Category Archives: Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – A Barometer for Our Spiritual Growth

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Charles Stanley

2 Pet. 3:18

So you’re a Christian, but time has quickly ticked by since those first weeks following your initial fervent commitment to Christ. Do you ever wonder if you’re growing spiritually? Work demands your attention more than ever. Your old habits fight to break into your new life in Christ. Temptation continues. How can you tell if your faith is continuing to grow?

KNOW GOD

One of the first indicators that you are maturing in your Christian walk is an increasing hunger to know God. Do you cherish the time you spend alone with Him? Do you linger at the close of your prayer time, wanting to hear just a little more from the Father? Do you seek out opportunities to commune with the Lord and learn more about Him? If you answered “yes” to any or all of these questions, be encouraged—you are experiencing growth in your spiritual life.

KNOW HIS WORD

Another indicator of spiritual growth is an increasing desire to know God’s Word. Do you find yourself meditating on Scripture, hoping to glean more truth? Have you considered joining a Bible study or enrolling in seminary because you genuinely want to know more about the Bible? If so, God has given you a longing to understand the truths found in His Word.

KNOW HIS GRACE

Besides longing for God’s fellowship and wisdom, a true mark of spiritual development is an awareness of your sinfulness and the extent of God’s grace in your life. The more you learn about God’s nature, the more you will be able to identify His grace. The immensity of the Father’s redeeming grace is humbling. It makes you aware of your own weakness and folly. Only then, when you have become humble, can you fully accept God’s will for your life.

 

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A Barometer for Our Spiritual Growth

If we are maturing in our Christian walk, then we will certainly have a growing hunger to know God. We will not be satisfied with how much we know Him or understand His ways; instead, we will yearn to know Him more and more. (Listen to A Barometer for Our Spiritual Growth now.)

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Avoiding Shipwreck

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Charles Stanley
1 Timothy 1:18-20
The apostle Paul wanted his young charge Timothy to grasp the basics of keeping the faith. So he wrote about two men who ignored their conscience at great peril. Their example shows that without an understanding of what this gift from God is, we run the risk of capsizing our faith.
Many people mistakenly think of the conscience as God’s voice instead of God’s gift. We were created with an “inner monitor” that acts as a moral compass for life; it points to a standard of right and wrong that can guide our decisions. But the conscience, like everything else in us, is fallen and in need of redemption. Depending on how it has been programmed, our conscience can nudge us in the wrong direction.
Paul himself is an illustration of this. His formal education as a Pharisee had taught him that Christians were a threat to God and the Jewish faith. His conscience had been programmed to see killing them as service to the Lord. So he passionately hunted down believers without tripping an alarm on his moral compass. Only after the risen Christ met him on the way to Damascus was his conscience transformed and his life altered.
Unless we let the Lord redeem us fully, our decisions can prove as destructive as if we ignored our “monitoring system” altogether. By understanding the divine gift of conscience, we stand a better chance of staying on course and away from trouble. What’s more, if we submit our conscience to the Holy Spirit, we will find safe harbor when storms threaten our faith or future.

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Jesus—God’s Perfect Gift

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Charles Stanley

Romans 5:6-21

Jesus is God’s precious and perfect gift to us. Heaven sent, the present was willingly given at great cost because we were in desperate need. This remarkable gift from God is . . .

Universal and Personal. Through Jesus, the Father offers salvation to the entire world, one person at a time (John 3:16). Whoever receives the Son discovers His unlimited worth.

Preventive. When Jesus becomes our personal Savior, we are granted forgiveness and are set free from condemnation for our sin (Rom. 8:1). This divine gift prevents us from having to face eternal death, which would mean permanent separation from God.

Eternal. What Jesus brings us lasts forever. From the day of salvation, Christ’s Spirit indwells us and remains with us. As permanent members of God’s family, we have an inheritance in heaven that can neither spoil nor perish (1 Pet. 1:3-5).

Full of Love. Unconditional love is what motivated the Father to sacrifice His Son in our place. None of us deserved it. At some point, we’ve all sinned (Rom. 3:10)—we have turned away from God to follow our own desires. In spite of who we are, God set His affection on us and proved it through the life and death of His Son. By His love, we’ve been rescued from bondage to sin and are being transformed into the people He designed us to be.

