Days of Praise

Days of Praise – No Vision

Leave a comment

by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.

“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” (Proverbs 29:18)

The “vision” mentioned in this familiar verse is more than just a noble goal; it means a literal revelation from God to His people. It was first used in the sad testimony of 1 Samuel 3:1: “And the word of the LORD was precious [that is, ‘rare and costly’] in those days; there was no open vision.” This was just before the capture of the Ark by the Philistines and the death of the inept prophet Eli.

The word used for “perish” here means “exposed and helpless,” and the glory soon departed from Israel once they had forsaken God’s leadership (1 Samuel 4:21). Our own nation was also founded on God’s written Word (the modern equivalent of the divine “vision”), but the Word has now been almost forgotten, at least in our schools and other public institutions as well as in the daily lives of most of our people. Consequently, “the people” are indeed largely exposed and helpless before the attacks of the wicked one. The terrible warning of Psalm 9:17 hangs over our nation: “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.”

There is an encouraging exhortation to the believer, however, even if he lives in an apostate nation: “He that keepeth the law, happy is he.” To keep the law means not merely to obey God’s commands, but more precisely, to guard His Word! Even if all around us are neglecting or even ridiculing and seeking to destroy the Scriptures, we must defend and obey and proclaim their eternal truth and authority. Even if this should entail opposition and persecution, God assures us that here is the way of blessing and true happiness. “Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book” (Revelation 22:7). The people who lose God’s Word will perish, but “happy is that people, whose God is the LORD” (Psalm 144:15). HMM

 

 

 

 

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

My Utmost for His Highest

My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers – The Reckoning with Purity

Leave a comment

 

Out of the heart come evil thoughts. —Matthew 15:19

We begin by trusting our ignorance and calling it innocence, by trusting our innocence and calling it purity. When we hear Jesus declare that “out of the heart come evil thoughts,” we shrink and say, “But I never felt any of those awful things in my heart.” We resent what Jesus Christ reveals.

Either Jesus Christ is the supreme authority on the human heart, or he isn’t worth paying any attention to. Am I prepared to trust his diagnosis? If instead I choose to trust my innocence, eventually I will come to a place where, with a shuddering awakening, I discover that what Jesus Christ says is true. Then I’ll be appalled at the potential for evil and wrong inside me. As long as I remain under the refuge of innocence, I’m living in a fool’s paradise. If I’ve never been a cheat or a menace, the reason is a mixture of cowardice and the pressures of human society. When I am undressed before God, I find that Jesus Christ is right in his diagnosis.

The only thing that safeguards the human heart is the redemption of Jesus Christ. If I will hand myself over to him, I never need to experience the terrible possibilities that lie within my heart. Purity is too deep down for me to get to on my own, but when God comes in, he brings into the center of my personal life the very same Spirit who was manifested in the life of my Lord: the Holy Spirit. From then on, the spotless purity of Jesus Christ is mine.

Psalms 40-42; Acts 27:1-26

 

 

 

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

Am I getting nobler, better, more helpful, more humble, as I get older? Am I exhibiting the life that men take knowledge of as having been with Jesus, or am I getting more self-assertive, more deliberately determined to have my own way? It is a great thing to tell yourself the truth.The Place of Help, 1005 R

 

https://utmost.org/

Billy Graham

Billy Graham – The End of Life

Leave a comment

 

. . . willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
—2 Corinthians 5:8

A little boy was riding alone on a train on a hot day when the travelers were extremely uncomfortable; and the scenery was not too interesting as they passed through the desert of Arizona. A lady sitting beside the boy asked him, “Are you tired of the long ride?” The little boy smiled and said, “I’m a little tired, but I don’t mind it much. You see, my father is going to meet me when I get to Los Angeles.” Sometimes we get a little tired of the burdens of life, but it is exhilarating to know that Jesus Christ will meet us at the end of life’s journey. The joy of being with Him forever is beyond the ability of any writer to describe.

Read 5 Answers from Billy Graham on Heaven.

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

Prayer for the day

To think You will be waiting for me at the end of this earthly journey! I am filled with unspeakable joy, Lord Jesus.

