Billy Graham – The Mind of Christ

 

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
—2 Timothy 1:7

Many diseases of both body and mind are self-inflicted. For example, ulcers are often caused by worry and anxiety. Heart attacks are caused many times by overexertion. Unjustified worry, fear, prejudice, hatred, and envy can contribute to mental stress, which could lead to mental illness. So one way to have a healthy mind is to avoid those practices. But the Bible way to a healthy mind is this, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” If you have the mind of Christ, worry will be offset by trust, enmity by love, and fear by faith.

Helpful Scriptures to Focus Your Mind

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

Prayer for the day

Fears sometimes seem as if they would overwhelm me, Lord Jesus, but then I remember Your gift of power, love, and a healthy mind. Thank You for the promise of healing and love, as I keep my mind on You, my beloved Lord.

 

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Guideposts – Devotions for Women – Stretch Beyond Your Limited Thinking

 

“I have called you by name; you are mine.”—Isaiah 43:1 (NLT)

Turn to this Scripture when you feel overwhelmed. Know that He is with you. He knows your name. Ask Him to help you surrender your feelings of inadequacy and let go of limiting ideas you have. Own your Godgiven abilities and believe you can do anything He calls you to do.

Dear Lord, thank You for this beautiful feeling of purpose and belonging that You bring to my life.

 

 

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

Every Man Ministry – Kenny Luck – Satisfied

 

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.  ––Romans 14:17

The Holy Spirit’s constant message to every believer is to find satisfaction in God. Joy and peace are the by-products of contentment and thanksgiving for the life God has assigned to you. When I daily accept my situation in life, good days and bad, the possibilities of joy and peace become realities. There is no such thing as a joyful and peacefully discontented man. But when I learn how to be content, possess it, and fight to preserve its power in my life, all of the fruit of the Spirit is mine.

One of the highest forms of spiritual warfare is also the simplest: stay grateful and content. When you are content in who you are and what you have, Satan has no handholds upon which to gain traction in your life. Here’s how. Contentment is a way of thinking and doing, and when we have an intimate relationship with God, contentment is a big byproduct. Conversely, when we are not walking closely with the Father, we begin to lust for things: power, money, sex, position, etc. It’s the proverbial God-shaped hole inside every person—it’s going to get filled with something!

So how do you achieve a state of contentment? Stay in a place of awe and wonder over God’s presence, purpose, and plans unfolding in your life by the discipline of gratitude. Paul tells the Hebrews, “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe … “ (Hebrews 12:28). Notice the language: be thankful. It doesn’t say “do thankful,” which tells us that the mission of the Holy Spirit in your life is to develop a spirit of thankfulness as a way to be. This means having an awareness of your indebtedness, acknowledging that God is good in all He does, and affirming His goodness with a life of gratitude. I’d encourage you to do a “gratitude list” during your morning sit, at least in your head. Then, about once a month or so, actually write it out and keep it handy. When you’re having an especially tough day, pull it up as a reminder of all God’s given you.

In Christ there is always plenty to be thankful for. If you find yourself struggling to come up with stuff, it is a sure sign that the dark voices of the flesh and the devil are plotting some disobedience options for you. Being aware of your discontentment is a great way to battle it. In other words, if you feel stuck or bored, why? If you are worrying about the future, what is it you are afraid of? I’d suggest you make an inventory of the things that are causing you discontent. Then ask God to reveal the reasons behind each item. Talk it through with someone; just getting it into the light can take away a lot of its negative power over you.

Father, Your goodness in my life is immeasurable. Thank you!

 

 

Every Man Ministries

Holding To A Biblical Worldview Has Never Been More Critical

A worldview is the lens through which we interpret the world and live our daily lives. If our worldview is based on the Bible, we hold a biblical view of marriage, family, society, law, justice, morality, and basic right and wrong. God said … the end. His word is eternal, unchangeable, and absolute because God is eternal, unchanging, and rules over all things.

If we hold a biblical Christian worldview, we know God ordained marriage for life as a covenant between one man and one woman. We know this because God said so in Genesis 1:27, and Jesus confirmed and repeated it in Mark 10:6-8“From the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” God left no room for compromise, caveats, nuances, or “social norms.”

Christians understand most unsaved people hold a secular, humanist, self-centered, relativist, or evolutionary worldview. Their beliefs may be sincerely held and ardently supported, but it doesn’t matter how many people are for or against something when they’re wrong. Truth is not decided by a show of hands or headcount. God does not rule by consensus. The only opinion that matters in all endeavors of human existence is “What does God think?”

How can I say dogmatically that only God’s opinion matters? Because my Christian worldview is rooted in the Scripture that says, “Declare among the nations: ‘The Lord reigns!’ The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved; He will judge the peoples with equity” (Psalm 96:10). If that’s not clear enough, we have Paul’s testimony repeating Psalm 24, “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness” (1 Corinthians 10:26). God has the divine right to rule over all humanity because He is Lord.

Why Does A Worldview Matter?

A Christian biblical worldview is essential in a world that is constantly morphing into whatever is popular, gratifying, or legal. That is one of many reasons our Founding Fathers did not establish a Democracy (That’s a common lie we are being fed on purpose. Just because we hear it often doesn’t make it true).

