Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – How to Know 

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But Abram said, “O Sovereign LORD, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?”   Genesis 15:8

You know by first knowing God. He does not leave you in the dark to grope around in unbelief. He wants you to go to Him for discernment and understanding. If assurance of knowing what God was saying came easily, you would be tempted to take the credit for your accomplishments with the Almighty. He wants you to know what to do, but on His terms. Many times, knowing what to do follows belief and obedience. Take God at His word today and be faithful to His instruction. It may mean extending kindness to a nemesis at work or praying more for your teenage child and saying less. Indeed, “how to know” follows “how to be.” Be patient, and allow God to work in spite of your self-imposed deadlines. Trust Him as you wait on Him.

Furthermore, do not let your drive for possessions paralyze you from trusting and obeying. When you are ready, God will allow you to understand how you can have something. He trusts those who show themselves trustworthy. Be faithful with your finances; they protect you from bypassing God’s best. Personal debt can short-circuit God’s work, so rely on Christ, not credit. Reliance on credit can easily take the place of reliance on God’s provision.

So, take a financial reality check and start by paying off the credit card with the lowest balance. Money can draw you closer to your Master or drive you further away. You can know you are positioned to buy something if you have the cash for the purchase. Cash collaborates with the future, but debt presumes on the future. Paying as you go helps you to know the Lord’s leading. So, follow the Lord by faith. You will know all you need to know, as you get to know Him. Knowing Him is your passage to knowing what to do.

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Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Get Reappointed

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We are hedged in (pressed) on every side [troubled and oppressed in every way], but not cramped or crushed; we suffer embarrassments and are perplexed and unable to find a way out, but not driven to despair; we are pursued (persecuted and hard driven), but not deserted [to stand alone]; we are struck down to the ground, but never struck out and destroyed.- 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

All of us become disappointed when we have a plan that fails, a hope that does not materialize, a goal that is unreached. When things like that happen, for a certain period of time we experience a letdown, one that can lead to depression if it is not handled properly.

That’s when we have to make the decision to adapt and adjust, to take a new approach, to just keep going despite our feelings. That’s when we must remember that we have the Greater One residing within us, so that no matter what may happen to frustrate us, or how long it may take for our dreams and goals to become reality, we are not going to give up and quit just because of our emotions. That is when we must remember what God once told me in just such a moment: “When you get disappointed, you can always make the decision to get reappointed!”

Disappointment often leads to discouragement, which is even more of a “downer.” How disappointing and discouraging it is to see the things we love senselessly destroyed by others or, even worse, by our own neglect or failure. Regardless of how it may happen or who may be responsible, it is hard to go on when everything we have counted on falls down around us. That’s when those of us who have the creative power of the Holy Spirit on the inside can get a new vision, a new direction, and a new goal to help us overcome the downward pull of disappointment, discouragement, and destruction.

From the book New Day, New You by Joyce Meyer.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – His Mighty Power Within

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“Last of all I want to remind you that your strength must come from the Lord’s mighty power within you” (Ephesians 6:10).

When my saintly mother became a Christian at 16, she immediately determined to become a woman of God with the help of the Holy Spirit. She devoted her life to my father and to the rearing of seven children.

Through the years, as I have observed her attitudes and actions closely, I have never seen her do anything that reflected negatively on the Lord.

As a result, my life has been greatly affected in a positive way. There is no question in my mind that everything God has done and ever will do in and through me will be, in no small measure, a result of those unique, godly qualities of my mother, and especially of her prayers.

In today’s world, there often is considerable criticism of a woman who finds her fulfillment as a wife, mother and homemaker, as though such roles are demeaning to the woman. The popular thought is that there is something better, such as a professional career.

I would not minimize the fact that there are gifted women who should be involved in business and professional life, but in most cases this would be a secondary role compared to the privilege of being a mother, especially a godly Christian mother in whose life the fruit of the Spirit is demonstrated.