 

Home

GuidePosts

Guideposts – Devotions for Women – Good Things Out of Good Treasure

Leave a comment

 

A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.—Matthew 12:35 (KJV)

Jesus taught that your words mirror your true spiritual condition. When you have nurtured your faith, your words are good treasure. Conversely, your words can be evil if your focus is on anger, bitterness and resentment. Your outlook and disposition reflect whatever you have stored in your heart.

Lord, help me hold on to good treasure so that I speak out of the abundance of my heart.

 

 

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

Every Man Ministry

Every Man Ministry – Kenny Luck – Unqualified?

Leave a comment

 

 

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit …  ––Ephesians 1:13

 

The flipside of feeling disqualified is feeling unqualified. My friend had a Scottish grandmother who was 4’11” and tough as nails and lived to be 103. She used to say, “Don’t let them see you sweat.” The sentiment can be helpful—basically, it’s kind of a “fake it till you make it” saying. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with having a tough, get-it-done mindset. In fact, it’s really important––toughness, ingenuity, and that mentality that says never give up.

 

The problem, however, is that the “bootstrap mentality” can also lead us straight into works-based faith. When we slip down that slope, we fall right into the devil’s pit of performance. Most of us have been there (personally, I never want to go back). Once in that performance pit, it’s hard to get out. We spend our time worried about how well we are doing at (fill in the blank): work, marriage, fatherhood, friendships, our faith. Results trump relationships. It’s back to the income and employment mentality, rather than outcome and deployment. It’s subtle—our faith life can slowly slide toward aspirational goals based on outer metrics rather than on relational goals based on faith and intimacy with the Father.

 

For God’s man, it’s a fixed game. A sucker’s con. We can never be as good as we want to be, and we can never succeed in all the things at the level we want to achieve. It’s a rat race on steroids. And when we can’t achieve what’s impossible anyway (i.e., there’s always someone better, faster, smarter, richer), our self-esteem can take a nose dive. Then we fall into imposter syndrome—like any day now the leaders at your work place are going to haul you into a dark room, shine a spotlight on you, and say, “Who are you, and who let you in here?”

 

In no way I am saying self-confidence is a bad thing—it just needs to be built upon the right foundation. Is yours built on the world’s shifting sands, or on the Rock? In Jesus, we are qualified—literally. He died, went to the cross, and rose again in order for Him to certify us as children of God. Gideon hid in a wine press so the Midianites might not notice him. (Who threshes wheat in a wine press?!) In that dark hiding place God called Him out of fear and said: “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!” (Judges 6:12) How God sees us is how reality works—not how we feel about ourselves. That’s deception. Don’t swallow the enemy’s lie.

 

Father, thank You for qualifying me to be Your child so I can serve You!

 

 

Every Man Ministries

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – Really Live

Leave a comment

 

Bible in a Year :

Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.

Hebrews 13:5

 

Today’s Scripture & Insight :

Hebrews 13:5-8

Thousands of people prayed for pastor Ed Dobson when he was diagnosed with ALS in 2000. Many believed that when they prayed in faith for healing, God would answer immediately. After twelve years of struggling with the disease that caused Ed’s muscles to atrophy little by little (and three years before he died), someone asked him why he thought God hadn’t healed him yet. “There’s no good answer, so I don’t ask,” he replied. His wife, Lorna, added, “If you’re always obsessed about having to have answers, you can’t really live.”

Can you hear the respect for God in Ed and Lorna’s words? They knew that His wisdom is above their own. Yet Ed admitted, “I find it nearly impossible not to worry about tomorrow.” He understood that the disease would cause increasing disability, and he didn’t know what new problem the next day might bring.

To help himself focus on the present, Ed placed these verses in his car, on the bathroom mirror, and next to his bed: “God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid’ ” (Hebrews 13:5-6). Whenever he started to worry, he would repeat the verses to help him refocus his thoughts on the truth.

No one knows what the next day will bring. Maybe Ed’s practice could help us turn our worries into opportunities to trust.