America is a Constitutional Representative Republic. In a pure democracy, the majority rules. Whatever many want, everyone gets. What happens when the majority is wrong, biased, selfish, immoral, or addicted? We get a mess, like when the majority votes that drug addiction should be legalized or mothers should be legally allowed to kill their babies even after they are fully born, breathing, and out of the womb, as in California, Michigan, and New York.

If we hold a biblical Christian worldview, we know this is wrong because murder is written into the Decalogue (Ex. 20:13). It’s murder to kill a living human being, preborn, newborn, or octogenarian. Our 14th Amendment protections apply to us all. Just because abortion is legal or euthanasia becomes socially acceptable doesn’t make them right, only harder to prosecute.

Why do some Christians accept cultural shifts and try to fit in? Fear, faithlessness, and ignorance. If you stand for nothing, you will fall for anything. People with no biblical Christian worldview often follow the crowd, some out of a desire to fit in, others out of ignorance that there’s another option. Both have nothing on which to depend when questions arise that they don’t understand or have never faced. What should I do if…?

As Christians with a biblical worldview, our automatic response should be, “What does the Bible say? What is God’s perspective?” We know what is right because the Bible addresses right and wrong in every possible context: religious, societal, interpersonal, and governmental.

Why A Biblical Worldview?

How could one 2000-year-old book possibly address every matter of human behavior and thought? The answer to that also arises from a biblical worldview: Only an eternal God could have known what would happen in advance. Only a Master Creator would have anticipated everything humanity would face over our existence and made preparations for our salvation and everyday lives. Only a loving Father would have written it down and preserved it for us to reference thousands of years later.

If humanity and the universe are products of luck, chance, chaos, and evolution, then we have the right to be and conduct ourselves according to our whims and desires. Instead of what is right, we default to what feels good, what we want, what benefits us most, or what advances our agenda. That’s the natural outcome of a me-based evolutionary belief system. I’m the final authority. It puts “me” in God’s place.

Our modern society believes it can do whatever it wants because they’re more evolved, more advanced, and more open-minded. I love the phrase that defines that attitude: “Don’t be so open-minded, your brains fall out.” Too many people have tried to be open-minded, tolerant, and inclusive because they’ve been force-fed that nonsense and told it’s what we must do in this highly evolved social paradigm.

Well, guess what? Our society isn’t new. “There is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). Abortion was legal and common in ancient Rome. Pagan temple prostitutes gave birth all the time. When they became pregnant, they would give birth, then put the babies out in the street and leave them to die or worse—offer them as sacrifices to pagan deities. Like modern abortions, where 97% of all abortions are elective – the baby was ‘sacrificed’ because it was inconvenient – these babies were disposable outcomes of illicit sexual activity.

The early Christians understood this was wrong because God values life, so they began rescuing those infants. The First Century Church became known for rescuing these uncared-for and unseen babies. The idea of an orphanage as we know it was born in the early Church. Historians Josephus and Tacitus noted the practice of Christians saving babies because it was so unusual. They had only the Old Testament then, but by comparing the teachings of Christ to the Mosaic Law, the young Church understood allowing babies to die was inhumane and abhorrent.

Practical Applications of A Biblical Worldview

What of the other social issues of our time, like homosexual marriage and legalized drug use? How could the Bible possibly address modern society and the problems and questions we face? That’s the easiest question to answer if you hold a biblical worldview. Because God created everything and everyone, God would know everything we would ever face because He knows what is in the hearts of men and women.

How do we know sexual perversion is wrong? Because the Bible says so in 1 Corinthians chapter 6. Why is 1 Corinthians chapter 6 in your Bible? Simple, because that letter was written to the Church of Corinth, where it was already happening. Paul based his answer on Leviticus 18 and Deuteronomy 22 because sexual perversion was common in Canaan before Israel inhabited the Promised Land. All the gender nonsense we face is not new, evolved, or a newfound freedom of expression; it was happening in 2000 BC!

Because God is the Author of the Bible, He addressed all the concerns, behaviors, ideas, and situations we would ever face. Even when no verse says, “Thou shalt not…” we have God’s eternal promises and timeless principles that apply to any generation or question. Only an all-knowing God could do that, and He did! Now, more than ever, the world is looking for answers. They don’t need compliant, complacent, tolerant, make-no-waves Christians; they need the truth from the Bible.

Unsaved people can see that the world is a mess, and they are desperately seeking answers. We have them. They don’t fit the politically or socially accepted narrative because the current culture is godless, anti-Christian, immoral, and wicked. Our biblical Christian worldview will stand in stark contrast to the world’s viewpoint, but we were never meant to fit in; we were meant to stand out, to “shine as lights in the darkness”(Philippians 2:15).

Never be afraid to stand for the truth and against the lies. Stand on the truths of the Bible. Speak for God unapologetically, “The Bible says…” God was right the first time. His word still applies. His answers are still true. His way works because humans will always repeat the processes and practices of those before them. When societies have been out of step with God’s word, they have always failed and fallen. Pray that does not happen to America. Speak up in the places God has given you influence.