Continue reading Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – His Mighty Power Within →

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – Painful Love

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Read: Jeremiah 7:1-34

While you were doing all these things, declares the Lord, I spoke to you again and again, but you did not listen; I called you, but you did not answer. Jeremiah 7:13

The first thing God does when you begin to drift is to warn you what the consequences are going to be. He is faithful to tell you that if you sow to the flesh you will of the flesh reap corruption. There is no way to escape it. Even forgiveness for it does not remove that. If you sow to the flesh, you will of the flesh reap corruption. Sin will leave its scars even though the wound is healed. God warns that there is going to be hurt in your life, hurt in your heart, hurt for the loved ones around you. There is no way to escape it. But then he says, …I called you, but you did not answer. (Jeremiah 7:13b)

The call of God is a picture of love seeking a response, reminding you of who he is, and how much he loves you, trying in various ways to awaken a response of love and gratitude, to call you back. He is like the father in the story of the prodigal son, watching the horizon for that son to return, longing for him to come back. This is the picture of God, looking after men and women, boys and girls, being faithful to them, longing to have them back, calling them again and again. This is a picture of the patience of God. This may go on for years in the case of an individual. All this time he asks us to pray for those like this, to reach out to them by the power of prayer.

But when that does not work, he has one step left in the program: judgment. You see, judgment is not God’s way of saying, I’m through with you. It is not a mark of the abandonment of God; it is the last loving act of God to bring you back. It is the last resort of love. C. S. Lewis put it very beautifully when he said, God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world. Every one of us knows that there have been times when we would not listen to God, would not pay any attention to what his Word was saying until one day God put us flat on our backs or allowed us to be hurt badly. Then we began to listen. That is what Jeremiah had to learn. He needed to understand that this nation had reached the place where the only thing that would heal it, the only chance it had left, was the judgment of God — allowing the hurt and the pain of invasion, and the loss of its national place.

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Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – God’s Call Comes with God’s Provision

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Read: 2 Corinthians: 9:6-15

You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. (v. 11)

As Paul traveled through the Roman Empire he collected offerings from churches that had more in order to share with churches that had less. Through this experience he noticed the principle that God blesses both the giver and the receiver.

While in Mexico to build houses for the homeless, we saw this principle at work. An experienced member of our work team brought his own power tools to help with our project. He also brought a particular tool that is used in building construction to anchor the house frame to the foundation. He figured we could go twice as fast using two of these tools and planned to donate his tool to the local ministry when we were finished with the house so they could have an extra.

As we began the process of attaching the frame to the foundation, the tool provided by the local ministry broke. While my friend’s plans to work twice as fast failed, we rejoiced that God had provided us with another tool that worked well. We would have struggled to finish framing the house without it.

Through my friend’s generosity and foresight, God blessed us with the ability to finish the house on time. More importantly, we were able to bless a homeless Mexican family with a place they could now call home.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank you for faithfully providing for us. Bless us as we share your generosity with others.

Author: Rob Donoho

 

https://woh.org/

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Takes Care of His People

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“But as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” (Genesis 50:20)

In the book of Genesis there are many different stories that tell us about the nation of Israel. To begin with, God promised Abraham that he would be the father of a great nation. Abraham had a son named Isaac, and when Isaac became a man and got married, he had twin sons – Jacob and Esau. Jacob grew up and got married, and he had twelve sons of his own. Eventually, the families of these twelve sons grew into the twelve tribes of Israel.

But back to Jacob’s twelve sons: Out of these twelve, Jacob had a favorite – Joseph. To show his high regard for Joseph, Jacob gave him a beautiful coat, often referred to as the “coat of many colors.” Jacob’s other sons were jealous of Joseph because their father gave Joseph many gifts and because Joseph was the son set to become head of the family (even though normally the oldest son would have become the head of the family).

