Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – The Praying Believer

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Alistair Begg

Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven.

Lamentations 3:41

The act of prayer teaches us our unworthiness, which is a very salutary lesson for proud people like us. If God gave us favors without constraining us to pray for them, we would never know how poor we are, but a true prayer is an inventory of wants, a catalog of necessities, a revelation of hidden poverty.

While prayer is an application to divine wealth, it is also a confession of human emptiness. The most healthy state of a Christian is always to be empty of self and constantly depending upon the Lord for provision; to be consistently poor in self and rich in Jesus; to be weak as water personally, but mighty through God to do great exploits. This is where prayer comes in, because while it adores God, it puts the creature where it should be-in the dust.

Prayer is in itself, apart from the answer that it brings, a great benefit to the Christian. As the runner gains strength for the race by daily exercise, so for the great race of life we acquire energy by the holy exercise of prayer. Prayer thins the feathers of God’s young eaglets, so that they can learn to soar above the clouds. Prayer readies God’s warriors and sends them out to combat with their sinews braced and their muscles firm. The praying believer comes out of his closet, even as the sun rises from the chambers of the east, rejoicing like an athlete about to race. Prayer is the uplifted hand of Moses that defeats the Amalekites more than the sword of Joshua; it is the arrow shot from the prophet’s chamber announcing defeat to the Syrians. Prayer equips human weakness with divine strength, turns human folly into heavenly wisdom, and gives the peace of God to troubled souls.

We do not know what prayer cannot do! We thank You, great God, for the mercy-seat, a wonderful evidence of your marvelous loving-kindness. Help us to use it properly throughout this day!

 

 

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – Instability

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“Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel.” Genesis 49:4

Suggested Further Reading: 2 Peter 3:14-18

Who are these unstable ones? When they were boys they could never complete a game; they must always be having something fresh; and now they are just as childish as when they were children. Look at them in doctrine: you never know where to find them. You meet them one day, and they are very full of some super doctrine; they have been to some strong Calvinist place, and nothing will suit them except the very highest doctrine, and that must be spiced with a little of the gall of bitterness, or they cannot think it is the genuine thing. Very likely next week they will be Arminians; they will give up all idea of a fixed fate, and talk of free-will, and man’s responsibility like the most earnest Primitive Methodist. Then they steer another way. “Nothing is right but the Church of England. Is it not established by law? Ought not every Christian to go to his parish church?” Let them alone; they will be at the most schismatical shop in the metropolis before long. Or if they do not change their denomination they are always changing their minister. A new minister starts up; there is no one, since the apostles, like him; they take a seat and join the church; he is everything to them. In three months they have done with him; another minister rises up some distance off, and these people are not particular how far they walk; so they go to hear him. He is the great man of the age; he will see every man’s candle out, and his will burn on. But a little trouble comes on the church, and they leave him. They have no attachment to anything; they are merely feathers in the wind, or corks on the wave.

For meditation: Do you recognise yourself here? If not, guard your own stability carefully. But if you do, realise that we are not supposed to remain babes in Christ, but are to grow up (Ephesians 4:14,15). Perhaps you are not sure whether Spurgeon is describing you; one question may help you decide—who has the rule over you? (Hebrews 13:7,17).

Sermon no. 158

11 October (1857)

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – God’s Self-Disclosure

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John MacArthur

“God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son” (Heb. 1:1-2).

For decades liberal theologians have misrepresented the Bible as merely a collection of man’s religious thoughts and aspirations. But Scripture is much more than that. It is in fact divine revelation–God’s self disclosure through His Spirit to the human authors. Man could never know God’s identity, attributes, perspectives, or commands if God hadn’t revealed them to him. Nor could man know his own origin, purpose, or destiny.

Paul said, “‘Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.’ For to us God revealed them through the Spirit” (1 Cor. 2:9-10). In 2 Timothy 3:16 he adds, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.” God inspired every word of Scripture and speaks on every page.

