all the difficult things we’ve done on his behalf. How can we talk of making sacrifices for the Son of God? He has saved us from hell and perdition, and we talk about making sacrifices!
We have to continually move beyond our experiences into faith in Jesus Christ. We have to seek the New Testament Jesus Christ—not a prayer meeting Jesus Christ or a book Jesus Christ, but the Jesus Christ who is God incarnate, the Christ whose majesty so overwhelms us that we fall at his feet as if dead (Revelation 1:17). Our faith must be not in our experience but in the One from whom our experience springs. We can never directly experience Jesus Christ nor even hold him within the compass of our hearts, but we can build our faith in strong, emphatic confidence in him.
No wonder the Holy Spirit has such a rugged impatience with unbelief. He knows that all our fears are wicked, and that we fear because we won’t nourish ourselves in our faith. How can anyone who is identified with Jesus Christ suffer from doubt or fear! Our lives in him should be psalms of irrepressible, triumphant belief.
Lamentations 1-2; Hebrews 10:1-18
Wisdom from Oswald
Both nations and individuals have tried Christianity and abandoned it, because it has been found too difficult; but no man has ever gone through the crisis of deliberately making Jesus Lord and found Him to be a failure.The Love of God—The Making of a Christian, 680 R
I beg you to keep away from the evil pleasures of this world . . .
—1 Peter 2:11 (TLB)
We all know there is no such thing as absolute freedom. We cannot drive down the street at 100 miles an hour. You can’t swing your fist at me, because your freedom stops at the end of my nose. We can say that we want freedom to publish pornography, to push harmful drugs, to have unrestricted sex, to lie, to cheat; but if we continue with that kind of permissive freedom, we shall destroy ourselves.
Man can remain free only so long as he has the moral power to restrain his appetites. Basically, our problem is heart trouble. Our hearts need to be changed … peace will never come until we have changed human nature, until people begin loving each other instead of hating each other.
Read: “How to Find Victory Over Sin”
Lea este devocional en español en es.billygraham.org.
Prayer for the day
I need Your guidelines in my life, Lord. Loving You frees me from the bondage of my carnal appetite.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.—Romans 15:13 (NIV)
Pray the above verse when your spirit needs a boost. Thank God for His promise of hope and peace. When you face uncertainties, keep your eyes fixed on Him, knowing that He is working for good.
Holy Spirit, lead me in the path of hope and peace.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your paths. ––Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV
“I was scared, I confess, but then I just told myself to calm down. I kept telling myself everything will be all right because I am with my dad.” These were the comments of a child who finally jumped from the edge of the pool into the father’s out-stretched arms. As a dad, you may recall a similar experience with your child.
Some of our spiritual ledges have the ability to strike fear into us, but we must remind ourselves there is no fear in risking spiritually and trusting God, who is bigger than our fear of stepping off. Your Father is with you to take you safely off the ledge into the unknown waters of His will and escort you safely to the next jumping-off point.
You will learn how to safely jump into the risky waters of: fierce loyalty – singular obedience to God’s Word – abandoning approval – dangerous service – killing sin – aggressive honesty – man-zone responsibility – freedom through authentic friendships – imitating Christ – speaking boldly in the moment – changing another’s life – accepting pain – powerfully masculine emotions.
Whatever you might feel or be motivated to do as result of this journey toward courageous faith, listen to God and know that many of your brothers around the world are fighting this same battle to trust God in bigger ways.
Ready to jump? Then take your Father’s hand and thank God for that feeling in the pit of your stomach. Enjoy both the stimulus and the peace of your loving Father as you grow your faith as you jump off ledges.
Father, thank You for Your direction in the midst of my circumstances.
Shalom from what is now a different world! Oh my goodness! You cannot imagine the relief that most here in Israel feel after Tuesday’s election. At the top of your ballots, you had a contrast in ideologies. True, there were some who liked one or the other more, and others who disliked them both to the same degree. But personality isn’t what was important on Tuesday. The foundational belief systems of each camp were of such a distinct contrast that voters were forced to choose one side or the other. When the platforms of the two parties were studied, it became crystal clear – Tuesday’s vote was a choice between good and evil.