If you haven’t accepted God’s offer of salvation, today can become your spiritual birthday. If you already belong to God’s family, you know the value of the gift. Won’t you tell someone today about this marvelous present.

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Jesus Christ: A Gift from the Father

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Charles Stanley

Matthew 7:11

We try to give presents that are meaningful but we aren’t always successful. However, God’s gift—His Son Jesus—is always the right one for everybody. This gift is:

Heaven sent. Jesus was sent to earth from the heavenlies in order to fulfill God’s plan (John 6:38). Every aspect of His life—from His birth as a little baby to His death on the cross—was part of the Father’s gift to us.

Needed. God gave His Son to us because of our desperate need for rescue. Sin ruined the human race (Rom. 3:23) and placed us all under divine condemnation (5:18). Since we are unable to pay the price justly demanded by God for our sin, our greatest need has always been for a Savior who could pay our sin debt for us (6:23). Only Jesus qualified because He was without sin. He became our Redeemer, reconciling us to God (5:10).

Sacrificial. God sent Jesus to die in our place so that we might become part of His family. The Son deliberately sacrificed His life to accomplish the Father’s plan.

Perfect. Jesus was God in human flesh, walking among mankind. His character and will are flawless, and He works perfectly on our behalf (8:28-29).

Precious. Jesus Christ can do for us what no material thing or other person can. In Him, we become new creations belonging to God (2 Cor. 5:17).

God wrapped His special present to us in human flesh so we might know Him and identify with Him. How closely intertwined is Jesus’ life with yours?

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – On Eagle’s Wings

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Charles Stanley

Isaiah 40:28-31

When I witnessed an eagle in flight, I understood why God used this bird to describe a relationship with Him. The eagle—which simply opens its wings and soars—is wholly dependent upon air currents to keep it aloft.

In contrast, we oftentimes beat our wings trying to be better Christians. We resolve to read the Bible more or to improve at keeping our temper. We strive to escape old habits and temptations. But instead of flying to the mountaintops, we remain on the valley floor with tired wings. This is because we sometimes get confused about what makes a person spiritually mature. The godly believer isn’t someone who tries and tries to do well. I’ve been a believer long enough to know that I can’t live the Christian life. This flesh of mine isn’t any better today than it was the day I was saved.

Spiritual maturity means recognizing that we do not change ourselves. The flesh is corrupt, and it cannot be suppressed by any human means. But our omnipotent Father subdues our imperfect impulses through His Spirit. For example, God’s indwelling Spirit can calm anger and wield His strength to weaken the lure of temptations. While others tire from trying to be good, the mature believer relies on the Lord and will “mount up with wings like eagles” (Isa. 40:31).

Isaiah reminds us that even young men stumble and grow weak. Anyone trying to change himself will burn out beating his wings against the world system and his own flesh. God did not make our human bodies, minds, or spirits to fly solo. He created us to soar on His strength.

 

 

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Blessings of Inadequacy

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Charles Stanley

2 Corinthians 3:4-6

Life is filled with struggles that reveal our human inadequacy: Physical problems leave us weak and unable to cope; relational troubles bring confusion and stress; continual battles with bad habits and addictions make us feel defeated; and financial pressures damage our self-worth. No one likes the fear and frustration of dealing with challenges that are too big to handle, but God can use them for our good.

Maybe you have never considered inadequacy a blessing. After all, it stirs up all sorts of uncomfortable emotions that make us feel insignificant and weak. But God can turn the negatives into blessings if we acknowledge our helplessness, depend on His strength, and step into our challenges with confidence in Him.

Inadequacy can be a blessing since it:

  • Drives us to God as we recognize our helplessness.
  • Relieves us of the burden of trying to do God’s will in our own strength.
  • Motivates us to live in the power of the Holy Spirit.
  • Provides an opportunity for the Lord to demonstrate what He can do.
  • Increases our usefulness to God by replacing pride with humility.
  • Allows Christ to receive all the glory.
  • Gives us peace as we rely on Him.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, believers have the ability to endure difficulty and accomplish whatever the Lord calls them to do. By claiming the adequacy of Christ, we can face every circumstance with a sense of confidence—not in ourselves but in God, who is capable.

 

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Peace With Ourselves

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Charles Stanley

Romans 12:1-8

In the 12th chapter of Romans, Paul indicates that some people tend to think more highly of themselves than they should. It is also true that others are tempted to think more lowly of themselves than is appropriate. What thoughts should we have about ourselves?