Let Ephesians 6:13 be your guide. Reject what the liberal, godless, mainstream media is selling. Never be ashamed to be salt and light to a world that is spiritually dead in sin, morally decaying in filth, and blinded by the thick darkness of Satanic deception.

Watchmen, fill your mind with things of Christ—think Christianly. Be a fountain of His words—speak biblically. Be a beacon in the town square, at home, online, and in public. Pray, Vote, Stand, and Finish well.

 

Source: Holding To A Biblical Worldview Has Never Been More Critical – Harbinger’s Daily

Our Daily Bread – God Is in Control

 

Bible in a Year :

The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.

Job 1:21

Today’s Scripture & Insight :

Job 1:6-12, 20-22

Carol couldn’t understand why it was happening all at once. As if work wasn’t bad enough, her daughter fractured her foot in school, and she herself came down with a severe infection. What did I do to deserve this? Carol wondered. All she could do was ask God for strength.

Job didn’t know why calamity had hit him so hard either—pain and loss far greater than what Carol experienced. There’s no indication he was aware of the cosmic battle for his soul. Satan wanted to test Job’s faith, claiming he’d turn from God if he lost everything (Job 1:6-12). When disaster struck, Job’s friends insisted he was being punished for his sins. That wasn’t why, but he must have wondered, Why me? What he didn’t know was that God had allowed it to happen.

Job’s story offers a powerful lesson about suffering and about faith. We may try to discover the reason behind our pain, but perhaps there’s a bigger story behind the scenes that we won’t understand in our lifetime.

Like Job, we can hold on to what we do know: God is in full control. It’s not an easy thing to say, but in the midst of his pain, Job kept looking to God and trusting in His sovereignty: “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised” (v. 21). May we too keep trusting in God no matter what happens—and even when we don’t understand.

By:  Leslie Koh

Reflect & Pray

What challenges are you facing? Which promises of God give you strength to keep going?

Dear Father, I don’t understand why some of life’s challenges happen to me. But I choose to trust You.

 

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Joyce Meyer – Power of the Spirit

 

…Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.

Zechariah 4:6 (NKJV)

“I’m a nobody,” my friend Gary said, “and besides, God has so many millions of people to look out for, and in comparison with some of them, my problems seem so petty.”

His words shocked me. Of course, God has millions to care for—but He can care for all of them at the same time. Gary missed something very important. God wants us to ask for help—and to ask often. Look at it this way: If Satan constantly attacks our minds, how else can we fortify ourselves? We fight back—but our major weapon is to cry out to the Lord asking for His strength to become ours!

Too many times, we think we can do it ourselves. In some instances, that may be true, but if we’re going to win continually over the attacks against our minds, we must realize that willpower alone won’t work. What we need is the humility to turn to the Holy Spirit and ask Him to strengthen us.

I realize that many people do not grasp how the Lord lovingly operates in their lives. Not only does God love us like a father, but He also has caring concern for every part of our lives. Our heavenly Father wants to intervene and help us, but He waits for an invitation to get involved. We issue that invitation and open the door for God’s help through prayer. God’s Word says, You do not have, because you do not ask (James 4:2 NKJV).

Perhaps we can think of it this way. God is watching us all the time, and He is aware of the temptations, struggles, and hardships we face—and we all face them. If we think we can do it by ourselves, God takes no action. But He remains ready to jump in and rescue us as soon as we cry out, asking for the power of the Holy Spirit to operate in our lives.

Our victory begins with right thinking. We have to be convinced that God cares, wants to act, and waits for us to cry out. When we cry out, we understand the words quoted previously, that it’s not by force or power, but by God’s Holy Spirit that victory comes. For example, take the matter of personal fellowship—daily time spent in prayer and reading the Word. As Christians, we know this is what God wants and what we need if we’re going to mature spiritually. At one time in my life, I tried to maintain spiritual self-discipline. I determined that I would pray and read my Bible every single day. I would do well for two or three days, and then something would interfere—sometimes my family or something at our church, but mostly little things that took my attention away from daily fellowship with my Lord.

One day, in desperation, I cried out, “Without Your help, I’ll never be faithful in doing this.” That’s when the Holy Spirit came to me and gave me the self-discipline I needed. It was almost as if God watched me struggle and allowed me to become frustrated and angry with myself. But as soon as I sincerely asked for help, the Spirit came to my rescue. We are too independent, and we experience a lot of unnecessary frustration simply because we try to do things without God’s help.

With the Spirit’s help, I am learning—yes, still learning—that I can choose what I want to think about. I can choose my thoughts, and I need to do that carefully. Unless I’m in regular fellowship with Him, I won’t know the difference between healthy thoughts and unhealthy ones. And if I don’t know the difference, I provide the opportunity for Satan to sneak into my mind and torment me. Spend plenty of time studying God’s Word, and you will quickly recognize each lie that Satan tries to plant in your mind.

Prayer of the Day: Father God, I want to think thoughts that honor You. I want to have a mind that’s fully centered on You, and I know that can’t happen unless I spend daily time with You. Help me, Holy Spirit; help me to be obedient and eager to be in constant fellowship with You, amen.