By:  Anne Cetas

Reflect & Pray

What Scriptures help you to focus on today and not worry about tomorrow? Where might you place them to help your faith grow?

Help me to remember, Father, that You’re God, and I am not. Please teach me to trust You.

 

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – You Can Do All Things Through Christ

Leave a comment

 

I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].

Philippians 4:13 (AMPC)

One thought that has the power to transform your life is simple: I can do whatever I need to do in life through Christ. In other words, I can handle whatever life hands me. I wonder—do you believe you can do whatever you need to do in life? Or are there certain things that trigger dread, fear, or cause you to say, “I could never do that!” when you think about them?

Whether it’s suddenly losing a loved one, facing a serious unexpected illness, having your adult child with two toddlers move into your clean and quiet house after you’ve had an “empty nest” for years, going on a strict diet because your life depends on it, putting yourself on a budget to avoid foreclosure on your home, or suddenly having to care for a disabled elderly parent—most people have some kind of circumstance that truly seems impossible to them, something they aren’t sure they can or could handle.

The fact of the matter is, while some situations may be intensely undesirable or difficult for you, you can do whatever you need to do in life. I know this because God tells us in His Word that we have the strength to do all things because Christ empowers us to do so. He doesn’t say everything will be easy for us, He doesn’t promise we will enjoy every little thing we do, but we can enjoy life in the midst of doing them.

We must understand that Philippians 4:13 does not say we can do anything we want to do because we are strong enough, smart enough, or hardworking enough. No, in fact, it leaves no room at all for human effort or striving of any kind. The secret to being able to do what we need to do is realizing that we cannot do it alone; we can only do it in Christ.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, please help me to trust that I can handle anything life throws at me through Christ’s strength. Help me to always remember that I am never alone during hard times, because You are always with me, amen.

 

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu addresses Congress and President Biden addresses the nation

Leave a comment

 

How to win the most critical battle of our time

It has been famously said, “There are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks where decades happen.” This is one of the latter.

It was just last Sunday when President Biden dropped out of the 2024 race, explaining in an Oval Office address last night that he had decided to “pass the torch to a new generation.” By Monday evening, Vice President Kamala Harris had secured enough delegates to win their party’s nomination. By Tuesday, Democrats had raised more than $250 million.

In the midst of such unprecedented political news, you might have overlooked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s record fourth address to a joint meeting of Congress yesterday afternoon. He forcefully portrayed the Gaza war as a “clash between barbarism and civilization” and claimed, “Our enemies are your enemies. Our fight is your fight. And our victory will be your victory.”

Thousands of protesters against the war in Gaza converged on Washington to condemn his visit, while roughly half of House and Senate Democrats skipped his address. Mr. Netanyahu will meet today with President Biden and Vice President Harris, and tomorrow with former President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago.

A war with Hezbollah would dwarf the Gaza conflict

Mr. Netanyahu’s visit comes at a fraught time for Israel:

  • Houthis have claimed responsibility for a drone strike on Tel Aviv that killed one person.
  • This successful attack highlights Israel’s problem in defending against such strikes.
  • Two more hostages have been killed in Gaza, possibly from Israeli fire.
  • Rival Palestinian factions signed a declaration aimed at building unity following talks in Beijing.
  • In a landmark opinion, the United Nation’s top court declared that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories is against international law.
  • Israel appears closer than ever to a war with Hezbollah that would dwarf the conflict in Gaza.

As I have written often, these conflicts are ideological and spiritual at their core. Israel claims land given by God to Abraham’s Jewish descendants (cf. Genesis 12:1–3), while Muslims are equally convinced that Allah intended this land for Ishmael’s Arab descendants and that the Jews have stolen it. The leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah see this “theft” as an attack on Islam, requiring a response that would annihilate the Jewish state.

Like Israel, Christians are locked in a spiritual battle with an enemy who seeks to destroy us.

Scripture warns us: “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). He is “a murderer from the beginning” (John 8:44) who “comes only to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10). He attacks our Father by attacking his children (cf. Luke 22:31).

We are therefore told:

We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12).

