Category Archives: Uncategorized

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Discernment Between Truth and Error

July 19, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; and this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world” (1 John 4:1-3).

God’s children are able to discern false doctrine.

A sure mark of every false religious system is doctrinal error, particularly about the Person and work of Jesus Christ. Those systems deny that He is Savior and Lord, God in human flesh, the only way to the Father (John 14:6) because salvation comes only through Him (Acts 4:12).

A sure mark, then, of all true children of God is that they believe the truth about Jesus Christ and do not deviate into doctrinal error. Although they may be temporarily duped by false teaching, they will not be permanently deceived by it. The apostle John wrote, “[False teachers] are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error” (1 John 4:5-6).

Continue reading John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Discernment Between Truth and Error →

Wisdom Hunters – Are You Asking God for Something You Already Have?

July 19, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

By Shana Schutte

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 2 Peter 1:3

A couple months ago, my husband and I went on vacation. But before we headed for the airport, he had a few loose ends to tie up for work, and I needed to purchase a pair of flip flops. So, just a of couple hours before our flight was scheduled to depart, we drove to Kinkos where he had a few copies made. I dropped him off and then beelined it across the shopping center parking lot to the sporting goods store. My plan was to hurry inside, snag a pair of flip flops I had seen just a couple weeks before, then zip back over to pick up my husband. We figured we would finish our respective errands just in time to reconnect, then we could rush to catch our flight.

When I got inside the store, I headed straight to the back of the building where I had seen the flip flops. Bummer! All sold out! I sat on the floor and tried on another brand. Nope. These won’t work. Too scratchy between the toes. I hurried around to the end of the next aisle to try on a pair of water shoes. I sat on the floor once again to try them on. Great! These will work! I almost ran toward the checkout. My husband is probably waiting for me. I paid, then moved quickly toward the sliding glass doors.

That’s when I realized I had lost my car keys. Oh no! Well, maybe I left them in the car. Nope, the car was locked and they weren’t inside. I ran back to the store and hurried toward the aisles where I had tried on the shoes. I searched the floor where I had been seated. No keys. I hope I don’t make us late for our flight! I checked inside my purse. No keys. I checked my pant pockets. No keys. Then I felt the front of my sweatshirt. A-ha! Yay! They were in the front pocket right where I had left them for safe keeping. As I ran toward the front door, I thought, sometimes we are looking for something we already have.

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – Are You Asking God for Something You Already Have? →

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – How to Be Secure

July 19, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Hebrews 13:8

Recommended Reading

Hebrews 13:1-9

Ours is a culture of insecurity. The Greek-god perfection of the buffed-up bodies of celebrities makes the rest of us feel chubby and out of shape. The economy leaves us frightened about the future. Upcoming elections are up in the air. Physicians warn of impending pandemics. And every time our children turn the key to their automobile, we worry about their safety. Some people never feel safe in their own homes or neighborhoods, and others don’t feel secure in their relationships.

Trying times can make us feel insecure, but our security isn’t found in our culture but in our Savior. We have a Savior who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He doesn’t change, and His tender mercies are new every morning. His promises cannot fail. His truth is immutable and His love is inexhaustible.

Proverbs 1:33 says, “Whoever listens to me will dwell safely, and will be secure, without fear of evil.” The writer of Psalm 59:9 said, “I will watch for You, for You keep me strong. God, You are my security!” (The Voice) Give your insecurities to God and lean on His everlasting arms, “safe and secure from all alarms.”

What have I to dread, what have I to fear, / Leaning on the everlasting arms?

Elisha Hoffman, in the hymn, “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms”

Read-Thru-the-Bible

Isaiah 15 – 19

http://www.davidjeremiah.org/

Joyce Meyer – Quick to Forgive

July 19, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Be gentle and forbearing with one another and, if one has a difference (a grievance or complaint) against another, readily pardoning each other; even as the Lord has [freely] forgiven you, so must you also [forgive].—1 Colossians 3:13

The world is filled with pain and hurting people; and my experience has been that hurting people hurt others. The devil works overtime among God’s people to bring offense, strife, and disharmony, but we can be thankful that God gives us a tool to disappoint and defeat the devil: We can be quick to forgive.

Forgiveness closes the door to Satan’s attack so that he cannot gain a foothold that might eventually become a stronghold. It can prevent or end strife in our relationships with others. No wonder Scripture tells us over and over that we are to forgive those who hurt or offend us. Jesus made forgiveness a lifestyle, and He taught us to do the same. This is essential to living a joy-filled life.