One day, Jacob sent his sons out to take care of the sheep – all of his sons except Joseph and Benjamin, that is. After his sons had been gone for several days, Jacob wanted to send food to them in Dothan, so he sent Joseph. As Joseph made his way to the place where his brothers were camped, they saw him in the distance. When he was still far away, the brothers plotted against Joseph to kill him. Reuben told the brothers they should not kill him and suggested that they throw him into a pit in the ground. Reuben’s secret plan was to come back and rescue Joseph. But before Reuben could rescue him, the brothers decide to sell Joseph and make some money. They sold him to a group of merchants traveling to Egypt. Joseph was now a slave.

When Joseph got to Egypt he became a slave for a man named Potiphar. Joseph became the head of Potiphar’s household. But when he was serving his master Potiphar, Potiphar’s wife tried to get Joseph to sin with her. Joseph ran from Potiphar’s wife, but she told her husband a lie and Joseph went to prison. He stayed in prison for two years.

One night, the Pharaoh of Egypt had a dream. No one could interpret his dream. One of Pharaoh’s servants told him about Joseph and Joseph’s God, so Pharaoh sent for Joseph out of prison and asked him about the dream. Joseph prayed to God, and God told Joseph the meaning of the dream – and then Joseph told Pharaoh what God had told him. Pharaoh then made Joseph the second ruler over all of Egypt. God took care of Joseph!

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – God Takes Care of His People →

The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – From Raw Experience

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Today’s Scripture: Philippians 4:12

“I know how to be brought low.”

Philip Hughes said, “every believer must learn that human weakness and divine grace go hand in hand together.” Paul had learned that lesson well. He said, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Paul had learned that God’s grace is indeed sufficient; his divine enabling through the power of the Holy Spirit would sustain him in the midst of the torments of his thorn, and in the depths of other “weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities” (verse 10).

When Paul wrote these words to the Corinthians, it had been fourteen years since Paul received those surpassingly great revelations. If we assume the thorn was given to him at about the same time, and that the three instances when he pleaded for its removal occurred soon afterward, we can say that Paul had had almost fourteen years to prove the sufficiency of God’s grace. Hardships, troubles, and dangers would continue unabated (2 Corinthians 11:25-28).

Paul was no ivory tower theologian. He did not write from the comfortable confines of a minister’s study or a counselor’s office (nor, for that matter, does any competent pastor or counselor today). Paul wrote from raw experience because he “had been there.” The anguish he experienced was real anguish, and the grace he received was real grace. It was not theoretical, nor make-believe, nor merely “whistling in the dark” to keep up his courage. No, Paul experienced a very concrete expression of God’s love and power as the Holy Spirit ministered comfort and encouragement to him in the midst of affliction. (Excerpt taken from Transforming Grace)

 

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – Do It Now

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Today’s Scripture: Numbers 1-4

In Joppa there was a disciple named [Dorcas], who was always doing good and helping the poor. – Acts 9:36

In Numbers 1:2-3, Moses received a rather imposing task from the Lord. “Take a census of the whole Israelite community…all the men in Israel twenty years old or more…” Imagine how Moses could have reacted: I don’t have time to do that! I’m already leading all these people across the burning desert. I try to keep them from sin. I lead them in worship. And I’m writing the Bible!

God gave him the job on the first day of the second month of the second year. Notice when he got around to doing it–on the same day! (verse 18).

This is a great lesson for us. When we’re given a job that doesn’t really excite us, the best thing to do is get on with it, because if we keep putting it off, it will insist that we give it our attention. Christian, don’t waste time trying to figure out ways to get out of something distasteful. Roll up your sleeves, thank the Lord, and get it done.

Moses expended his energy accomplishing things for God, instead of figuring out all the reasons why they couldn’t be done. You see, what we’re talking about here is more than just success through a positive mental attitude. For a Christian to respond to the command of God requires faith, not just an act of pulling himself up by his spiritual bootstraps.

Genuine faith responds to the call and command of God by saying, “Lord, by your grace and power, I’ll do it now.” Obedience must be complete, enthusiastic, and immediate.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for letting me join Your work in this world. Amen.