We cannot win this battle on our own—we need a power greater than the power that opposes us.

Here’s the good news: that power is not only for us and with us—he lives in us.

Imagine two billion Christs in the world

I have been focusing this week on the fact that Jesus lives in every Christian by his indwelling Spirit (Colossians 1:27; 1 Corinthians 3:16) and now wants to continue his ministry through us. Dr. Mark Turman, executive director of Denison Forum, responded to my article yesterday:

All people want to live eternally and with eternal significance now. God has put “eternity in our hearts” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Only God and that which is filled with the essence of God endures and flourishes eternally. All truth is God’s truth; therefore, truth flourishes now and eternally. God is love; therefore, all that is truly loving flourishes eternally. People can by faith and grace be crucified to sin and filled with the fullness of Christ; therefore, those who have Christ in them (imparted not imitated) have “the hope of glory” and will flourish now and eternally.

Mark is right, both theologically and practically:

  • We have “the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16). If your mind is his, what will you think today? What will you refuse to think? How much time will you spend studying Scripture, praying, and worshiping your Father?
  • We are the voice of Christ (Romans 10:14–15). If your voice is his, what will you say today? What will you choose not to say?
  • We are the “body” of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27). If your body is his, how will you treat it? What will you feed it? What will you do with it? What will you refuse to do with it?
  • If Christ is present in others (cf. Matthew 25:40), how will you treat them?

Imagine two billion Christs in the world. When Jesus said we would do “greater things” than he did (John 14:12), this was his vision.

Three transforming questions

So, let’s ask three transforming questions:

  1. Will you ask Jesus to continue his earthly ministry through you today?
  2. Will you then surrender your life and day to his empowering Holy Spirit?
  3. Will you then measure success by the degree to which others see Christ in you?

Scripture teaches that “Christ in you” is “the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).

For whose “glory” will you “hope” today?

Thursday news to know:

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

Quote for the day:

“I used to ask God to help me. Then I asked if I might help him to do his work through me.” —Hudson Taylor

 

Denison Forum

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – All the People

Leave a comment

 

by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.

“And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD commanded to Israel.” (Nehemiah 8:1)

That was an amazing congregation there in the street of Jerusalem that came together that day just to hear Ezra read the Bible and explain its teachings. Nehemiah’s previous chapter had just enumerated over 42,000 people who had returned from Babylon to rebuild the city.

Even if “all the people” is not meant to be understood literally but representatively, this was still a very large assemblage. It even included all but the smallest children (Nehemiah 8:2), and they all stood up (!) throughout the reading and exposition (Nehemiah 8:5-7), from morning to noon (Nehemiah 8:3).

Presumably all they had was the Pentateuch (tradition says that Ezra, who was doing the reading, eventually compiled the rest of the books with it into the Old Testament canon), but this was enough, and “all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law” (Nehemiah 8:9). Ezra not only read the actual words but also “gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading” (Nehemiah 8:8). He further explained that, although they had been guilty in breaking God’s laws, they had been redeemed, and God was fulfilling all His gracious promises in restoring them to their land. Thus, they had joy as well as grief over their sins.

So should it be today. That is, when God’s Word is simply read and explained, that should be enough to generate both sadness and repentance over sin and also true joy in salvation. Then, as it was to the returning Jewish exiles long ago, “the joy of the LORD” becomes our “strength” for true worship and obedience (Nehemiah 8:10). HMM

 

 

 

 

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

My Utmost for His Highest

My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers – Am I Blessed Like This?

Leave a comment

 

Blessed are… —Matthew 5:3

When we first encounter the statements of Jesus, they seem wonderfully simple and unstartling. They sink, unnoticed, into our unconscious minds. Take the Beatitudes, the teachings which open the Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are the poor in spirit. . . . Blessed are the meek . . .” (Matthew 5:3, 5). At first these seem like nothing more than nice principles: mild and beautiful. We like them, but we aren’t roused by them, because we find them completely impractical. Unworldly, daydreamy people might be able to apply them, we think, but for those who live in the workaday world, they have no value.