A godly sense of self-worth offers a valuable solution here. It lies at the heart of a peaceful life and provides the solid middle ground between the ditch of self-disparagement on the one hand and the precipice of self-exaltation on the other. This resting place in Jesus stems from simply seeing yourself the way the Lord sees you.

When you are born again, God sees you as His beloved child and the owner of a new identity. Because your life is hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3), you can say that you are complete in Christ. And because of His Spirit within, it is possible for you to live a righteous life.

At the same time, you retain old patterns of sin, which are still capable of expressing themselves. It is all right, therefore, to be grieved by some things you do while rejoicing over progress. That is how God feels. Keep in mind, however, that His delight or displeasure with your conduct in no way alters either His love for you or your identity as His. The Lord always sees you as His own and as a person of infinite worth.

Ultimately, you’ll reach full spiritual maturity in Christ. But in the meantime, never forget that you are not what you do. You are what you are: a child of God (John 1:12).

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – How do I accept Jesus as my Savior?

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Charles Stanley

 

Do you want to know God?

Do you yearn to experience the Lord’s comforting presence, power, and wisdom? That’s good, because God loves you and wants to have a personal relationship with you forever.

The problem is . . .

. . . one thing separates you from a relationship with God—sin. You and I sin whenever we fail to live by the Lord’s holy standard. In fact, Romans 3:23: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Furthermore, Romans 6:23 explains that the penalty for sin is death—separation from God in hell forever. No matter how hard we try, we cannot save ourselves or get rid of our sins. We can’t earn our way to heaven by being good, going to church, or being baptized (Eph. 2:8-9).

Understanding how helpless we are because of our sins, God sent His only Son, Jesus, to save us.

Jesus Christ lived a perfect, sinless life, and then died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins (Rom. 5:8). Three days later, He rose from the dead—showing that He had triumphed over sin and death once and for all.

So how can you know God?

It all starts with accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ provides a relationship with the Father and eternal life through His death on the cross and resurrection (Rom. 5:10).

Romans 10:9 promises, “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” If you have not yet begun your personal relationship with God, understand that the One who created you loves you no matter who you are or what you’ve done. He wants you to experience the profound depth of His care.

Therefore, tell God that you are willing to trust Him for salvation. You can tell Him in your own words or use this simple prayer:

Lord Jesus, I ask You to forgive my sins and save me from eternal separation from God. By faith, I accept Your work and death on the cross as sufficient payment for my sins. Thank You for providing the way for me to know You and to have a relationship with my heavenly Father. Through faith in You, I have eternal life. Thank You also for hearing my prayers and loving me unconditionally. Please give me the strength, wisdom, and determination to walk in the center of Your will. In Jesus’ name, amen.

If you have just prayed this prayer, congratulations!

You have received Christ as your Savior and have made the best decision you will ever make—one that will change your life forever! Please let us know by emailing us at decision@intouch.org so we can rejoice with you.We know you will have questions about your new relationship with Jesus, and we want to help. Begin your new journey with God by clicking here to learn more about your new relationship with Him.

 

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How to accept Jesus as your Savior

How do you accept Jesus as your savior? Romans 10:9 promises, “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” If you have not yet begun your personal relationship with God, understand that the One who created you and loves you no matter who you are or what you’ve done. (Watch How to accept Jesus as your Savior.)

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Strength to Stand

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Charles Stanley

Ephesians 3:14-21

We know who our enemy is, and we may even be dressed for battle (Eph. 6:11). But we don’t feel ready. Our weaknesses seem large and our strength small.

To stand firm in this life, we need the power of our living Lord operating within us. To have God’s divine power released in us requires serious, sustained prayer (v. 18). When we communicate with the Father, His Holy Spirit will give us discernment so that we can recognize truths about spiritual warfare and gain insight into the adversary’s tactics (1 Cor. 2:14). Starting each morning with the Lord lets Him strengthen us to stand steadfastly for Christ, no matter what is in store for us that day.

Prayer is an essential element in our protection against the devil. If we are prayerless—that is, if we fail to seek God’s guidance and neglect to put on His armor by faith every day—then we will be defeated. Our understanding and vision apart from the Lord are too limited and the enemy is too powerful for us to stand alone. However, Romans 8:37 tells us that with God, we will be more than conquerors. He will make us ready if we draw close to Him through prayer, listen to His instructions, and follow through with obedience.