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Denison Forum – Is a recession imminent?

 

How the Christian faith is relevant to financial fears

There were some massive news stories over the weekend:

  • Debby strengthened into a hurricane overnight and may bring “catastrophic flooding” to Florida.
  • Kamala Harris earned enough votes to become the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee.
  • The US sent jets and warships to the Middle East as Israel prepares for severe and perhaps imminent Iranian retaliation.
  • US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin revoked a plea deal for the accused September 11 plotters.

But I would guess that none of these feel as personally relevant to you (unless you live in Florida) as the financial news of recent days that is causing many to wonder if a recession is imminent:

  • The Dow closed down more than 600 points on Friday.
  • The Nasdaq fell 10 percent below its record high on disappointing earnings from Amazon and Intel.
  • US hiring unexpectedly declined sharply in July.
  • Unemployment rose in the month as well.
  • Investors fear that the Federal Reserve made a mistake by keeping interest rates at current levels.

The cacophony of bad news is sparking a global sell-off. Earlier today, Japanese stocks suffered their biggest one-day drop in history. European stocks have fallen more than 2 percent in early trading this morning.

Many have been struggling financially for some time. In a new CNN poll, 39 percent of US adults said they worry they won’t be able to make ends meet. The percentage of past due credit cards is at its highest level since 2012. Young adults are discouraged, and sixty-year-olds are “staring at financial peril.”

How is the Christian faith relevant to times like these?

Humans have four fundamental needs

New York Times opinion columnist Nicholas Kristof writes that the Chinese term for “crisis” (weiji) is composed of the characters for “danger” (wei) and for “opportunity” (ji). Accordingly, he notes, “We’re in a period of great danger but also one pregnant with opportunity for a new path—if we can seize it.”

The path we have been on for generations isn’t working. Secularism by definition values only this world and thus measures success by materialistic means. But this is what philosophers call a “category mistake,” akin to asking how much the number 7 weighs or the color of a C scale. In this case, we are using creation as if it were the Creator, valuing the means as the ends.

And this does not work because it cannot work.

Humans have four fundamental needs: belonging, self-esteem, control, and meaningful existence. None can be met fully by material possessions. No matter what we have, it isn’t enough. There’s always more to own, more people to impress, more races to win.

In a consumption-based economy, we are conditioned to be consumers who choose what we want now over what we want most. In a post-Christian culture, we are conditioned to be existentialists who choose what we want in this world over what we will want in the next.

However, the financial anxiety of these days offers us, in Kristof’s terms, an “opportunity for a new path.”

“He bestowed on us at once every good grace”

St. Alphonsus Liguori (1696–1797) described God’s love for man:

He gave him a soul, made in his likeness, and endowed with memory, intellect, and will; he gave him a body equipped with the senses; it was for him that he created heaven and earth and such an abundance of things. He made all these things out of love for man, so that all creation might serve man, and man in turn might love God out of gratitude for so many gifts.

But he did not wish to give us only beautiful creatures; the truth is that to win for himself our love, he went so far as to bestow upon us the fullness of himself. The eternal Father went so far as to give us his only Son. When he saw that we were all dead through sin and deprived of his grace, what did he do? Compelled . . . by the superabundance of his love for us, he sent his beloved Son to make reparation for us and to call us back to a sinless life.

By giving us his Son, whom he did not spare precisely so that he might spare us, he bestowed on us at once every good: grace, love, and heaven; for all these goods are certainly inferior to the Son (my emphasis).

The God who “is” love (1 John 4:8) loves us more than any human can. He loved us before he made us. He created our race knowing that we would cost him the life of his Son. He loves us despite sins we do not know we have committed and those we do not yet know we will.

To prove this love, “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Billy Graham commented: “We cannot save ourselves; even one sin, the Bible teaches, would be enough to keep us out of heaven. Nor can a Savior who is less than God save us, for only God can forgive sin and make us part of his family forever.”

And this is just what Jesus has done. He would do it all over again, just for you.

“We are of such value to God”

We’ll say more across the week about the transforming relevance of God’s love for us. For today, let’s close with this reflection by St. Catherine of Siena (1347–1380):

“We are of such value to God that he came to live among us and to guide us home. He will go to any length to seek us, even to being lifted high upon the cross to draw us back to himself.”

In her view, “We can only respond by loving God for his love.”

Do you agree?

NOTE: You have a choice every night before you turn off the lights: Will you replay the day’s stress or embrace the peace that comes from God’s wisdom? We imagine you’d like to choose the second option more often! This is why we want to send you a unique and powerful new 365-evening devotional book by Janet Denison called Wisdom MattersGet your copy today.

Monday news to know:

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

Quote for the day:

“God’s love is like an ocean. You can see its beginning, but not its end.” —Rick Warren

 

Denison Forum

Days of Praise – Response to Prayer

 

by Henry M. Morris III, D.Min.

“In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedest me with strength in my soul.” (Psalm 138:3)

God’s responses to our prayers are delivered in two ways: practically, in the circumstances or in the direction, and spiritually, in the “inner man” (Ephesians 3:16).