We soon find, however, that the Beatitudes contain the dynamite of the Holy Spirit; they explode when the circumstances of our lives align. We’ll be going steadily along, when suddenly the Spirit will cause us to remember one of the Beatitudes. We see how startling a statement it truly is, and what obeying it would mean. Then we have to decide if we’re willing to accept the tremendous upheaval of our circumstances that will occur if we do what the Spirit is telling us to do.

We don’t need to be born again to apply the Beatitudes literally; a literal interpretation is child’s play. Obeying the Spirit of God as he applies the Beatitudes to our specific circumstances is the hard work of the disciple. Jesus’s statements are entirely at odds with our natural way of looking at things. When we first begin to obey his words, it produces astonishing discomfort.

The Sermon on the Mount isn’t a set of rules and regulations. It’s a statement of the life we will live when the Holy Spirit is getting his way with us. We can’t rush our understanding; we have to follow the Spirit as he applies Jesus’s teachings to our circumstances, allowing him to slowly form our walk with him.

Psalms 37-39; Acts 26

 

 

 

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

Defenders of the faith are inclined to be bitter until they learn to walk in the light of the Lord. When you have learned to walk in the light of the Lord, bitterness and contention are impossible.Biblical Psychology, 199 R

 

 

https://utmost.org/

Billy Graham

How I need your help, especially in my own home . . . —Psalm 101:2 (TLB)

Leave a comment

 

In the marriage ceremony, after the vows are said, the minister solemnly and reverently remarks, “What God hath joined together let no man put asunder.” Is not God the third part in a marriage? Should He not be taken into account in the marriage, and in the home that emerges from that marriage? If God joins the couple together at the outset, should not His presence be recognized in the home continually? Many homes are on the rocks today because God has been left out of the domestic picture.

With the clash of personalities in a domestic pattern, there must be an integrating force, and the living God is that Force! Many couples think that if they have a better home, get a better job, or live in a different neighborhood, their domestic life will be happier. No! The secret of domestic happiness is to let God, the party of the third part in the marriage contract, have His rightful place in the home. Make peace with Him, and then you can be a real peacemaker in the home.

Have you made peace with God? You can do that now.

No one is perfect. Here are 8 ways to appreciate an imperfect spouse.

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

Prayer for the day

In my relationships with those I love, help me to be a peacemaker, Lord. May I always look to You, the Prince of Peace.

Billy Graham – Sanctity of Marriage

 

Home

GuidePosts

Guideposts – Devotions for Women – The Best Companion

Leave a comment

 

A time is coming and, in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.—John 16:32 (NIV)

Are you comfortable doing things alone? This verse reminds us that fear should not stop you from experiencing life to the fullest. If you want to do something—rather than waiting to find someone who will go with you—recognize that any adventure can be possible with God as your companion.

Lord, thank You for being my closest friend—or encouraging me to explore new places and things and for going with me when I fear going alone.

 

 

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

Every Man Ministry

Every Man Ministry – Kenny Luck – Disqualified?

Leave a comment

 

 

Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord?  Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”  ––Exodus 4:10-12

 

In the Old Testament, lots of seeming “losers” (as the world would define them) find themselves in God’s spotlight. It’s theorized that Moses had a speech impediment that caused Aaron to speak for him. Jacob was a mama’s boy, hanging around the tents and cooking for his family. (Not uncommon male tasks today, but then? No.)

 

Here’s a quick hit list of what our culture would call “disqualified”: Abraham – liar/coward. Joseph – narcissistic (at least until he was imprisoned in Egypt). David – murderer. Noah – drunk. Elijah – suicidal. Rahab and Mary Magdalene – prostitutes. Samson – womanizer. Jonah – slacker. Gideon – coward. Paul – terrorizer (before His conversion). And so on.

 

Of course, we know that many of the folks above also make God’s hall of faith in

Hebrews 11. So what does that tell us as God’s men? First, our past doesn’t define who we are today. Second, when our past is submitted to God and we are forgiven and redeemed, He can use us. Third, though bad decisions can carry lifelong consequences, when we are surrendered to Christ, He takes those failures—and the lessons we learned from them—and can use them in mighty ways to help others. From tragedy to testimony.