Hebrews 1 speaks of two general means by which God revealed Himself: Old Testament revelation (“long ago,” v. 1) and New Testament revelation (“in His Son,” v. 2). First He spoke to the Jewish fathers through the Old Testament prophets “in many portions.” That refers to all the books of the Old Testament. “In many ways” speaks of the specific means by which He communicated: visions, prophecies, parables, types, symbols, ceremonies, theophanies, and audible voice.

From the close of the Old Testament to the arrival of John the Baptist, there were approximately 400 years during which God was silent. But that silence was shattered when John announced the coming of Christ. From that time on, God spoke through His Son. The gospels record His life and teachings, the book of Acts shows the propagation of His teachings through the apostles and early church, the epistles apply His teachings to everyday life, and Revelation tells of His triumphant return and the consummation of divine revelation.

Isn’t it wonderful to know God’s perspective on life and history?

Suggestions for Prayer:

Thank God that His Word is a lamp to your feet and a light to your path (Ps. 119:105).

For Further Study:

According to Deuteronomy 29:29, what is the purpose of divine revelation?

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Don’t Quit!

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And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint. —Galatians 6:9

“I’ve been a Christian for twenty-three years,” Cheryl said. “I’m just not getting anywhere. I’m as weak as I was when I first accepted Christ as my Savior. I still fail. I just don’t know if it’s worth it.” Tears streamed down her cheeks as she continued to talk about her failures. “By now I know all the right things to do, but I don’t do them. Sometimes I deliberately do something mean-spirited or unkind. What kind of Christian am I?”

“Probably a growing Christian,” I said.

A startled look appeared on Cheryl’s face. “Growing? Did you hear—?”

“Yes, I heard. But if you weren’t growing, you wouldn’t lament your failures. You’d be satisfied about your spiritual level or tell yourself how good you are.”

“But I’m so discouraged, and I fail God so many times.”

I went on to tell Cheryl she was correct—that she had failed. All of us do at times. None of us is perfect. If we’re not careful, we allow the devil to point to what we haven’t accomplished and where we have been weak. When that happens, it’s easy to feel bad or want to give up.

That’s not the way of the Spirit. No matter how we mess up our lives, God doesn’t give up on us. The Spirit constantly nudges us.

We can allow our thoughts to dwell on what we haven’t done, why we ought to be more spiritual, or how spiritual we ought to be after all these years in our Christian faith. That’s a trick of the devil—to make us think of our defects and shortcomings. If we focus on what we’re not or what we haven’t accomplished, we are allowing the devil to make advances on the battlefield of our minds.

The fact that my troubled friend was upset was a healthy sign, even though she didn’t see it that way. With the Holy Spirit’s help, she can push back the devil. She can regain the territory Satan has stolen from her.

Cheryl seemed to think that holy, victorious living came from one major victory after another. Yes, we do have times when we have great breakthroughs; however, most of our victories come slowly. They come little by little. It’s as if we inch forward. Because we move slowly in our spiritual growth, we are often unaware of how far we have moved. If the devil can make us think that we must have one decisive spiritual victory after another or we’re losers, he has gained an important stronghold.

My advice to Cheryl, and to all Christians who face those dark moments, is to listen to the words of the apostle Paul. He exhorted us not to grow weary, or as another translation says it, “not to lose heart.” He’s saying, “Don’t quit. Keep fighting.”

Life is a struggle, and the devil is determined to defeat and destroy us. We don’t ever reach the place where we never have to fight. But it’s not just our fight. Jesus is not only with us, but He is for us. He’s at our side to strengthen us and to urge us onward.

My friend kept remembering the times she had failed, but I reminded her of the times she had succeeded. “You think the devil is in control, but that’s not true. You have failed, but you have also succeeded. You have stood your ground and you have made progress.”

“Don’t quit. Don’t give up.” That’s the message we need to hear. I think of the words of Isaiah: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you… ; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned or scorched, nor will the flame kindle upon you” (Isaiah 43:1b–2).