We are often so focused on the physical or external event for which we are insistently praying that when the answer comes, we fail to receive the full blessing—even if we read the practical answer correctly. Our heavenly Father is committed to providing our needs on Earth (Philippians 4:19Luke 12:30), but such supply is of minimal significance in the scope of eternity. The good thoughts (Jeremiah 29:11) and the good gifts of God (Luke 11:13) are toward the expected end, the ultimate conformity “to the image of his Son” (Romans 8:29).

While God responds to our physical needs, His heart and His purpose are to fill us “with all the fulness of God” (Ephesians 3:19). He blesses us “with all spiritual blessings” (Ephesians 1:3) and has chosen us to be “holy and without blame” (Ephesians 1:4). God’s Word is designed to allow us to participate in the “divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4). God’s desire in responding to our prayers is this: “That ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfullness; Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light” (Colossians 1:9-12).

But please be on notice! This internal and spiritual worship and praise cannot be kept private. The “internal” blessings of God will overflow in godly behavior and visible joy (James 3:131 Peter 1:8). HMM III

 

 

 

 

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

My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers – The Cross in Prayer

 

In that day you will ask in my name. — John 16:26

We are too much given to thinking of the cross as something we have to get through, imagining it simply as the gateway to our salvation. We have to realize that we get through the cross only to get into it. The cross should stand for one thing only: complete and absolute identification with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Our identification with the Lord is realized most strongly in prayer. Jesus said, “Your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matthew 6:8). Then why ask? So that you “may be one” as the Father and Son are one (John 17:22–23). Prayer is perfect and complete oneness with God.

If we think of prayer not as a oneness with God but rather as a way to get answers or blessings, we think wrongly. When we go to God for answers, we are bound to get irritated, because although God always responds, it isn’t always in the way we want. When a prayer seems to go unanswered, we must be careful not to blame someone else; that is a snare of Satan. If we look to God, we will find that there’s a reason which is a deep instruction for us, not for anyone else. We will see that our refusal to identify ourselves with our Lord in prayer is what has led to our irritation. We must remember that we are not here to prove that God answers prayer; we are here to be living monuments of his grace.

Have you, by the power of the cross, reached such oneness and intimacy with God that the only explanation for your life of prayer is Jesus Christ’s life of prayer? “In that day you will ask in my name.” You will be so identified with your Lord that there will be no distinction between his life and yours.

Psalms 70-71; Romans 8:22-39

 

 

 

Wisdom from Oswald

The great thing about faith in God is that it keeps a man undisturbed in the midst of disturbance.Notes on Isaiah, 1376 R

 

 

 

https://utmost.org/

Billy Graham – Ills of the Human Race

 

Set thy house in order . . .
—2 Kings 20:1

Man condemns himself by his refusal of God’s way of salvation. In love and mercy, God is offering to men and women a way of escape, a way of salvation, a hope and anticipation of better things. Man in his blindness, stupidity, stubbornness, egotism, and love of sinful pleasure, refuses God’s simple method of escaping the pangs of eternal banishment. Suppose you were sick and called a doctor who came and gave you a prescription. But after thinking it over you decided to ignore his advice and to refuse the medicine. When he returned a few days later, he might have found your condition much worse. Could you blame the doctor? Could you hold him responsible? He gave you the prescription, he prescribed the remedy. But you refused it!

Just so, God prescribes the remedy for the ills of the human race. That remedy is personal faith in, and commitment to, Jesus Christ. The remedy is to be “born again.” If we deliberately refuse it, then we must suffer the consequence; and we cannot blame God. Is it God’s fault that we refuse the remedy?

Learn More About God’s Free Gift of Salvation Today.

Why Bother With God? Billy Graham Answers.

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

Prayer for the day

Lord Jesus, as You sat looking over Jerusalem, You wept. Give me the same compassion for those who have not accepted Your remedy and been born again.

 

https://billygraham.org/

Guideposts – Devotions for Women – Keep on the Right Path

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”—Matthew 7:13–14 (NIV)

When you ask God for help, you cultivate a deeper trust in Him. Abide by His word and avoid the broad road of least resistance; keep on the challenging and rewarding path that leads to glory and everlasting life. The Lord gives generously when you ask for things that are good and in accordance with His will.

Dear Lord, You lift me up and empower me with Your love. I am confident and humble, ready to follow You.

 

 

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

Every Man Ministry – Kenny Luck – Unimaginable

 

The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; for You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.  ––Psalm 9:9-10, NKJV

Pete and Julia (not their real names) adopted a six-year-old boy to add to their growing family, which included three biological daughters. They adopted their son—let’s call him Ivan—from Eastern Europe, and the whole family traveled to meet the newest member of the family.

A few years after returning home, Ivan starting sneaking into his sisters’ rooms at night and touching them inappropriately. Pete and Julia did all they could to address the crisis—therapy for everyone (personal and family), prayer, pastoral counsel, and home safety precautions to ensure that the incidents did not occur again. When the girls had to sleep behind dead-bolted doors—those cheap indoor locks that just need a paper clip to pick weren’t cutting it—their son starting sneaking outside, picking the lock to the window, cutting a hole in the screen, and reaching in to touch one of his sisters.