 

In the quiet of deep evening—for me it’s around 4am when I get up for nature call—my past failings seem to organize a flash mob in my midbrain. And even if you’ve been growing in the Lord and in a great season, these doom waves can hit as suddenly and hard as an Arrakis sandstorm. Think you are alone in that? That’s just what the devil wants all of us to think: “Sure, you follow Jesus and do all these great things, but remember when you committed that sin?” Like a knock-off film, the circumstances shift a little, but the main plot is always the same. Satan’s hack script reads like this: 1. You really screwed up. 2. Don’t tell anybody because then you will lose status. 3. You’re such a loser and if people find out, they will reject you.

 

Lie. Lie. Lie. Look at the list above again. Here’s the takeaway: What you do doesn’t define who you are in God’s eyes. He loves you, period. No comma, semi-colon, or modifier. We are all “losers” in that we all fail. But as God’s men submitted to the cross of Christ, when we stay the course we are victors in His hall of faith.

 

Father, thank You for taking this “unlovable” person and giving me worth and freedom. 

 

 

Every Man Ministries

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – Our True Refuge Is God

Leave a comment

 

Bible in a Year :

He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.

Psalm 91:2

 

Today’s Scripture & Insight :

Psalm 91:1-2, 14-16

After his wife died, Fred felt he could endure the pain as long as he had his Monday breakfasts with his buddies. His fellow retirees lifted his spirits. Whenever sadness came, Fred would think about the next time he’d enjoy their company again. Their corner table was his safe place from grief.

Over time, however, the gatherings ended. Some friends became ill; others passed away. The emptiness led Fred to seek solace in the God he’d met in his youth. “I have breakfast by myself now,” he says, “but I remember to hold on to the truth that Jesus is with me. And when I leave the diner, I don’t leave to face the rest of my days alone.”

Like the psalmist, Fred discovered the safety and comfort of God’s presence: “He is my refuge . . . in whom I trust” (Psalm 91:2). Fred came to know safety not as a physical place to hide, but as the steadfast presence of God that we can trust and rest in (v. 1). Both Fred and the psalmist found that they didn’t have to face difficult days alone. We too can be assured of God’s protection and help. When we turn to Him in trust, He promises to respond and be with us (vv. 14-16).

Do we have a safe place, a “corner table” we go to when life is hard? It won’t last but God will. He waits for us to go to Him, our true refuge.

By:  Karen Huang

Reflect & Pray

When life is hard, what’s your safe place? How can you turn to and trust God as your refuge?

Dear God, You’re my safe place. Yours is the presence that will never leave me to fend for myself. Your help and protection surround me always.

 

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Thankful for the Process of Transformation

Leave a comment

 

And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 3:18 (AMPC)

Transformation doesn’t happen overnight, and the process can seem very slow at times. But that doesn’t change the fact that one of the benefits of living in a relationship with Jesus is the freedom to forget the past and move ahead into what God has for us.

When you are tempted to condemn yourself over the progress you think you should be making, turn your focus back on Jesus and be thankful that He is doing His work in your life in His perfect timing. Remind yourself, “God loves me, and He has a good plan for my life. I haven’t arrived yet, but I’m okay and I’m on my way!” Remember that through faith you have been made right with God, and even though you have not arrived at perfection, you are making progress.

Prayer of the Day: Thank You, Father, that You are transforming my life in Your perfect timing. I trust You, and I choose not to feel condemned or frustrated anymore. You are at work in my life, and I am grateful for that.

 

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Why has President Biden not spoken to the public since last week?

Leave a comment

 

Conspiracy theories and the path to transforming truth

Conspiracy theories abound in the news today. For example, why has President Joe Biden not spoken publicly since it was announced last Wednesday that he had contracted COVID-19?

  • Did he have a stroke?
  • Is he now in hospice care?
  • Will the Oval Office address his plans for tonight prove such suspicions wrong?
  • Or will skeptics see a brief address given from a teleprompter (if this is what he delivers) as a further cover-up of his alleged infirmities?