The enemy despises prayers that are offered through faith in Jesus Christ, because he has no defense against them. Persevering prayer strengthens you. It also crushes Satan’s might and sends him running (James 4:7). Drop to your knees in prayer to the Lord and watch what happens.

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – God’s Principle of Reaping and Sowing

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Charles Stanley

Proverbs 12:14

Galatians 6:7-10 states, “Whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life . . . [So] let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.”

This passage contains an important scriptural truth: Our positive actions will ultimately benefit us, whereas our negative deeds will eventually bring harmful repercussions. This principle goes hand in hand with the Golden Rule, which says we are to treat others the way we want to be treated. The Lord calls us to be kind and respectful toward other people, even when they aren’t easy to love. Admittedly, this can be difficult when an individual wrongs us continually. But if we give in to our flesh and retaliate, we are sowing seeds of corruption, and in due time, we will reap accordingly.

On the other hand, treating someone well—even after he has been unkind— will profit us. According to Scripture, we are “sow[ing] to the Spirit” and will reap rewards. Some benefits may be supernatural and unknown to us at the time. Yet we know that obedience in this situation will facilitate forgiveness, build character, and develop endurance. No matter what the other person does, we always win when we walk in obedience with the Lord.

Think of relationship challenges as a chance for others to witness God’s love in action. With His help, you can sow seeds of love, joy, and peace that will yield a rich harvest for your own life as well as for the other person.

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Fulfillment for the Empty Life

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Charles Stanley

John 4:3-18

The cry of emptiness rings from both the bleakest ghetto and the ritziest mansion. The same echo of a meaningless life reverberates at the downtown bar and the country club. There are senior citizens, middle-aged men and women, and teens with equally hollow hearts, for which no medical prescription exists.

The Samaritan woman at the well symbolizes millions throughout time who have given their best efforts to satisfy the yearning for love and completion. Until a person tastes the Lord’s love, the sense of emptiness cannot be permanently satisfied. We were created to honor and glorify God; no other act of adoration—whether toward the opposite sex, worldly position, work, or money—can bring a sense of long-term pleasure and purpose.

No wonder the Samaritan woman eagerly accepted Jesus’ offer of a drink that would quench her thirst forever (John 4:15). The promise of salvation includes more than the elimination of guilt: When someone trusts Christ as Savior, the Holy Spirit indwells the new believer and expresses divine love to and through him or her. If we’re willing to acknowledge Christ’s death on our behalf and ask His forgiveness for our sins, which put Him on the cross, then we can experience the overflow of God’s love filling our emptiness.

The believer who feels hollow must honestly confess any sin harbored in the heart. Wrongdoing and idolatry block fellowship with the Father, but repentance breaks the dam. The only fulfillment for an empty life is God’s freely offered love.

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – A Loving God and Eternity

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Charles Stanley

Matthew 25:31-46

God’s Word clearly speaks about existence after death—people will spend eternity in either heaven or hell. Yet many individuals consider this truth inconsistent with other facts about the Lord. While their objections are understandable, the Bible provides the answers to their questions:

How can the Lord be good if He lets some people spend their afterlife in hell? God is love and doesn’t want anyone to live without Him (1 John 4:8; 1 Tim. 2:4). Everyone can turn from sin and receive the Savior, thereby avoiding eternal separation from Him. But some reject Christ and live apart from Him all their days on earth. Because of that choice, they’ll exist apart from His presence for eternity.

Why would the Lord create certain individuals, knowing they would never turn to Him? To some, this seems unloving. Yet the alternative would be worse. God created us with free will—we can choose to obey and follow Him. If our Father gave us no choice, we would be mere robots, unable to truly respond, love, and worship.

Isn’t an endless penalty unfair, particularly if non-Christians never heard a clear presentation of the gospel? As long as unbelievers are alive, the heavenly Father does everything He can to keep them from eternal punishment—except violate their free will. He gives enough time and evidence so that nobody has a valid excuse for rejecting the one path to salvation (Rom. 1:20; John 14:6).

Do you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior? He wants you to spend eternity with Him.