This is God’s promise. He doesn’t promise to take us completely out of troubles or hardships, but He does promise to be with us as we go through them. “Fear not,” He says. That’s the message we need to ponder. We don’t need to fear because God is with us. And when God is with us, what is there to worry about?

God, despite my failures, You are with me, encouraging me not to give up. Please help me to remember that, with Your help, I can win. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

 

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – See God’s Glory

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“Jesus saith unto her, ‘Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?'” (John 11:40, KJV).

How wonderful to behold the glory of God! And in varying degrees you and I have the capability and opportunity of doing that very thing!

Jesus here, of course, is talking to Martha about her brother Lazarus, whom He was just about to raise form the dead. The message is plain: “Because you believed, Martha, you will see the glory of God in the raising of Lazarus.”

Because you and I dare to believe God today, against all evidence and appearances to the contrary, He will let us see something of His glory. Just what is meant by that?

Most scholars agree that the glory of God in this context at least, refers to the power and goodness displayed in the resurrection. That holds endless possibilities of fulfillment.

Amazing, isn’t it, that the simple matter of believing often is so difficult for the believer, as we are called? “Ye receive not, because ye ask not.” “According to your faith be it unto you.” “Ye receive not because ye ask amiss.”

May our Lord increase our faith by driving us into His Word, since “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by His Word.”

Bible Reading: John 11:35-44

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I truly desire to experience the glory of God in my life. To this end I will, through the enabling of the Holy Spirit, live a life of faith and obedience.

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; C.H. – R-E-S-P-E-C-T

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Everyone wants a little respect. While some demand it, wise people know you cannot force respect. It is earned – by honoring your word, putting others above yourself, or pitching in when someone needs help.

Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father‘s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Luke 12:32

You can’t focus on the character trait itself; instead, you must focus on the actions that instill respect. In today’s passage, Christ cautions His listeners not to worry about their needs being met. He tells them in Luke 12:31 to “seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.” God’s provision is a result of obedience and focusing on Him, just as respect is a result of a life well lived.

Are you consumed with worry for your own household or the future of America? When you give too much attention to a problem, you’ve shifted the emphasis off of God. Ask your Heavenly Father to help you put Him first in everything, and watch how it changes both your own home life and trickles out to change America. Pray, too that the president and vice-president would learn to put their focus on God and, in doing so, earn the respect of many.

Recommended Reading: Philippians 4:4-9

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – So Great a Salvation

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“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.” —Matthew 7:13

People believe in hell for other people, for those who do awful things. Maybe someone has gotten away with a horrible crime and hasn’t been caught. So we say, “Well, they will get theirs.” What we are really saying is there is a final judgment.

However, we don’t like the prospect of facing judgment ourselves. Yet if a person ends up in hell, that is his or her own choice. This is not what God wants. Hell is a prison in which the doors are locked from the inside.

Heaven is not the default destination of every person. Jesus said, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13–14).

We go to heaven because we make a choice to do so by putting our faith in Christ—and Christ alone. There is no other way to get to heaven. No one was uniquely qualified to meet God’s righteous demands apart from Christ. No prophet, no guru, no religious system is going to do it. Jesus was fully God, and He was fully man. Thus He, and He alone, was able to stand in the gap for us and pay the price for our sins.

That is why the Bible asks, “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him . . . ?” (Hebrews 2:3–4). If you blow off God’s offer, that is your choice. But you are going to face the consequences.

 

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Defiant Joy

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Max Lucado

My friend Rob cried freely telling his story about his young son’s challenging life.

Daniel was born with a double cleft palate, dramatically disfiguring his face.  He had surgery, but the evidence remains, so people constantly notice and occasionally make remarks.

Daniel, however, is unfazed! He just tells people God made him this way so, what’s the big deal?  He was named student of the week, so was asked to bring something to show his classmates for show and tell. Daniel told his mom he wanted to take the pictures that showed his face prior to the surgery. His mom was concerned. “Won’t that make you feel a bit funny?” she asked. But Daniel insisted, “Oh, no, I want everyone to see what God did for me!”