Prayer of Thanks Father, I am so thankful for the forgiveness You have given me through Jesus and for the grace to be able to forgive others. Regardless of what others have done to hurt or offend me, today I choose to forgive those who have caused me pain. Thank You for helping me to live out that forgiveness each new day.

From the book The Power of Being Thankful by Joyce Meyer.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Girlfriends in God – Where Would I Be Without My Mountains?

July 19, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Today’s Truth

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Psalm 121:1-2

Friend to Friend

Dan and I have been all over the United States and the world … but we had never been to Montana. So when I booked a speaking engagement there, we decided to take a few days following the event for a mini-vacation.

We fell in love with Montana! The event was amazing! The leadership, preparation, and prayer that had gone into the planning of the conference blessed me in a huge way. I knew before the doors opened that God was all over it. And I was so right! God’s presence was powerful as 12 women surrendered their lives to Him and dozens of others made fresh commitments that would forever change their lives! So I was already flying high as Dan and I left Billings, Montana and made our way to Yellowstone National Park.

The drive was beautiful … but flat. We saw hills and what some might call mountains in the distance. But like I said, Dan and I have been all over the world – to Latin America, New Zealand, Peru, Mexico, Colombia … to name a few places with some pretty impressive mountains. Still, we thoroughly enjoyed the scenic drive to Gardner where we would be staying.

After checking into our hotel, we still had a few hours of daylight left and decided to check out as much of Yellowstone as we could. Dan had studied maps, guides, and information on the Internet … and he had a plan.

At the park entrance we were greeted by a friendly park ranger who answered the few remaining questions Dan had. The ranger then warned us to be careful on certain mountain roads that still had icy spots. Hmmm … that sounded promising! Like there were real mountains ahead.

We. Wanted. Mountains.

And mountains we got!

Continue reading Girlfriends in God – Where Would I Be Without My Mountains? →

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – All Things for Our Good

July 19, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“And we know that all that happens to us is working for our good if we love God and are fitting into His plans” (Romans 8:28).

I waited and prayed in the chapel at the Loma Linda Hospital. My beloved wife, Vonette, had been in major surgery for four hours. Three weeks before, while I was in Brazil, she had gone to our doctor for a physical examination and he had informed her that she had a large growth that could be malignant.

Though he wanted to operate at once, the doctor agreed at Vonette’s insistence to wait until I returned from a tour of several Latin American countries. Vonette called to give me the doctor’s report while I was in Rio de Janerio. Naturally I wanted to return home at once. However, she assured me that she would be all right and encouraged me not to interrupt the meetings since they had the potential of ultimately helping to train hundreds of thousands of Christians to help reach millions for our Lord throughout all of Latin America (which they have subsequently done through a great Here’s Life movement in each of these countries).

We prayed together over the telephone, praising God for His faithfulness to us in the past. As an expression of our faith and an act of obedience to His holy, inspired Word, we thanked Him for this opportunity to trust Him, even though at the moment it seemed very difficult. Then as we praised and gave thanks to the Lord, His supernatural peace flooded our hearts. God always honors faith and obedience.

During the following weeks we continued to praise and thank God as we both continued to speak and witness for Him personally and at many meetings, recognizing that we are His servants, and that the Master is responsible for the welfare of His servants.

After the surgery the doctors assured us that the operation was a success and that there was no malignancy. We continue to thank and praise the Lord for His goodness to us. We know that, if we love God, all things really do work out together for our good regardless of the circumstances and regardless of the outcome. Why did God allow us to go through this experience? In order that we would be reminded of His faithfulness and learn to love, trust and obey Him.

Bible Reading: Romans 8:29-34

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Since I love God and am fitting into His plans, I will, by faith, count all things as working together for my good today and will thank God and praise Him in obedience to His command. I will encourage others to do the same, to trust and obey God as an expression of the supernatural life.

http://www.cru.org

Ray Stedman – Freedom in Christ

July 19, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Read: Acts 21:17-26

And when they heard it they began glorifying God; and they said to him, You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all zealous for the Law; and they have been told about you, that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs. Acts 21:20-21

Many have misread this and concluded that Paul set aside Moses and the Law, that he did reject circumcision as of no value. That charge was false. Paul never taught a Jew to abandon Moses, or not to circumcise his children. What he strongly taught was that the Gentiles should not be made subject to these Jewish provisions. He would not allow them to come under the Jewish Law and insisted that they did not have to follow any of these Jewish provisions. But he did not set aside the ritual for the Jews.