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Guarantee of Eternal Life

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Charles Stanley

Revelation 19:4-9

The first chapter of Matthew lists the lineage of Jesus Christ: 42 generations starting with the miracle child born to Abraham and ending with the miracle of deity assuming human form. In between are the names of a schemer, a prostitute, a murderer, kings, and former idol worshippers. These men and women had their lives transformed by God and, by His supernatural workings, were given a place in the ancestry of our Savior. God protected this line despite deceit, betrayal, war, captivity, and assimilation.

It is this same God who promises us eternal life through Jesus Christ. The Bible recounts promise after promise from God, and 2 Corinthians 1:20 reassures us that they are all “yes” in Christ. We who are born again through faith in Jesus are given a permanent place in God’s family, which is guaranteed by both the Father and the Son (John 10:28-29). The Holy Spirit is given to us as a seal of the pledge, ensuring that we will receive our eternal inheritance as children of God (2 Cor. 1:21-22).

For the guarantee of eternal life to take effect, there is but a single requirement—that we enter into a personal relationship with Christ. The Lord Himself registers our name in the Lamb’s book of life (Rev. 21:27). There are no additional specifications to meet for the guarantee to be in effect, and it remains in place forever. Eternal life belongs to us the instant we become children of God. The Lord has promised, and we can count on it. Hallelujah!

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Eternal Life: Rest Assured

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Charles Stanley

Romans 3:21-24

Babies have the wonderful ability to fall asleep in the midst of great commotion. They close their eyes, untroubled by worry or fear. Our heavenly Father’s desire is that we would have the same sense of security about our life in Him. He wants us to live certain of our everlasting relationship with Him through Jesus.

Have you ever noticed that when babies become toddlers, fear begins to enter their minds? Many cry over small disturbances or become unwilling to leave a parent’s side. They seem unable to accept their mom or dad’s reassurance that everything is fine. Much of the time, their situation has not changed at all—they have the same safety and protection they had as babies—but they’ve lost their sense of assurance. They will not believe the one who knows the truth: their parent.

This is just what some of us do. We fail to believe the assurances given by our heavenly Father. At the moment of salvation, we entered into a permanent relationship with God through Jesus and received eternal life. But at times, we have trouble trusting that it’s true.

Certainty about salvation doesn’t come from applying human logic. It is a matter of faith. Do we believe what God tells us or don’t we? Assurance grows as we believe God’s Word and no longer rely on our own thinking. First John 5:13 says, “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.” Believe the God-breathed Scripture and rejoice.

 

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Experiencing God’s Faithfulness

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Charles Stanley

What is the secret to enjoying the Lord’s best for your life? Whole-hearted obedience. Let’s study the story of Abraham to explore the rewards of following God’s voice and the consequences of disobedience.

Note: Abraham and Sarah are first introduced in Scripture as Abram and Sarai. God changed their names when He made a special covenant with them, which is described in Genesis 17. For simplicity, this Bible study uses the names “Abraham” and “Sarah.”

  1. When God asks us to obey, He doesn’t always reveal the details. Read Genesis 12:1-3. Where did the Lord tell Abraham to go?
  • What enabled him to take such a risk? (Hebrews 11:8-9)
  • What is the definition of faith, according to Hebrews 11:1?

Hebrews 11:6 says “he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”

  • What did the Lord promise Abraham? (Genesis 12:2-3)
  • Has your heavenly Father ever asked you to do something that seemed illogical to you at the time? If so, what did your experience teach you?
  1. God’s guidance will not contradict His ways or His Word. Read Genesis 12:10-20.
  • What did Abraham do instead of trusting the Lord to take care of him? (Genesis 12:13)

Although the patriarch did not have the Bible or even the Ten Commandments, he knew his action was wrong.