Try Daniel’s defiant joy and see what happens. God has handed you a cup of blessings. Sweeten it with a heaping spoonful of gratitude!

From You’ll Get Through This

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Preparation for Spiritual Warfare

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Charles Stanley

Ephesians 6:10-13

Believers are caught in a battle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness, but the Lord has provided everything we need to stand firm against the forces of evil. Why, then, do Christians fail so often and give in to temptation and sin? I think there are a number of reasons.

• We are unaware of the battle. Even if we know about spiritual warfare, during everyday life, it’s easy to forget an invisible war is raging around us. Our inattention makes us prime candidates for an attack.

• We are ignorant about the Enemy. Satan will hit us with one scheme after another when we don’t recognize his tactics or understand his goals.

• We are untrained for battle. Believers are soldiers whether they want to be or not. God’s Word is the training manual that gives instruction for discerning deception, resisting temptation, standing firm in faith, and walking in integrity.

• We allow Satan a foothold. The primary battleground for Christians is the mind. If we begin to listen to the Tempter and consider the benefits of his suggestions, he will gain a foothold into our thoughts, feelings, and desires. Left unchecked, the foothold will become a stronghold, and we’ll soon find ourselves mired in sin.

The time to prepare for warfare is now. You cannot be complacent and unaware of your Enemy, or you will become his victim. Begin filling your mind with God’s Word, and obediently listen to the Spirit’s inner warnings. That’s the way to experience the joy of victory in Christ.

 

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Being A Witness

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Our Daily Bread

Acts 1:1-9

You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me. —Acts 1:8

When I was a teen, I witnessed an auto accident. It was a shocking experience that was compounded by what followed. As the only witness to the incident, I spent the ensuing months telling a series of lawyers and insurance adjustors what I had seen. I was not expected to explain the physics of the wreck or the details of the medical trauma. I was asked to tell only what I had witnessed.

As followers of Christ, we are called to be witnesses of what Jesus has done in us and for us. To point people to Christ, we don’t need to be able to explain every theological issue or answer every question. What we must do is explain what we have witnessed in our own lives through the cross and the resurrection of the Savior. Even better is that we don’t have to rely on ourselves alone to do this. Jesus said, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

As we rely on the Spirit’s power, we can point a hurting world to the redeeming Christ. With His help, we can witness to the life-changing power of His presence in our lives! —Bill Crowder

I love to tell the story of unseen things above,

Of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love.

I love to tell the story, because I know ’tis true;

It satisfies my longings as nothing else can do. —Hankey

Our testimony is the witness of what God has done for us.

Bible in a year: Isaiah 34-36; Colossians 2

 

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – On Human Nature

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Although John Stuart Mill’s essay “On Liberty” was published in 1859, it continues to influence our thinking today. This is particularly true of the idea that human beings are essentially good. “Don’t tell me how to live!” essentially sums up Mill’s view of liberty. Yet in his essay, Mill not only tells us how we should live, but who we are! Human beings are essentially good, he declares, and his view of liberty hinges upon this idealistic perspective of human nature. Mill writes, “To say that one person’s desires and feelings are stronger and more various than those of another is merely to say that he has more of the raw material of human nature, and is therefore capable, perhaps of more evil, but certainly of more good.”

Many theologians and philosophers of Mill’s era were skeptical of the individual’s passions and one’s willingness to choose what is right over what is pleasurable. Furthermore, as historian Gertrude Himmelfarb observed, “[Mill] took for granted that those virtues that had already been acquired by means of religion, tradition, law, and all the other resources of civilization would continue to be valued and exercised.”

Today these structures of tradition and authority no longer hold sway in our culture, whereas the idea of the essential goodness of humanity has taken on a life of its own and is now imbedded in our modern psyche. Moreover, the assumption held in Mill’s day—that truth is knowable and should order our lives—is no longer believed by many, who instead would agree with the words of Nietzsche: “Truths are illusions of which one has forgotten that they are illusions; worn-out metaphors which have become powerless to affect the senses.”