And America chose the good! Thank you, Lord! We prayed for Your will to be done and we firmly believe that You have answered that prayer. Across all economic classes, races, backgrounds, and the only two genders that exist, American citizens voted for the unborn. They voted for safe borders. They voted for family values. And they voted to support Israel. Those of us on the east coast of the Mediterranean were watching. We saw what you Americans did. And we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
This vote was not just an affirmation of Donald Trump’s policies. It was a clear rejection of the disastrous programs of the Biden administration; ones which Harris tried to publicly reject. Unfortunately, when you are number two in the White House, it is difficult to separate yourself from the person who is number one. The people recognized that a four-year extension of Biden’s White House would be calamitous for the nation. He was essentially fired in Tuesday’s vote, and she was kicked to the curb along with him.
But it was more than just a firing of Biden. There was an urgency to what took place. This is what Republicanized so much of the Jewish vote, with an unheard of 45% of New York Jews voting for Trump. But it wasn’t just New York – Trump took 43% of the Jewish vote in Florida, 42% in Nevada, and 37% in Arizona. The Amish community, usually content to let the “English” hash out the political stuff while they quietly maintained their farms, also came out in force for Trump. They recognized that the energy and environmental policies of the liberals threatened their very livelihood. Trump even took very surprising areas, including the very Muslim-heavy region of Dearborn, Michigan, as well as vice presidential nominee Tim Walz’s home county.
In addition to specific groups, there was a sense by many that they had to do something just for lifestyle-preservation. That led to a record number of first-time voters coming out from all walks of life with a majority going to Trump. Again, people knew the score. Regardless of religion or background, people know for a fact that a man is a man and a woman is a woman and many acknowledge that the precious little ball of cells in the womb is a full-fledged human being from the moment of conception.
Congratulations to President Trump are already pouring in from around the world. Benjamin Netanyahu spent 20 minutes on the phone with him yesterday. Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Muhamad bin Salman called, as did many other world leaders. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei neglected to drop a line, though. Instead, he made threats, and he hung a giant banner in Tehran threatening Trump. It’s not surprising. He knows this will likely mean a violent end to his nuclear aspirations. It will also mean new sanctions the moment his nation steps out of line. This morning, the value of the Iranian Rial dropped to an all-time low in anticipation of the tamping down of the nation’s current free rein. In contrast, the Dow soared 1,400 points on news of Trump’s return.
Once again, it’s a brand-new world after Tuesday’s election. It will be very interesting to see the make-up of Trump’s cabinet. He is coming in much wiser this time and will be on the lookout for quislings and those who are Republican in name only (RINOs). Just know, Mr. President, that you have the support of many around the world, especially those of us in Israel. We don’t back any party nor are we interested in personalities. We celebrate this election because it was a vote for life – the life of the unborn and our lives here in Israel.
Seven Front War
As I mentioned above, Israel is fighting a war on seven fronts. Directly on our borders are Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, and the West Bank. Close enough to fire rockets and suicide UAVs at us are Iran, Yemen, and Iraq. This multi-front confrontation has given us Israeli civilians a new reality in which we need to be ready at any moment to rush to the bomb shelter at the siren’s call. It is emotionally wearing never knowing if today is the day you’ll receive the bad luck of the draw and have a missile or drone explode on your house. Meanwhile, nearly every family has someone close to them who is in the Israel Defense Force (IDF) in harm’s way. Please pray with us that God allows us to end this war soon in a manner that will keep us safe from those who want to do us harm.
Netanyahu Fires His Defense Minister
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Tuesday night. He’d likely been planning it for quite some time but was held back by pressure from the United States. But once the PM saw the elections going the right way, he cut ties with Gallant who was a shill of the Biden administration and acted essentially as an agent of the Israeli and American deep state. Into Gallant’s place will step current Foreign Minister Israel Katz, whose resulting vacancy will be filled with chairman of the United Right party, Gideon Sa’ar. The appointments of both men need to be approved by the Knesset.
Hostages Remain in Gaza
There are 101 hostages who remain in Gaza following the October 7, 2023, massacre. Of these, we have confirmation that at least 50 are dead, and we are demanding the return of their remains. However, that leaves up to 50 more who are still alive and are being held in deplorable conditions in the terrorist hideouts. A deal for a brief ceasefire and hostage swap was floated by international parties. Despite the numbers being lopsided – 11-14 hostages in return for around 100 Palestinian prisoners – Israel was open to the possibility. Hamas, however, rejected it out of hand. They demand everything or nothing at all.