  • In what area of your life are you currently tempted to disobey God instead of trusting Him? Explain your temptation.
  • What do you think God would have you do instead of trying to solve the problem using your own effort or reasoning?
  1. When we disobey, other people suffer. In Genesis 15:4, God promises Abraham a son, not just an heir. But years later, Sarah is still childless.
  2. God often gives us a second chance to obey. Some opportunities come only once in a lifetime. Once we miss them, they are gone forever. But many times, our gracious Father offers us another chance.
  3. The Lord may ask us to surrender the dreams and plans He gives us. Read the story of the sacrifice of Isaac in Genesis 22:1-14.
  • What did she suggest to Abraham? (Genesis 16:2)
  • What were some of the negative consequences of his action? (Genesis 16:4-6; 11-12)
  • When you live for yourself instead of seeking to follow God, how are those around you negatively affected?
  • What did Abraham do with his second chance in Genesis 20:1-13?
  • What three reasons does he give for using deception?
  • How are his excuses similar to the excuses we might use to justify sin?
  • Is God giving you a second chance? What is He asking you to do?
  • Why did God ask Abraham to sacrifice Isaac? (Genesis 22:12)

We can begin to value God-given possessions, relationships, dreams, or even ministry more than we treasure our relationship with Him. This is a form of idolatry.

  • What are the warning signs that a God-given gift has become too important?
  • Is God asking you to release an idol to Him so that He has your whole-hearted devotion? You may need to give it up literally or just surrender control of it in your heart. Write a prayer expressing your feelings and yielding to the lordship of Christ.
  1. The rewards of obedience can last for generations. Because Abraham obeyed God, he became the father of the people of Israel. Years later, his descendants gave birth to the Messiah, through whom the entire world was blessed (Genesis 17: 4-8; Genesis 22:18).
  • How would you like to be remembered by your children and grandchildren (or by the next generation)?
  • What can you do in this next year to be one step closer to making that kind of impact on your world?

Closing: Like Abraham, you may impact the lives of those whom you never meet. Be obedient to God’s request, even if it doesn’t make sense from a worldly point of view. Perhaps the sacrifices you make today for Christ’s sake will bless others for generations to come.

Prayer: Father, I’m so grateful that You have a purpose and a plan for my life. Please reveal Your will to me and empower me to obey it willingly and faithfully. Increase my faith that I may be a blessing to the world around me for Your sake and for Your glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

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Resting In the Faithfulness of God

How do you respond when you find that your faith’s being tested—when you don’t know what God’s doing in your life, and your prayers seem to go unanswered? (Watch Resting In The Faithfulness of God.)

 

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – How the Truth Can Set You Free

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Charles Stanley

2 Peter 1:1-4

Galatians 5:1 tells us “Christ has truly set us free” (NLT). The reason we can know genuine freedom is that Jesus “has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us” (2 Peter 1:3).

Oftentimes people say, “I would like to become a Christian, but I don’t dare start because I know I couldn’t live up to all that is required.” Of course they couldn’t. And that is precisely why this generous assurance is given. God says that you and I have been granted everything we will ever need to live a triumphant Christian life.

The Lord’s glorious provision, however, begins only after we trust Christ for salvation. We have to take the plunge of faith before His divine power is released into our life. Once we’ve taken the step of believing in Jesus, all things are available, including courage, forgiveness, vision, wisdom, and a deepening trust in God.

Such a promise is hard to comprehend because it seems too good to be true. Many people pass it by with hardly an acknowledgement. Others look askance and wonder what needs to happen for it to become a reality in their life. As with all of God’s promises, you must accept it before you can act upon it. And while recognizing the promise as yours is one thing, applying it in daily life can be quite another matter. Ultimately, the promise is realized by the full experiential knowledge of Jesus as we hunger and thirst for the living water He supplies. Only when we refuse to be content with the world’s broken cisterns (Jer. 2:13) will we find the fullness of this promise working in us.

 

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Waiting for God to Meet Our Needs

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Charles Stanley

Philippians 4:18-20

Every need we will experience in life is already met in Christ Jesus. By His power, God has prepared blessings to fill each of our needs in His perfect timing. Sometimes, when life is not exactly as we hoped it would be, we begin to despair. We think that we must have certain things in a particular time frame, but the Lord knows better.

Sometimes a need in our life—whether it is physical, spiritual, relational, emotional, or financial—persists because the Lord is trying to get our attention. He wants us to focus on Him so that He can correct our thinking. He desires that we experience abundance, but He knows we cannot enjoy blessing until He has been allowed to work in our life. Like a fruit tree, we must be pruned; sometimes the cutting back hurts, but it is always followed by a more bountiful harvest.

At other times, the way we approach God may be what hinders His promised blessings. Perhaps our prayers reflect feelings of inferiority and insecurity, though as members of God’s family, we have absolutely no reason to come crawling like a beggar to our Father. He wants His children to come with confidence, anticipating the blessings He longs to give!