Rather, he pointed out to them that this was all symbolic, and that it was all pointing toward Christ. The very rituals they were performing and the sacrifices they were offering were all telling them of Jesus. Jesus’ coming had fulfilled, and filled out, the picture that the Old Testament sacrifices had drawn. Thus, in the very process of carrying them out, the Jews were simply retelling themselves of the coming of the Lord Jesus.

These observances were very much like the Lord’s table is for us today. When we take communion, we are dealing with symbols. There is a sense in which those symbols are telling again the story of the life and death and resurrection of Jesus. Doing this does not make us any better, but it reminds us. This was the function of these Jewish rituals. They were reminders of what the Lord Jesus had come to do. All through the book of Acts we see Jewish Christians going into the temple and offering sacrifices, just as the Lord himself had done. There is no suggestion that they should have stopped, or that it was wrong for them to do this. Until God took the sacrifices away they were permitted this means of expression. The sacrifices ended when the temple was finally destroyed in A.D. 70, when the words of Jesus were fulfilled and Roman armies came and laid siege to the city (Matthew 24:6ff). The city was taken and the Jews were carried away captive, exactly as the Lord Jesus said. But that was several years still in the future from this point in history.

Continue reading Ray Stedman – Freedom in Christ →

Kids 4 Truth International – God Is Faithful and Just To Forgive

July 19, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

The puppy looked up at them with big sad eyes and let out something between a yelp and a yawn. When he opened his mouth, a well-chewed science book fell out and thudded on the floor.

“Aw, who couldn’t forgive a face like that!” Lizzy leaned down and rubbed his ears.

Jacob bent over and grabbed his puppy’s collar.

“That’s it, Charlie. You’re sleeping outside tonight!”

Lizzy used a sock to wipe the puppy-slobber off Jacob’s science book, while he wrestled Charlie out the back door and into his doghouse.

“Don’t be so hard on him, Jacob,” she said when he came stomping back into the kitchen. “Charlie’s just doing what puppies do. They chew things and make messes. You’ve heard people joke about telling the teacher ‘the dog ate my homework.’ It’s just his nature.”

Jacob got a glass down from the cabinet. “My teacher isn’t going to believe me when I say that my dog ‘ate my science book’!” He slammed the cabinet door shut and threw open the refrigerator. “I’m sure she will just nod and smile and say, ‘Oh, that’s just fine, Jacob. You know that’s just what puppies do.'”

As it turned out, Miss Albert was surprisingly understanding when he told her what had happened to his science book. She did not say “that’s just what puppies do,” but she did nod and smile knowingly. Jacob wondered if Miss Albert might have had a puppy sometime in her life.

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – God Is Faithful and Just To Forgive →

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Knowing God

July 5, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Read: 1 John 2:3-6

By this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. (vv. 3-4)

As we noted yesterday, knowing God means knowing what he has done for us in Jesus Christ. It means knowing that Jesus has died for our sins and the sins of the whole world. Through the sacrifice of his own life on the cross, Jesus has opened a way for us to have peace with God through the forgiveness of our sins. That is the great truth John wants all people to know.

But the Christian faith also has an ethical aspect to it. Knowing God means that we also “obey his commands.” Some would call it “faith in action” or “walking our talk.” No matter what you call it, the apostle James is correct when he says, “Faith apart from works is dead” (James 2:26). What we do and how we live shows the genuineness of our faith.

Our good deeds do not add anything to what God has done for us in Christ. Obedience to the commands of Christ is not a means to grace but a response to it. We “walk as Jesus did” out of gratitude to God for what he has done for us and also to witness to those around us the joy and fulfillment we can have when we truly know God.

Prayer:

Gracious God, may all that we do and say point to you.

Author: John Koedyker

https://woh.org/

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – The People God Uses

June 17, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Today’s Scripture: Ezekiel 20-23

I will listen to what God the Lord will say; he promises peace to his people, his saints–but let them not return to folly. – Psalm 85:8

Although it has been almost forty years, it seems like only yesterday that I heard Dawson Trotman preach to us about God’s search for a certain kind of person. We were at a conference at Lake Iduhapi in Minnesota.

One of Dawson’s recurring themes was the value of one person who is fully committed to God, and he always challenged us to be that person. Dawson’s text there at Lake Iduhapi, and on many other occasions, was Ezekiel 22:30: “I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land, so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none.”