Israel Seeks to Corral Gazans in Humanitarian Zone
There are currently four primary zones of IDF activity against the terrorists in Gaza. One is down south along the Philadelphi Corridor, one is central around Khan Yunis, and the other two are up north in Gaza City and nearer the border. Israel is seeking to move all civilians to the large Al-Mawasi Humanitarian Zone along the Mediterranean in Rafah, where they will be safe from the fighting. An additional benefit of that unified location is that it would allow the IDF to be effective in its humanitarian efforts. Currently, any aid given to Gaza is immediately stolen by Hamas. The terrorists will take what they want, then sell what is left over to the civilian population. Uniting everyone at Al-Mawasi will allow the IDF to give the aid directly to those who need it most. Unfortunately, Hamas understands this strategy and is embedding itself amongst the refugees in the humanitarian zone.
Saving Lebanon from Hezbollah
On October 8, 2023, rockets began to soar south into Israel from Lebanon. But it wasn’t the Lebanese government that was behind their launching. It was Hezbollah, which meant it was Iran. The Israeli government never had a desire to go to war with Lebanon. It wanted to destroy the terrorists. So it is the terrorists who are the primary targets of the IDF. And while it is easier in Lebanon to separate the terrorists from the civilians than it is in Gaza, Hezbollah has still found many Lebanese who are more than happy to shelter them. This is what has led the IDF to bolster its almost daily air strikes with a ground attack. As the military moves through the south of the country, it is finding safehouses, weapons caches, and a labyrinth of tunnels, all designed with a strike on Israel in mind. Despite these finds, the IDF continues to be strategic in their targets, while encouraging the civilian population to move to safety up beyond the Litani River. Meanwhile, we are hoping that international pressure and support can motivate the Lebanese people to save Lebanon from the cancer of Hezbollah. It is time to cut them out once and for all. True, the terrorists are so embedded that it is easier said than done. But it can and must be accomplished.
Smuggling Attacked at Syria/Lebanon Border Crossing
On Friday, an Israeli strike shut down a border crossing in the northeast of Syria. The area hit was being regularly used by Iranian proxies to smuggle weapons into Lebanon. The finds in the Lebanese ground action is evidence that Iran has been able to keep Hezbollah well-supplied despite it being illegal to do so.
Iran Still Mulls Attack on Israel
The threats from Iran continue. Many thought that the Islamic Regime might use the U.S. elections as a cover for an attack, but that proved untrue. But Israel remains on heightened alert. The talk is that Iran may employ 800 large warhead missiles this time, which could be devastating without the divine intervention we’ve been blessed with in the previous two attacks. It’s also possible that movement to fuel these massive missiles could be picked up by Israel, prompting a preemptive strike. As usual, all eyes will be on the Middle East.
Source: It’s A Brand-New World After Tuesday’s Election… Especially For Israel – Harbinger’s Daily
Bible in a Year :
In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.
Today’s Scripture & Insight :
2 Corinthians 8:1-7
The state of Mizoram in northeast India is slowly climbing out of poverty. Despite their lack of income, since the gospel first came to this area, believers in Jesus have practiced a local tradition called “handful of rice.” Those preparing meals each day set aside a handful of uncooked rice and give it to the church. Mizoram churches, poor by the world’s standard, have given millions to missions and sent missionaries around the world. Many in their home state have come to Christ.
In 2 Corinthians 8, Paul describes a similarly challenged church. Believers in Macedonia were poor, but that didn’t keep them from giving joyfully and abundantly (vv. 1-2). They saw their giving as a privilege and gave “even beyond their ability” (v. 3) to partner with Paul. They understood they were merely stewards of God’s resources. Giving was a way to show their trust in Him, who provides for all our needs.
Paul used the Macedonians to encourage the Corinthians to have the same approach to giving. The Corinthians excelled “in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in . . . love.” Now they needed to “excel in this grace of giving” (v. 7).
Like the Macedonians and the believers in Mizoram, we too can reflect our Father’s generosity by giving generously out of what we have.
By: Matt Lucas
Reflect & Pray
Where have you witnessed sacrificial giving? How can you give generously in response to God’s generous giving to you?
Father, I pray for the Mizoram church as they continue to give generously to Your work.
Yet, O Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You our Potter, and we all are the work of Your hand.
Isaiah 64:8 (AMP)
God doesn’t require us to be perfect—He made us, and He knows we’re human and will make mistakes. Our job is to get up every day and do our best to serve God with the gifts He has given us. We’ll make mistakes, and when we do, we can receive God’s forgiveness and move on.
God (the Potter) uses cracked pots (that’s us) to do His work. We are containers God fills with His love and goodness to share with the world around us.