On the contrary, the Scriptures witness specifically to the reality of sin and our need for God, and the experience of our world undeniably witnesses to the reality of darkness in our hearts. If this experience has not inspired a change in philosophy, perhaps it is because the illusion of human goodness brings us greater comfort. Yet, does it really? Do we not find it incomprehensible how one could abuse or torture a child? And do we really believe that given time and progress we will learn to love our neighbor as ourselves? Surely the horrors of the twentieth century alone have proven the idea of the essential goodness of human beings to be false.

Jesus himself said in Mark 10, “No one is good except God alone.” But just before declaring this, Jesus showed us how we may know the power to love and to do good—by coming to him in humility, as children aware of their need for a Savior. “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them,” he said, “for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth: anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.

Stuart McAllister is regional director for the Americas at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Blameless

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Alistair Begg

Blameless before the presence of his glory.

Jude 24

Let your mind revolve around that wonderful word “blameless”! We are far from it now; but since our Lord never stops short of perfection in His work of love, we will reach it one day. The Savior who will keep His people to the end will also present them finally to Himself as “the church . . . in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing.”1 All the jewels in the Savior’s crown are pure and without a single flaw. All the maids of honor who assist the Lamb’s wife are pure virgins without spot or stain.

But how will Jesus make us blameless? He will wash us from our sins in His own blood until we are as white and fair as God’s purest angel; and we will be clothed in His righteousness, that righteousness that makes the saint who wears it positively blameless-yes, perfect in the sight of God. We will be unblameable and unreprovable even in His eyes. Not only will His law have no charge against us, but it will be magnified in us. Moreover, the work of the Holy Spirit within us will be altogether complete. He will make us so perfectly holy that we will have no lingering tendency to sin. Judgment, memory, will-every power and passion will be set free from the tyranny of evil. We will be holy even as God is holy, and in His presence we will dwell forever. Saints will not be out of place in heaven; their beauty will be as great as that of the place prepared for them.

Oh, the intense delight of that hour when the everlasting doors will be lifted up, and we, being made fit for the inheritance, will dwell with the saints in light. Sin gone, Satan shut out, temptation past forever, and ourselves “blameless” before God-this will be heaven indeed!

Let us be joyful now as we rehearse the song of eternal praise that will soon sound forth in full chorus from all the blood-washed host; let us copy David’s exultings before the ark as a prelude to our ecstasies before the throne.

11 Ephesians 5:27

 

 

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – Self-examination

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“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” 2 Corinthians 13:5

Suggested Further Reading: 1 Corinthians 11:23-32

“Examine:” that is a scholastic idea. A boy has been to school a certain time, and his master puts him through his paces—questions him, to see whether he has made any progress,—whether he knows anything. Christian, catechise your heart; question it, to see whether it has been growing in grace; question it, to see if it knows anything of vital godliness or not. Examine it: pass your heart through a stern examination as to what it does know and what it does not know, by the teaching of the Holy Spirit. Again: it is a military idea. “Examine yourselves,” or renew yourselves. Go through the rank and file of your actions, and examine all your motives. Just as the captain on review-day is not content with merely surveying the men from a distance, but must look at all their equipment, so look well to yourselves; examine yourselves with the most scrupulous care. And once again, this is a legal idea. “Examine yourselves.” You have seen the witness in the box, when the lawyer has been examining him, or, as we have it, cross-examining him. Now, mark: never was there a rogue less trustworthy or more deceitful than your own heart, and as when you are cross-examining a dishonest person—you set traps for him to try and find him out in a lie, so do with your own heart. Question it backward and forward, this way and that way; for if there be a loophole for escape, if there be any pretence for self-deception, rest assured your treacherous heart will be ready enough to avail itself of it. And yet once more: this is a traveller’s idea. I find in the original Greek, it has this meaning: “Go right through yourselves.”