The couple knew that the solution for Ivan went way beyond double-locked windows and deadbolted bedroom doors. Eventually they were able to place their son in a fulltime residential treatment center catering to sexually abused boys. Amazingly, the $12,000-per-month cost was covered by their school district. This was a huge answered prayer. Three years later, Ivan and his sisters reconciled and he was able to ask their forgiveness and write an amends letter to each one. Ivan now lives in a group home with other men, and while the path ahead will be hard, the daughters are doing well and the family has made it through the worst of the crisis.

What’s your unimaginable? As God’s man, you need to think of these scenarios ahead of time. Not dwell on them, but think and pray about them. Though I pray you never experience anything as terrible as what Pete and his family went through, I do encourage you to ask God the tough questions about crisis. “If I die first, will my wife and children be taken care of?” “If my spouse dies first, how will I care for my children?” God wants only the best for you, but this is a dark world and God’s men need to face it head on.

Father, I pray that You prepare my heart and head for life’s crises. Help me turn to You immediately in such times.

 

 

Every Man Ministries

Our Daily Bread – Reflecting Christ’s Character

 

Bible in a Year :

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Romans 12:18

 

Today’s Scripture & Insight :

Romans 12:9-18

Two faces at the table stood out—one contorted by bitter anger, the other twisted in emotional pain. A reunion of old friends had just erupted into shouting, with one woman berating another for her beliefs. The contention continued until the first woman stomped out of the restaurant, leaving the other shaken and humiliated.

Are we really living in a time when a difference of opinion can’t be tolerated? Just because two people can’t agree doesn’t mean that either is evil. Speech that’s harsh or unyielding is never persuasive, and strong views shouldn’t overcome decency or compassion.

Romans 12 is a great guide for how to “honor one another,” and “live in harmony” with other people (vv. 10, 16). Jesus indicated that an identifying characteristic for believers in Him is the love we have for each other (John 13:35). While pride and anger can easily derail us, they’re in direct contrast to the love God wants us to show to others.

It’s a challenge not to blame others when we lose control of our emotions, but the words “as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” show us that the responsibility for living a life that reflects Christ’s character can’t be shifted to anyone else (Romans 12:18). It lies with each one of us who bears His name.

By:  Cindy Hess Kasper

Reflect & Pray

What words of other people trigger anger or resentment in you? How can you turn a bad situation into a peaceful one?

Loving God, please help me to show Your love through what I say and do and whenever possible to live at peace with others.

 

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Joyce Meyer – Because He Loves You

 

He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.

Psalm 91:15-16 (NIV)

Today’s scripture can be tied to another favorite scripture which says, “Because he loves me,’ says the Lord, ‘I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name” (Psalm 91:14 NIV). The psalmist is writing about angelic protection, and it is important to know that this protection does not mean we will never experience trial or affliction. It means we are protected from whatever the enemy ultimately plans for us as long as we keep our trust in God and believe and speak of Him in accordance with His Word.

Remember that Psalm 91:14 sets us up to receive certain promises from God because of our love for Him. In that context, the Lord says that He will answer us when we call on Him. He then makes several promises I’d like for us to focus on today, because they show us that our deliverance doesn’t always happen immediately; they represent a pattern, and a progression God often takes us through.

It took many years for me to see this pattern: God is with us in our trials and troubles, then He begins to deliver us out of them, and afterward He honors us. Then He satisfies us with long life and shows us His salvation. As we go through this progression, we will develop greater trust, peace, and joy in the Lord. Going through things with God helps us to develop a more intimate relationship with Him. Isn’t that what you want? I certainly do.

Prayer of the Day: Thank You, Lord, for Your promise that because I love You, You will be with me in my trials, You will deliver me, You will honor me, and You will satisfy me with long life and show me Your salvation.

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Denison Forum – US and Russia take part in largest prisoner swap since Cold War

 

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former US Marine Paul Whelan were among twenty-four prisoners from seven countries who were released from Russian captivity yesterday in one of the largest prisoner swaps between Russia and the West since the end of the Cold War. While the government has been working to free Gershkovich for more than a year and Whelan for far longer than that, news of the exchange still came as a surprise to most.

Clues that something was going on began to emerge late Wednesday as a number of high-value prisoners and dissidents began to disappear from the prisons where they had been confined. As Reuters reported, at least six special government planes were confirmed to have traveled across the country to regions known to house political prisoners. Russian law requires that they receive an official pardon from President Vladimir Putin prior to any exchange, a process that began on Tuesday when he signed a number of “secret decrees” in Moscow.

Similar steps were taken to gather prisoners in the United States, Germany, and a host of other countries before the exchange took place at an airport in Ankara, Turkey. In total, sixteen people were released from Russian custody, while eight were freed by Western nations.

Prisoners released from Russia

The most high-profile prisoner was Evan Gershkovich. He was arrested on charges of espionage in March of 2023 while reporting from Yekaterinburg, Russia. While both the American government and the Wall Street Journal—where he was employed at the time—denied the charges, he was detained and then convicted last month. Prior to the exchange, he faced sixteen years in prison. He was the first American journalist to be charged with espionage in Russia since the Cold War. Given the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, most viewed him as a hostage rather than a criminal.