Here is the all-knowing, all-seeing God searching the landscape for a person He could trust to intercede and plead for the people, and He searched in vain. Something of the intensity of His search is revealed in a cross-reference to 2 Chronicles 16:9: “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.”

As a young man, D. L. Moody once heard a preacher say, “The world has yet to see what God can do with a man who is fully yielded to Him.” So Moody resolved in his heart, “By the grace of God, I will be that man.” In spite of all of Moody’s educational and physical limitations, God used him to bring thousands into the kingdom.

God is still looking for that man or woman with a heart to do His will and with a commitment to His work. Will you tell Him today that you’re available?

Prayer

Lord, I’m available to do Your work and Your will. Amen.

To Ponder

Who does God want you to share the gospel with today?

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Our Daily Bread, Uncategorized

Our Daily Bread — His Plans or Ours?

April 7, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Read: 1 Chronicles 17:1-20

Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 7-9; Luke 9:18-36

“Who am I, Lord God . . . that you have brought me this far?” —1 Chronicles 17:16

When my husband was 18 years old, he started a car-cleaning business. He rented a garage, hired helpers, and created advertising brochures. The business prospered. His intention was to sell it and use the proceeds to pay for college, so he was thrilled when a buyer expressed interest. After some negotiations, it seemed that the transaction would happen. But at the last minute, the deal collapsed. It wouldn’t be until several months later that his plan to sell the business would succeed.

Continue reading Our Daily Bread — His Plans or Ours? →

Girlfriends in God – Leaving an Imprint – Part Two

April 5, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

James 2:26

Friend to Friend

In part one of this message we looked at our valuable purpose as image bearers of God to be an imprint of Christ to the world around us. We also examined the Biblical truth that validates this discussion. {Click here to read Part One.}

Today we will consider what is required of us to be an imprint, and we’ll discuss our call to “rep the house” as well by taking action.

What does that mean? Read on.

Ever since our kids were little, Brad and I have taught them that the Lord is the head of our home, and every Smith needs to rep the house well. The rules are simple:

Love God.

Love others.

Use your manners.

Use kind words.

Continue reading Girlfriends in God – Leaving an Imprint – Part Two →

Denison Forum – FDA MAKES MEDICAL ABORTION EASIER

March 31, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

The Food and Drug Administration has made it easier for women to use a medication that causes abortion. Mifeprex, formerly known as RU-486, induces miscarriage. The FDA’s ruling lowers the dosage and thus the cost of the medicine, reduces medical supervision, and increases the number of days a woman can use the drug to ten weeks after beginning her last menstrual cycle.

This decision is expected to expand the use of this abortion-causing drug. How should pro-life supporters respond?

One: Understand the scope of the issue.

The number of abortions in America since Roe v. Wade is one-and-a-half times the total population of Canada. I know doctors who have been asked to abort a fetus because it is the wrong gender. Through fetal genetic testing, parents will soon be able to learn more than ever before about the baby’s medical conditions and aptitudes, causing abortion rates to escalate even further.

Two: Work to protect life legally.

Continue reading Denison Forum – FDA MAKES MEDICAL ABORTION EASIER →

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Understanding Who Christ Is

March 12, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“Walk . . . with all humility” (Ephesians 4:1-2).

We are to walk as Christ walked. Our lack of conformity to His standard ought to make us humble.

What was your most humiliating experience? Life is full of embarrassing moments, but the most truly humbling experience I ever had was preaching through the Gospel of John. For two years—eighty-eight sermons, about one hundred hours of preaching, between two and three thousand hours of study—I was constantly faced with the deity of Jesus Christ. Living with the deity of Christ day after day and comparing yourself continually to Him is one of the healthiest—and most humbling—things you can ever do.

That brings us to another step toward humility: Christ-awareness. When we compare ourselves with ourselves, we get proud. But “the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked” (1 John 2:6). When you can say, “I’m happy to announce that I now walk as Jesus walked,” then you’ll have a right to be proud. But no one will believe you.

Continue reading John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Understanding Who Christ Is →

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – The Promises of God

March 12, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Today’s Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1:20

“Through him . . . we utter our Amen to God for his glory.”

The Bible is full of God’s promises—to provide for us spiritually and materially, to never forsake us, to give us peace in times of difficult circumstances, to cause all circumstances to work together for our good, and to bring us safely home to glory. Not one of those promises is dependent upon our performance. They’re all dependent on the grace of God given to us through Jesus Christ.