Don’t be afraid of your flaws. Acknowledge them and allow God to use you anyway. Stop worrying about what you’re not and give God what you are. Keep your eyes on God, Who is perfect, and what He can do in you and through you.
Prayer of the Day: Lord, thank You for using me despite my flaws. Help me serve You with my gifts and embrace Your forgiveness so I can share Your love with others, amen.
Antisemitism and the wrath of Almighty God
Israeli soccer fans were in Amsterdam last Thursday night for a game between a club from Tel Aviv and a Dutch club. Suddenly, mobs unleashed a wave of violence against them, chasing Jews through the streets on motorbikes and beating them. According to Dutch authorities, the campaign was organized beforehand and the attackers were equipped for their onslaught. The messaging app Telegram was used to talk about “going on Jew hunts,” Amsterdam’s mayor later reported. One Israeli soccer fan said, “They knew exactly where we stayed. They knew exactly which hotels, which street we were going to take. It was all well-organized, well-prepared.”
The site of the attacks was especially ironic: Amsterdam once had a large and thriving Jewish population, but 75 percent of them perished in the Holocaust. Jewish teenager Anne Frank hid for years in the city before she was arrested in 1944 and died in a Nazi concentration camp.
Now violence against Jews in Amsterdam is rising again along with Holocaust denial. But there is more to the story.
Antisemitism reaches record highs in the US
In a recent survey, 96 percent of Jews from thirteen European countries said they had encountered antisemitism in their daily lives even before the ongoing war in Gaza. Most who responded said they worry for their own (53 percent) and their family’s (60 percent) safety and security. Unsurprisingly, Europe’s Jewish population has dropped 60 percent in the last fifty years.
Lest we think this cannot happen in America, we need to know that it is happening in America.
According to a new report from the Anti-Defamation League Center for Extremism:
Jonathan S. Tobin, editor-in-chief of Jewish News Syndicate, warns:
In essence, every college with an anti-Israel encampment or a campus culture where pro-Israel Jews find themselves ostracized and targeted by faculty and students is an example of how pogroms like that in Amsterdam become a possibility.
The takeover of American education by those advocating for toxic Marxist myths like critical race theory and intersectionality, which falsely label Jews and Israel as “white” oppressors who are always in the wrong and deserve whatever violence is directed at them, has led to the indoctrination of a generation that sees the barbaric atrocities of Oct. 7 as justified “resistance.”
But there is even more to the story.
Three reasons Satan inspires antisemitism
The devil is the author of antisemitism. How do I know?
But there is even more to the story.
Why we must “pray for the peace of Jerusalem”
Antisemitism, like all racism, is an affront to the God who made each of us in his image (Genesis 1:27) and “loves each of us as if there were only one of us” (St. Augustine). Accordingly, throughout Scripture and human history, the Lord invariably and inevitably must bring judgment against those who sin against humanity in this way.
Similarly, Abraham Lincoln stated prophetically in his Second Inaugural Address that the Civil War was divine punishment for the sin of slavery, a sin in which all Americans were complicit. From then to today, those who perpetuate the heinous sins of antisemitism and racism against their fellow humans must face the loss of God’s favor and the incursion of his wrath.
So, let us urgently “pray for the peace of Jerusalem” today (Psalm 122:6). By this, let us ask Almighty God to protect Jews and all other oppressed minorities around the world. Let us seek his direction and strength as we seek to answer our prayer with our actions.
And let us remember John Donne’s sober warning:
“Send not to know for whom the bell tolls, It tolls for thee.”
NOTE: For an up-to-the-minute look at life in Israel today, I invite you to listen to a podcast I recorded last week with Danny Lampel, our long-time guide in the Holy Land and one of my dearest friends. Dr. Mark Turman and Dr. Mike Fanning joined me in talking with Danny about the challenges he and his fellow Israelis are facing and his hopes for the future. I believe you will find our conversation sobering, challenging, and inspiring.
Tuesday news to know:
*Denison Forum does not necessarily endorse the views expressed in these stories.
Quote for the day:
“The denial of human rights anywhere is a threat to the affirmation of human rights everywhere.” —Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
This great promise has been an immeasurable source of strength and comfort to Christians, especially during times of trial. It is specifically directed, however, only to those who are “the called.”