Whelan’s tale is much the same. A citizen of the US, Canada, Britain, and Ireland, he was in Russia to attend a wedding when it’s claimed that a Russian citizen gave him a flash drive with classified information on it. He denied any knowledge of the drive’s contents and the US government has long held that he is innocent of the charges. Still, he was tried and sentenced to sixteen years in prison back in June of 2020. Despite attempts to include him in previous prisoner exchanges since then, he had remained a Russian prisoner until yesterday.

Among the others set free were Alsu Kurmasheva—a Russian-American editor for Radio Free Europe—and several Russian opposition leaders, such as Ilya Yashin, Vladimir Kara-Murza, and Oleg Orlov.

But while the return of those wrongfully imprisoned is a source of joy and worthy of celebration, it is important to remember that their freedom came at a cost.

Prisoners returned to Russia

Perhaps the most controversial of the eight prisoners released back to Russia is Vadim Krasikov, a Russian citizen facing life in prison in Germany after he was convicted in 2019 of assassinating a Chechen separatist fighter in central Berlin. During his trial, German prosecutors indicated that Krasikov was working for the Russian Federal Security Service, while the judge suggested the order to commit the murder came from Putin directly. The Kremlin denied any involvement, but Putin has since praised Krasikov as someone who, “due to patriotic sentiments, eliminated a bandit in one of the European capitals.”

Also returned to Russia were a convicted computer hacker, two alleged Russian sleeper agents jailed in Slovenia, an intelligence operative accused of passing American-made electronics and ammunition to the Russian military, and an academic in Norway accused of being a spy.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul spoke for many when he remarked:

I am thrilled Evan, Paul, Alsu, Vladimir, and many others who have been illegally held by Putin’s regime are finally coming home to their families. But I remain concerned that continuing to trade innocent Americans for actual Russian criminals held in the US and elsewhere sends a dangerous message to Putin that only encourages further hostage taking by his regime.

So how can we embrace the joy of seeing the innocent released when it’s accompanied by the fear that the path taken to get there will only lead to more people sharing their fate in the future?

God’s call to see beyond the sin

In an ideal world, governments would only arrest those who have committed a crime, and the kind of political calculus McCaul laments would be unnecessary. However, we don’t live in an ideal world—on this side of heaven, we never will. I doubt that comes as a surprise.

What’s interesting, though, is that despite the general understanding that this world is a fallen place filled with sin and suffering, there’s something in us that recognizes it shouldn’t be that way. William Barclay put it like this:

“The true wonder of human beings is not that we are sinners, but that even in our sin we are haunted by goodness, that even in the mud we can never wholly forget the stars.”

As Christians, that should give us hope.

No matter how much the culture rejects God and embraces a worldview that stands in contrast to his, that spark of his identity with which every one of us was created will never be fully snuffed out in this life (Genesis 1:26). Consequently, every person you meet has the potential to come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and the God who loves them enough to send his Son to die to make that salvation possible doesn’t give us the option of giving up on any of them.

That doesn’t mean we naively ignore the evil around us or take an unrealistic view of the world. But a realistic view must leave room for God’s immeasurable capacity to redeem that evil and bring good from it. And when we allow despair and anger to rob us of that hope, we give up on much of our ability to take part in that good.

So, the next time you are tempted to look at the world and focus on all that is wrong, remember God’s call to see beyond the sin that surrounds us and to keep your eyes fixed on him instead.

Let’s start right now.

NOTE: If you have children or grandchildren, I highly encourage you to order A Life of Faith prayer journal today. This best-selling resource from Christian Parenting, a brand of Denison Ministries, runs low on stock each year because it’s been such an encouragement to parents and grandparents. A Life of Faith is a weekly journal that includes a short devotional with relevant and timely topics, scripture verses, a guided prayer, and space for you to write down your specific supplications for your child or grandchild. Copies are selling quickly, so don’t wait to order A Life of Faith prayer journal today.

Friday news to know:

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

Quote of the day:

“The fact that our heart yearns for something Earth can’t supply is proof that Heaven must be our home.” — C.S. Lewis

 

Denison Forum

Days of Praise – The Second Coming

 

by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.

“And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23)

It has been observed that this first-written of Paul’s epistles contains more direct references to the second coming of Christ than any of his other writings. Each of its chapters comes to a close with a reference to Christ’s return in relation to some aspect of His great salvation, as applied to our personal lives.

In the first chapter, he speaks of the second coming in relation to service, “how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven” (1:9-10).

Then, in the second chapter, Paul speaks of soul-winning. “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?” (2:19).

Next, there is an emphasis on stability. “To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints” (3:13).

The fourth chapter concludes with perhaps the greatest passage on the second coming in any of the epistles, verses 13-17. All of this is said by Paul to be the basis of our Christian strength. “Wherefore comfort [literally ‘strengthen’] one another with these words” (4:18).