And what of Mr. Biden’s health across recent weeks, months, and even years? Numerous pundits are faulting Vice President Kamala Harris for participating in an “epic miscalculation” or even an elaborate cover-up of his purported failings.

Others have alleged conspiracies behind the July 13 attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump:

  • Some claimed that President Biden “sent the orders,” while others called the attempt a “failed coup.”
  • Still others “reported” that the Secret Service was ordered not to take out the gunman until after he fired on Mr. Trump.
  • Elon Musk blamed the shooting on “extreme incompetence” or “deliberate” action by the Secret Service.
  • Still others claimed the shooting was staged to benefit Mr. Trump politically.

Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned yesterday after a contentious hearing with Congress on Monday. Will this lead to greater accountability, or is it part of the alleged cover-up?

“If words can mean anything”

Sociologist James Davison Hunter observes:

When the shared meaning of words is undermined, when we no longer trust that words signify what we thought, any meaning can be imputed to words. If words can mean anything, they have no intimate meaning or possibility of a common meaning.

This is the cultural crisis behind the political crises of our day. When all truth is personal and subjective, as postmodernists have claimed for decades, we are left with a “post-truth” society in which “your truth” is as valid as “my truth.” Now that social media has given everyone a platform to broadcast “their truth,” we should not be surprised by the confusion and chaos that surround nearly every consequential event of our day. The fake news circulating yesterday that former President Jimmy Carter had died is just one example.

However, there is good news in the bad news.

Scripture describes followers of Jesus as “the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15, my emphasis). We can exercise this role because we serve the One who is “the truth” (John 14:6). By his power, we can know the truth (John 8:31–32) and proclaim the truth (2 Timothy 2:15).

But there’s a catch:

To experience fully the truth of Christ, we must experience fully the Christ who is truth.

Oswald Chambers noted:

The one marvelous secret of a holy life lies not in imitating Jesus, but in letting the perfections of Jesus manifest themselves in my mortal flesh. Sanctification is “Christ in you.” It is his wonderful life that is imparted to me in sanctification. . . .

Sanctification is not drawing from Jesus the power to be holy; it is drawing from Jesus the holiness that was manifested in him, and he manifests it in me. Sanctification is an impartation, not an imitation (his emphasis).

Think of it: the living Lord Jesus is literally living in you by his resident Spirit (Colossians 1:27; 1 Corinthians 3:16). As St. Ignatius of Antioch said, “You have Jesus Christ in yourselves.”

“The fragrance of the knowledge of him”

Jesus can guide us into the truth (John 16:13) and speak the truth through us (Luke 12:12). But first we must be “crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20), surrendering our life to him as a “living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1) and submitting to the “filling” and control of his Spirit (Ephesians 5:18).

Jesus promised his first followers, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8). And so they were:

  • When the early Christians were “filled” by the Spirit, they began to share the gospel miraculously (Acts 2:4).
  • When Peter was “filled with the Holy Spirit,” he preached the gospel boldly to the religious authorities who arranged Jesus’ execution and could have done the same to him (Acts 4:8–12).
  • When the early church prayed for courage in the face of persecution (Acts 4:29), “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness” (v. 31).
  • After Paul was “filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 9:17), “immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues” (v. 20).
  • When Barnabas, “a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith” arrived in Antioch, “a great many people were added to the Lord” (Acts 11:24).

The pattern is clear. If we want to know “the truth,” we must know the One who is the truth by being submitted to his Spirit. If we do, we will make him known. Then we will glorify and serve the One who “through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere” (2 Corinthians 2:14).

So, here’s the question: Have you submitted your life and witness to the Spirit of God yet today?

If not, why not?

A culture desperate for truth awaits your answer.

Wednesday news to know:

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

Quote for the day:

“Where I found truth, there found I my God, who is the truth itself.” —St. Augustine

 

Denison Forum

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – Disciples and Servants

Leave a comment

by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.

“The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.” (Matthew 10:24)

Note the twofold relation of the believer to the Lord Jesus Christ expressed in this verse. We are His disciples and servants; He is our Master and Lord. Each of the two relationships is vital.