Paul wrote, “For all the promises of God find their yes in him” (2 Corinthians 1:20). What did Paul mean by this?

First of all, Christ in his messianic mission is the personal fulfillment of all the promises in the Old Testament regarding a savior and coming king. As Philip Hughes wrote, “In Christ is the yes, the grand consummating affirmative, to all God’s promises. In him all things ‘which are written in the law of Moses, and the prophets, and the psalms’ achieve their fulfillment (Luke 24:44).”

Beyond the actual fulfillment of all the promises made about him, Christ is also the meritorious basis upon which all of God’s other promises depend. John Calvin wrote in his comments on 2 Corinthians 1:20, “all God’s promises depend upon Christ alone. This is a notable assertion and one of the main articles of our faith. It depends in turn upon another principle—that it is only in Christ that God the Father is graciously inclined towards us. His promises are the testimonies of his fatherly goodwill towards us. Thus it follows that they are fulfilled only in Christ. secondly, we are incapable of possessing God’s promises till we have received the remission of our sins and that comes to us through Christ.” (Excerpt taken from Transforming Grace)

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Kids 4 Truth International – God’s Word Is Our Treasure

March 3, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“Thy word have I hidden in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” (Psalm 119:11)

Do you have a “treasure-keeper”? Most of us have a place where we keep those things that are special to us. Your special “treasure-keeping” place might be a shoebox on the top shelf of your closet, a locked safebox, a trophy case, a diary, a cookie tin, a dresser drawer–or maybe even under your bed! Our “treasures’ can be all sorts of things: baseball cards, jewelry, a souvenir from a favorite vacation, a photo of your grandpa and grandma on their wedding day, a letter from a friend you met at camp, or maybe a medal you won in a competition. Whatever form your “treasure-keeper” takes, it is the treasure kept inside it that really is special to you.

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – God’s Word Is Our Treasure →

Joyce Meyer – Don’t Miss the Miracle

February 11, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

And she had a sister named Mary, who seated herself at the Lord’s feet and was listening to His teaching. —Luke 10:39

You will not enjoy the present moment and the gifts it contains if you don’t have a balanced attitude toward work. Luke 10:38-42 tells the story of Jesus’ visit to the home of two sisters, Mary and Martha. Martha was overly occupied and too busy (see Luke 10:40). But Mary sat down at Jesus’ feet and listened to what He had to say.

Jesus said Mary made the better choice. Jesus did not tell Martha not to work, but He did tell her not to be frustrated or have a bad attitude while she worked. Jesus wants you to work hard, but He also wants you to be wise enough to realize when you should stop all activity and not miss the miracle of the moment.

Continue reading Joyce Meyer – Don’t Miss the Miracle →

Kids 4 Truth International – God Never Makes Mistakes

February 7, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.” (Psalm 18:30)

Have you ever tried to make it through a whole day without making a mistake, a wrong decision? When I was little I used to try so hard not to do anything wrong – not to sin – all day long. Of course, it didn’t take long before I did something wrong and sinned. Don’t you wish you could just decide to be perfect – and then not mess up? Well, you and I can’t do that, but there’s Someone that never messes up.

God never makes a mistake; He never sins! The verse I quoted above tells us that God’s words can be trusted. What God says has been “tried.” That means His word has been tested and proved. Isn’t it nice to know that we can trust what God says because He never makes a mistake? He has never made a mistake in the past and will never make one in the future. Even though we make mistakes, we know that God never will and that He can help us make fewer mistakes in the future.

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – God Never Makes Mistakes →

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – One Blessing After Another

February 7, 2016 broboinhawaii 1 Comment

Today’s Scripture: 1 Peter 1:2

“May grace and peace be multiplied to you.”

John wrote that Jesus was “full of grace and truth” and that “from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace” (John 1:14,16). The idea portrayed is analogous to the ocean waves crashing upon the beach. One wave has hardly disappeared before another arrives. They just keep coming from an inexhaustible supply. So it is with the grace of God through Christ. He’s full of grace and truth, and from his inexhaustible fullness we receive one blessing after another.

Continue reading The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – One Blessing After Another →

Girlfriends in God – Three Answers You Need to Know

January 20, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“In the beginning God [Elohim] created the heavens and the earth”

Genesis 1:1

Friend to Friend

Who are you?

Where did you come from?

Why are you here?

Continue reading Girlfriends in God – Three Answers You Need to Know →

Scriptures, Lessons, News and Links to help you survive.