For meditation: Is self-examination a foreign concept to you? It should be done as least as regularly as we observe the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:28); God is able to assist us in our self-examination (Psalm 26:2; 139:23,24).

Sermon no. 218

10 October (1858)

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Searching for Truth

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John MacArthur

“Thy law is truth. . . . And all Thy commandments are truth. . . . The sum of Thy word is truth” (Ps. 119: 142, 151, 160).

It amazes me how people can spend so much time searching for truth but ignore the Bible. In his poem Miriam, John Greenleaf Whittier reflected on the same conundrum:

We search the world for truth. We cull The good, the pure, the beautiful, From graven stone and written scroll, From all old flower-fields of the soul; And, weary seekers of the best, We come back laden from the quest, To find that all the sages said Is in the Book our mothers read.

God never intended for truth to be mysterious or unattainable. His Word is a repository of truth, containing every principle we need for life and thought.

But knowing truth begins with knowing God, who is its author. First John 5:20 says, “We know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding, in order that we might know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.”

The psalmist proclaimed, “The works of His hands are truth and justice; all His precepts are sure. They are upheld forever and ever; they are performed in truth and uprightness” (Ps. 111:7-8).

As Christians, we are those who walk in truth. That’s how Jesus described us when He prayed to the Father, “Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth” (John 17:17). Similarly John said, “I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth” (3 John 4). In contrast, unbelievers “suppress the truth in unrighteousness,” thus making themselves targets for the wrath of God (Rom. 1:18).

To love God is to love truth; to love truth is to love the Word. May you walk in the truth of God’s Word today and every day.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Thank God for the privilege of knowing Him and being able to walk in His truth.

For Further Study:

How does Jesus describe the Holy Spirit in John 14:17, 15:26, and 16:13?

 

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Signs of Success

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And these attesting signs will accompany those who believe: in My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new languages; they will pick up serpents; and [even] if they drink anything deadly, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will get well. —Mark 16:17-18

Salvation is in the name of Jesus. You are baptized in that name, both in water and the Holy Spirit. You pray and expect your prayers to be heard and answered in that name. The sick are healed and demons are cast out in that wonderful name.

The early disciples used the name of Jesus, and Satan came against them fiercely. The devil does not want you to start anything of value—and if you do manage to get started, he does not want you to finish.

He knows well his time on this earth is quickly running out. Accomplish great things in the name of Jesus and finish strong!

 

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – You Will Be Different

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“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17, KJV).

A prominent businessman, elder in a prestigious church, was impatient with “narrow-minded, born-again Christians.” “I am a Christian,” he said, “but I have never been born again, and frankly I’m not interested. We emphasize more important issues in my church.”

When I read the third chapter of John with him and explained that there is only one kind of biblical Christian, the one who is “born-again,” and that no other kind of “Christian” can enter into the kingdom of God according to the words of Jesus, the light suddenly went on. With this new insight he readily received Christ as his Savior and Lord.

A caterpillar is an ugly, hairy, earthbound worm – until it weaves a cocoon about its body. Then an amazing transformation takes place. Out of that cocoon emerges a beautiful butterfly – a new creature, able to live on another plane, to soar in to the heavens. So it is with man.

John 3 records Jesus’ explanation of how one becomes a new creature. Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews who tried to adhere meticulously to every detail of the law, had come to Jesus for counsel.

“‘Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:2,3, NAS).

Puzzled, Nicodemus asked, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” (John 3:4, NAS). Then Jesus explained that physical birth alone does not qualify anyone to enter the kingdom of God. Since His is a spiritual kingdom, we must experience spiritual birth.

Bible Reading: Romans 6:4-14

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will read John’s gospel, chapter three, meditating especially on the first eight verses, and will consider again my relationship with the Lord. If I should die today, I want to be sure I would go to heaven, and through the enabling of the Holy Spirit I want to begin living the supernatural life.