Finally, the last chapter concludes with the words of our text, speaking of our eternal sanctification as a result of this blessed hope of the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The second coming is thus all-important. It is a practical incentive and enablement for the Christian life, encouraging service, soul-winning, stability, strength, and sanctification, culminating in full and everlasting salvation. HMM

 

 

 

 

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

My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers – The Baffling Call of God

 

Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled.” . . . The disciples did not understand. — Luke 18:31,34

God called Jesus Christ to what seemed like unmitigated disaster. Jesus Christ called his disciples to see him put to death; he led them to the place where their hearts were broken and baffled. Jesus Christ’s life was an absolute failure from every viewpoint but God’s. But what seemed like failure to the world was a tremendous triumph to God, because God’s purpose is never humanity’s.

The baffling call of God comes in our lives, too. The call of God can never be stated outright. It is like the call of the sea. No one hears the call of the sea but those who have the nature of the sea within them. Similarly, no one hears the call of God but those who have God dwelling within them by the power of his Holy Spirit.

It cannot be stated definitely what the call of God is to; he calls us to enter into a relationship with him for his own purpose. The test is to believe that, though we cannot understand him, God knows what he is doing. Nothing happens by chance, only by his decree.

When we are in communion with God and recognize that he is taking us up into his purpose, we will stop trying to find out what his purpose is. This gets simpler as we go on in Christian life, because we begin to see that behind everything lies the great compelling of God.

“There’s a divinity that shapes our ends.” A Christian is one who trusts the wits and wisdom of God. If instead we trust our own wits and wisdom, if we go off pursuing our own ends, we will destroy the simplicity and the leisureliness which ought to characterize our lives as children of God.

Psalms 68-69; Romans 8:1-21

 

 

 

Wisdom from Oswald

“I have chosen you” (John 15:16). Keep that note of greatness in your creed. It is not that you have got God, but that He has got you. My Utmost for His Highest, October 25, 837 R

 

 

 

https://utmost.org/

Billy Graham – Love One Another

 

But if we are living in the light of God’s presence, just as Christ does, then we have wonderful fellowship and joy with each other, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from every sin.
—1 John 1:7 (TLB)

I received a letter from a man in Charlotte, North Carolina. He said that, until our Charlotte Crusade, he was filled with hatred, bitterness, and prejudice toward people of another race. He had joined one of the extremist organizations and was on the verge of engaging in violence. Out of curiosity he came to the meetings, and one night he was gloriously converted. He said, “All bitterness, hatred, malice, and prejudice immediately left me. I found myself in the counseling room sitting beside a person of another race. Through my tears I gripped the hand of this man, whom a few hours before I would have detested. My racial problem has been solved. I now find that I love all men regardless of the color of their skin.”

Only Christ can solve the complicated racial problem that is facing the world today. Until people of all races come to accept Christ as Savior, they do not have the ability to love each other. Christ can give supernatural love, which enables you to love even those whom you otherwise could not love.

Learn to love others by trusting in Christ today.

Confronting racism: Billy Graham teaches God loves everyone

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

Prayer for the day

Heavenly Father, fill me with that supernatural love of Jesus that enables me to reach out to the myriads of people who, in and of myself, would be impossible to love.

 

Home

Guideposts – Devotions for Women – Pray Your Worries Away

 

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?”—Matthew 6:25 (NIV)

Jesus teaches that God gave you the gift of life, and He will supply your needs. When you are worried about the future, ask for His help to resolve your concerns. Place your needs before Him, knowing that He will guide you to solutions. Faithfully rely on Your Heavenly Father to take care of you.

Dear Lord, You are my provider. Help me replace my worry with faith and truly leave my concerns in Your hands.

 

 

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

Every Man Ministry – Kenny Luck -Rationalization  

 

You say, “I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.” But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.  ––Revelation 3:17-18

Any time you’re coming up with good reasons to do evil things (especially religious-sounding ones), look over your shoulder. Rationalization is Satan’s most productive way of encouraging self–deception. This evil-inspired logic provides safe cover for Satan to hide himself in your thinking. With his encouragement, a little lawyer in your head will come out to strongly defend an attitude or action that is inconsistent with your faith, the Bible, and Christ’s example.

The deceptive voice offers intellectual, rational, logical, and persuasive justifications for immoral behavior. And worse, the little lawyer sounds like you. In fact, he is you, but he’s being encouraged by Satan with plenty of logical ammunition. We don’t have to wonder why men can be so smart and so dumb at the same time. We can all justify our wrong behavior and grow stupid enough to believe our own logic. Satan figures if we are dumb enough to hang ourselves by the noose of self-deception, the least he can do is provide the rope of rationalization.

A good example presented in the Bible is Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5). God’s people were doing some pretty radical things at the time, like selling goods and homes and giving the money to the church.  “A&S” take this action to a lower level. They are pimped by Satan to sell some property (which is fine), but then keep some of the profit and let on like they are giving it all to the Lord (not fine). Seemed logical and reasonable; after all, it was “all their money.” How cunning. But then God struck them dead. (No joke.) And the grievous act wasn’t the withholding of the money, it was the deception.

Father, You have taught me: To my own self, be true. Even more, Lord, may I be true to You.

 

 

Every Man Ministries

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