To Ponder

Usually, it requires the same amount of energy to get out of doing a task as it does to do it.

 

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Moody Global Ministries

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – THE TRINITY AND THE TEMPTATION OF JESUS

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Read MATTHEW 4:1–11

During Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness, both He and Satan quoted Scripture. What made the difference? Hermeneutics, a term meaning “interpretation.” Satan misrepresented Scripture’s meaning and tried to twist it to his own ends, while Jesus accurately and faithfully interpreted Scripture, remaining righteous and obedient. With the help of good biblical hermeneutics, He chose truth over falsehood and obedience over sin.

We might wonder why the Spirit led the Son into the wilderness for this important episode. Facing off against Satan was the other half of the launch of Jesus’ public ministry, the complement to the Father and Spirit’s affirmation at His baptism. This was not a one-time test, as the spiritual battle would continue throughout Jesus’ life (see Luke 4:13). Satan completely opposed Jesus’ mission of redemption, just as today he wars against God’s work of salvation in our own lives (see 1 Peter 5:8).

We should be encouraged that Jesus faced temptation, just as we do (see Heb. 4:15). It’s particularly encouraging that He was led into this situation by the Holy Spirit, which meant it was not outside the will of God. We, too, should be led by the Spirit (Rom. 8:14). Even when confronting direct temptation by Satan and His own physical hunger, Jesus did not give in. He was instead filled with the Holy Spirit—again, just as we should be—and perfectly resisted Satan’s deceit.

Tellingly, God the Father is referenced in each of the three Scriptures quoted by Jesus. The Son trusted His Father’s words (v. 4). He would never attempt to manipulate Him or force His hand (v. 7). God alone is worthy of worship (v. 10). To bend the knee to any other, for any reason, would be faithless and sinful.

APPLY THE WORD

How can we fight against temptation like Jesus did? Like Him, we should know the Scriptures! Solid hermeneutics enables us to choose truth over falsehood and obedience over sin. We should also remember our identity in Christ and what it means— we are now free to resist sin and to live worthy of the gospel to which we have been called (see Eph. 4:1–6).

 

http://www.todayintheword.org

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Throne of Grace

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Hebrews 4:13-16

Have you ever wondered what heaven is like? If you could create heaven according to your own specifications, what would you include?

At first the question seems easy—a few ideas spring to mind right away. But after several minutes of serious thought, it becomes apparent that we could never think up things that would give eternal satisfaction; what we might imagine as a source of endless joy would fall far short. The sad truth is that people spend a great deal of time pursuing something or somebody, only to come to the conclusion that their goal was not what they really wanted. The problem is this: Left to ourselves, we don’t know what it is we really want.

That is one reason we have a great High Priest presiding over the throne of grace. The Word of God tells us that “there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do” (Heb. 4:13).

In other words, Jesus Christ sees what it is we really want and need, even when we ourselves do not recognize what that might be. He knows how to find our hurt and soothe the pain.

And what’s even better, He is lovingly encouraging us to “draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16). Be assured that your High Priest knows the true desires of your heart, and He is fitting you for the heaven He has already prepared.

Bible in One Year: Isaiah 58-62

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Chin Up

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Read: 2 Kings 6:8–17 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 70–71; Romans 8:22–39

Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see. 2 Kings 6:17

Emil was a homeless man who spent a whole year looking down at the pavement as he plodded around the city day after day. He was ashamed to meet the eyes of others in case they recognized him, for his life had not always been lived out on the streets. Even more than that, he was intent on finding a coin that had been dropped or a half-smoked cigarette. His downward focus became such a habit that the bones of his spine began to become fixed in that position so that he had great difficulty in straightening up at all.

The prophet Elisha’s servant was looking in the wrong direction and was terrified at the huge army the king of Aram had sent to capture his master (2 Kings 6:15). But Elisha knew he was seeing only the danger and the size of the opposition. He needed to have his eyes opened to see the divine protection that surrounded them, which was far greater than anything Aram could bring against Elisha (v. 17).