 

 

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; J.K. – The Difference

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After the U.S. Constitution was ratified by the individual states, Benjamin Franklin wrote, “Our Constitution is an actual operation and everything appears to promise that it will last: but in this world nothing can be said to be certain but death and taxes.” Over 200 years later, the Constitution is alive even now – though barely breathing at times – but death is still a sure thing.

Why should I fear in times of trouble, when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me?

Psalm 49:5

Written centuries earlier, Psalm 49 does not speak of forms of government or taxes. It speaks wisdom regarding the inevitability of death for rich and poor alike. And it makes a distinction between outcomes of those who glory in the things of this Earth and those who put their trust in Almighty God.

Belief or unbelief: it makes all the difference in the world. The believer expects difficulties in life, but the Christian’s attitude should never be one of fear. In the end, “the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” (Matthew 13:43)

Know the comfort that comes from belief in Jesus and His resurrection power. Then pray for those in authority…that they may serve with integrity and discover the living hope only Christ can give them.

Recommended Reading: I Peter 1:3-9

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Not the End

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We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. —2 Corinthians 5:8–9

What happens when a Christian dies? The simple answer is that he or she goes immediately to heaven. There are no stopovers. There are no suspended states of animation. There is no soul sleep. No, a Christian goes straight into God’s presence. The apostle Paul wrote that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (see 2 Corinthians 5:8). This is clear in the Scriptures.

Those who have put their faith in Christ will go to heaven one day. There are two basic ways we will get there: through death or the Rapture. We don’t know whether we are the generation who will be caught up to heaven in the Rapture, which Revelation 20 calls the first resurrection: “Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power . . .” (verse 6).

Referring to this event, Paul wrote, “For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory’ ” (1 Corinthians 15:53–54).

This means the believer doesn’t have to fear death. This means that a Christian never dies. The soul lives on. That will never die.

Of course, when we lose a loved one, we grieve like anyone else does. But we do not grieve as those who have no hope. We know where our Christian loved ones are who have preceded us to heaven. In a technical sense, someone isn’t lost if you know where he or she is. We know we will be with our loved ones in Christ once again. Death is not the end.

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – God Notices the Grateful Heart

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Max Lucado

God notices the grateful heart. He took a praise-singing shepherd boy and made him a king.

There’s no hint of God getting out of sorts if we aren’t thankful. But there is evidence that we are affected by our own ingratitude. What of the disastrous days?  The nights I can’t sleep and the hours I can’t rest?  Am I grateful then?  Jesus was.

The Bible records, “On the night he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it.”  (I Corinthians 11:23). It’s not often you see the words betrayed and thanks in the same sentence, much less in the same heart. In the midst of the darkest night of the human soul, Jesus found a way to give thanks.

Anyone can thank God for the light. Jesus teaches us to thank God for the night. He says to us, “You’ll get through this!”  And we will.

From You’ll Get Through This

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Can You Get Away with Sin?

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Charles Stanley

Galatians 5:19-25

If you planted several apple seeds in your front yard, what would grow? Apples, of course! It is foolish to plant apple seeds but then expect to reap a crop of oranges, isn’t it?

Now, let’s take that little question a step further. If you planted seeds of sin in your life, what would grow? Sadly, the result is just as logical as the consequence of sowing apple seeds.

Why, then, is the answer so obvious when we’re talking about fruit, yet so elusive when we’re dealing with sin in our own life? Many people who freely engage in wrong activities are shocked and dismayed to discover the disastrous results that always follow. Why are they surprised? It is probably because they never actually think of themselves as planting seeds of sin; rather, they see themselves as simply “having a good time.”

This is a trademark maneuver of Satan’s. With temptation, he always offers us one thing but then delivers something completely different. The good we think we are getting turns sour before we can fully enjoy it. That is because the Devil can offer no lasting joy; he serves up only lies and destruction.

Read today’s passage and ask yourself, Am I planting seeds of the flesh or seeds of the Spirit? Do I want to reap the consequences of sin, or do I want a harvest of spiritual fruit?

There is simply no comparison between the two options. As a matter of fact, you might say it is the difference between apples and oranges.

 

 

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