The word for “disciple” means “pupil.” The word “master” is the same as “teacher.” The Lord Jesus, therefore, is our teacher, and He teaches us through His Word—the Holy Scriptures. It is our function to learn His teachings and, of course, to believe them. No Christian (one under the authority of Christ) has the right to reject or even to question one of the teachings of His Word (Matthew 5:18-19). The lord-servant relationship goes even further. The word for “servant” is actually “bond slave.” The “lord” of a slave was his owner; the word itself means “supreme ruler” and is the title commonly assigned to God Himself in the New Testament. Thus, if a disciple is to believe the word of his master without question, the servant is to obey the word of his lord without hesitation.

But the world scoffs at the teachings of God’s Word and will try to persecute those who seek to follow them. The unbelieving world—even the religious world—responded to the teachings of the Master by ridiculing Him, then torturing Him, and finally hanging Him on a tree to die.

Yet we are to go to the same world with the same teachings. “As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you” (John 20:21). “As thou hast sent me into the world,” He prayed, “even so have I also sent them into the world” (John 17:18).

He does warn us: “Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also” (John 15:20). HMM

 

 

 

 

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

My Utmost for His Highest

My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers – Disposition and Deeds

Leave a comment

 

Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. —Matthew 5:20

The defining characteristic of Christian disciples is not that they do good things; it’s that they are good in their motives. Their motives have been made good by the supernatural grace of God.

The only thing that surpasses right doing is right being. Jesus Christ came to put a new heredity into anyone who would let him, a heredity that would surpass the righteousness of the Pharisees. Jesus says, in essence, “If you are my disciple, you must be right not only in how you live but also in your motives and your dreams, in the deepest recesses of your mind. You must be so pure in your motives that God Almighty can see nothing to censure.”

Who can stand in the eternal light of God and have nothing for God to censure? Only the Son of God. Jesus Christ claims that, by the power of his redemption, he can put his own disposition into anyone, making them as pure and simple as a child. The purity God demands is impossible for me unless I can be remade from within—and this is exactly what Jesus Christ has undertaken with his redemption.

None of us can make ourselves pure by obeying laws. Jesus Christ doesn’t give us rules and regulations. His teachings are truths which only he can interpret. If we wish to understand them, we must do so through the disposition he puts in us—his own disposition. This is what it means that Jesus Christ alters our heredity: he doesn’t alter
human nature; he alters the disposition of sin that lies beneath it. This is the great marvel of his salvation.

Psalms 35-36; Acts 25

 

 

 

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

The attitude of a Christian towards the providential order in which he is placed is to recognize that God is behind it for purposes of His own. Biblical Ethics, 99 R

 

 

https://utmost.org/

Billy Graham

Billy Graham – What God Expects

Leave a comment

 

He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much . . .
—Luke 16:10

What God expects, and all God expects, is that we dedicate completely all of our talents and gifts to Him. That is the meaning of the parable of the talents in Matthew, chapter 25. Read this parable, and you will see that we are always rewarded because of our faithfulness. You can be just as faithful as anyone and have the commendation of the Lord. Take the one talent you have and invest it in eternal things. Some talented people lose their reward because they do things to be seen of men. Some untalented people lose their reward because they fail to dedicate what they have, because it is not noticed by men. Both have sinned equally.

Read more about the Parable of the Talents.

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

Prayer for the day

Let me not be concerned with the praise of men, but may my talent be completely yielded to You, Lord

 

Home

GuidePosts

Guideposts – Devotions for Women – Let Your Strengths Shine

Leave a comment

 

Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.—Matthew 5:15 (NKJV)

Are you shining your light on others? Sometimes fear can stop us from moving forward on the path that God has placed before us. If you are feeling stretched in a new role that is opening up for you, pray. Ask God to help you refocus your energy—away from your insecurities and back onto Him.

Thank You, dear Lord, for believing in me, even when I doubt myself. Guide me to hand my vulnerabilities over to You so that my gifts and talents can shine.

 

 

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

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