Do not misunderstand. We can expect blessings, but we cannot dictate when or how or what they should be. God knows what’s best and is intently interested in our well-being. And while He does not promise ease, God is certainly steadfast in providing us spiritual comfort and meeting our every need. Look in anticipation; He will do something far beyond what you could have imagined.

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Is He More?

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Charles Stanley

Colossians 1:15-20

Who is this Jesus? It’s a question that has been asked by countless individuals for more than two millennia. And, to be sure, it is the most important question that can ever be asked—or answered. How would you reply?

You may say, “He’s my Savior.” But is He more? “Well, He’s the Lord.” But is He more?

Yes, He is far more indeed. Jesus did something for us that had never been done before: He enabled us to see the Father in a new way. In Colossians 1:15, Paul explains that Jesus is the “image of the invisible God.”

No one has ever looked upon the face of the Almighty. In the Old Testament, some people found themselves in His presence, but they were never able to look fully upon His glory. For example, even Moses, who is described as God’s friend (Ex. 33:11), could not look directly at Him. At best, he had the opportunity to look upon “God’s back” as the Lord passed by. But Moses never saw His face (vv. 18-23).

However, Jesus came to bridge the gap between the Father’s pure, holy glory and mankind’s sinful nature. As God’s “image,” Jesus is the exact, flawless replica—the perfect reflection—of His Father. Therefore, Jesus could say, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).

How do we know what the heavenly Father is like? By knowing Jesus. He is the only full expression and explanation of God. Now are you prepared to answer the question? Then ask the Father to reveal His Son to you in a fresh way today.

 

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Was Jesus Christ Really God?

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Charles Stanley

John 1:1-18

The divinity of Jesus Christ is one of the most controversial issues facing every human being. It is also the most critical. Our faith hangs in the balance on this question.

There are many who say they believe in Jesus and in God, but do not think that Jesus is God. They believe many good things about Him, however. They accept Him as a teacher. They marvel at Him as a healer. They revere Him as a philosopher, revolutionary, and social reformer. And yet, they cannot—or rather will not—accept Him as Lord.

I want to be crystal clear on this matter. You can believe all of these wonderful things about Jesus. You can go so far as to laud Him as a prophet sent by almighty God. But if you do not accept that He is one with God—the Savior who died for your sins—then you do not know Him at all.

Now, you may have heard people argue that Jesus Himself never actually claimed to be God. This is simply not true. Time and again in the Gospels, Jesus places Himself on equal footing with the Father and the Holy Spirit (John 10:30; 14:6-14). The truth is, if Jesus was not truly God’s Son, then as C. S. Lewis observed, He was either a lunatic or the world’s most detestable liar.

If you’re the least bit uncertain about this eternal question, don’t let another minute pass before taking steps to figure out the answer. Take the time to examine the Gospels. Talk to your pastor or believing friends. Settle for yourself the life-changing question, “Was Jesus Christ really God?”

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Conflict

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Charles Stanley

Ephesians 6:10-13

Spiritual combat is going on all the time. It is important for believers to be aware of this conflict in order to battle sin effectively and live in a manner pleasing to God. The struggle exists in three areas.

First, we have an internal enemy. Ever since the fall in the garden of Eden, the human heart does not naturally seek after God. But the Holy Spirit can draw us and move our thoughts toward the Lord. However, even after salvation, we have the capacity to do wrong as long as we remain in this carnal body. Scripture cites evidence of the old “flesh” patterns at work within us—patterns such as immorality, impurity, jealousy, and outbursts of anger (Gal. 5:19-20).

Next, we have an external enemy: the ungodly beliefs, attitudes, and philosophies all around us. First John 2:15 warns: “If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” As believers in Jesus, we should be salt and light to the world around us without allowing its ways to influence our thoughts or behavior.

Third, there’s an infernal enemy, and his name is Satan. His desire is to dishonor God and to gain victory over the Lord’s kingdom. We know from Scripture that this will not happen, but the conflict will continually rage on until the final days mentioned in Revelation.

Be aware of these three enemies. You wouldn’t sleep in the midst of a raging war, and neither should you live without awareness in the daily spiritual battle. Today’s passage gives the specifics for standing firm in Christ: Arm yourself with God’s Word, and seek His protection and wisdom.