Recognition of those who are “the called” is best achieved through their synonymous description as “them that love God.” There are also numerous other Scriptures that further describe them. There are two Greek words (each occurring 11 times) that specifically refer to those who are members of this select group: One of these words is kletos (“called”); the other is klesis (“calling”). Another very important term is ekklesia, meaning “called out,” which occurs 115 times and is almost always translated “church.” That is, a true church is composed of people who have been specially called by God out of the world system and have joined together in a local church to fulfill the purposes of their divine calling.
“Not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called” (1 Corinthians 1:26). No I.Q. test, physical exam, or social standing is used as a criterion; neither are any human achievements. “[God] hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began” (2 Timothy 1:9).
God’s call was strictly by grace, according to His own eternal purpose! The means by which God calls is the gospel: “Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 2:14). No wonder, then, that we can know that all things work together for good on behalf of those whom God has called, and who therefore love God! HMM
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
What is your idea of salvation? The experience of salvation means that in your life things have actually been changed. When you are saved, you no longer look at things as you used to. Your desires are new. The things which used to rule you have lost their power.
A key question in this experience is, Has God changed the things that matter? If you still long for old things, it’s absurd to talk about being born from above. When you are born again, the Spirit of God manifests a change in your mind and life. Afterward, when a crisis arises, you are the most amazed person on earth at the wonderful difference in you. There is no possibility of imagining that you caused this difference; you know beyond a doubt that it was the Spirit of God. This complete and amazing change is the evidence that you are a saved soul.
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud” (1 Corinthians 13:4). What difference has salvation and sanctification made in me? Can I walk tall in the light of 1 Corinthians 13, or do I have to shuffle? The salvation that is worked out in me by the Holy Spirit emancipates me entirely. As long as I walk in the light as God is in the light, he sees nothing to censure, because his life is working through every aspect of my own—not only those aspects I am conscious of but also those that lie deeper than my consciousness.
Wisdom from Oswald
We are in danger of being stern where God is tender, and of being tender where God is stern. The Love of God—The Message of Invincible Consolation, 673 L
In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
—John 16:33
You should not expect the easy way, for if you do you are certainly destined for disappointment. Any person who knows the Bible knows that the Christian life is likened to an athletic contest or to warfare, and neither one is easy. Jesus warned His followers to count carefully the cost, and that certainly does not speak of an easy way. But there is no good thing that comes without cost.
The Christian life is the most satisfying, but only when we actually go all out and all the way. It is the Christian who tries to compromise who finds life miserable, for he has all the problems, without the fellowship that comes through surrender. For every trial and test, Christ supplies an abundance of grace with which to bear it, and in our weakness we are made strong.
What is grace and what does it do? Read Billy Graham’s answer.
Lea este devocional en español en es.billygraham.org.
Prayer for the day
Let me never look for the easy way when You, Lord Jesus, gave everything for me.
Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.—1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NLT)
Gratitude is a life-changer. When facing a confusing or upsetting situation, thank God for His understanding. Praise Him for His wisdom and guidance. By being thankful, you reinforce your knowledge of God’s goodness.
Heavenly Father, I can endure any situation because I am safe in Your hands.
Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. ––James 1:26-27
The Latin expression facta, non verba translates to “actions, not words.” It sums up a lot of the Gospel, especially Jesus’ time on earth (covered in the four Gospels and the book of Acts).
Arguably the most well-known verse on this subject is James 2:17: “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” But there’s more to the picture than just that one verse. As we know, context is everything—especially when it comes to Scripture. In today’s opening verse, James is saying that if you call yourself a believer, but can’t control your tongue, your religion is worthless. And then he makes a big reveal:
Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. ––James 1:27, nlt
Two things to prove your genuine faith? Caring for the “least of these” and not allowing the world to pollute you.
This section in James is key for God’s man: if we truly want to put our faith where our mouth is, we will take care of those who are down and out; and we will maintain a lifestyle of purity. Is the other stuff important (tithing, prayer, being a loyal friend, etc.)? Of course.
Jesus prioritizes facta, non verba this way:
Jesus replied: “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” ––Matthew 22:37-39
If we truly want to live a faith that is genuine, it’s going to involve loving your neighbor—no matter what they look like, what their citizenship status is, or where they come from. There are no qualifiers or disclaimers; no hidden clauses or addendums. No complicated, but yet, not simple either.
Isn’t that just like Jesus?
Father, help me operate in a facta, non verba mindset, acting out my faith and helping the helpless wherever You present an opportunity.
DAILY DEVOTIONS, NEWS AND INFORMATION 