If we fix our eyes on Jesus, He will strengthen us.

When life is difficult and we feel we are under pressure, it’s so easy to see nothing but our problems. But the author of the letter to the Hebrews suggests a better way. He reminds us that Jesus went through unimaginable suffering in our place and that if we fix our eyes on Him (12:2), He will strengthen us.

Sometimes, Lord, it seems as if I can only see the knots and tangles in the tapestry of my life. Please help me to open my eyes and see the beautiful picture You are weaving.

Christ at the center brings life into focus.

INSIGHT:

Being a prophet was a thankless and hazardous profession, but Elisha knew God would be faithful. God never left Elisha even though others could not see God’s presence. We also find in this passage that God knew Elisha’s enemies and was more than capable of delivering His people.

 

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John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Loving Money Obscures Life’s Simplicity

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“And if we have food and covering, with these we shall be content” (1 Timothy 6:8).

God wants believers’ lives to be simplified, free from the burdens of material cares.

Today’s verse declares how Christians ought to be free from material distractions. The apostle Paul asserts that life’s basic needs should be adequate to satisfy believers. He does not say it is wrong to own nice things, especially if God providentially allows you to have them. What is wrong is to have a selfish craving for money because you are discontent. The highest goal of the Christian life is to love God and glorify Him forever, not to pile up material goods. Even if you have wealth, the Lord wants you to use and manage it from a motivation that puts God first.

The problem you and I continually face is that our fast-paced, complex, technological societies place materialism first. Objects and things come before people; entertainment options replace conversations with members of our family. All this has so often caused us to lose the simple joys of life’s relationships, which are the essence of Christian fellowship.

To keep those simple but essential joys primary, I’d invite you to apply the following principles. I’ve found them helpful in keeping my own life simplified and free from materialism.

First, evaluate every purchase as to how it would make your ministry more effective.

Second, since God owes you nothing, everything you receive from Him should make you thankful.

Third, learn to distinguish wants from needs, and thereby increase the amount of money you have available for the Lord.

Continue reading John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Loving Money Obscures Life’s Simplicity →

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Sorrow Removed 

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He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken.   Isaiah 25:8

Sorrow is the fruit of sin in a fallen world; it is at liberty to inflict pain. No one is immune from sorrow. Sorrow is created by sin, death, divorce, selfishness, poverty, rejection, loss, and fear. Sorrow is all around, and it circles its prey like vultures around a carcass, ready to pick away at the meat of your soul. Sorrow does not discriminate among races, gender, social class, or stage of life. It causes a weepy heart and a weary mind. It never goes away in this lifetime.

Your sorrow may be overwhelming to the point of anguish and despair. The hurt is about to drive you crazy. You feel you can’t handle it. You have lost perspective and God seems a million miles away. Things have gone from bad to worse; you have nowhere to turn. You have hit a brick wall and life seems to be crumbling around you. Sorrow is like a ball and chain around your joy and you live in the regret of the past rather than the hope of the future. Your current circumstances and worries are crushing down on you to the point of claustrophobia. However, you do not have to stay in this state of perpetual sadness. There is a way out, and there is hope. There is a balm for your scarred soul; you can be rescued from drowning in your sorrows.

Jesus is the Savior; He will save you from your sorrows. He was a man acquainted with grief. Sorrow is not foreign to Him. He was a man of many sorrows. He was inflicted with not just one but multiple sorrows. He is a sympathetic Savior waiting to soothe your pain. He wants to gently wipe away your tears. So, ask Him to dive in and rescue you from thrashing about in the deep waters of your sorrows.

He, at the very least, will be with you. He wants to walk with you during this dark night of your soul. He does not want you to battle sorrow alone. Others may not understand, but He does. You may not know how to put your sorrow into words, but He still comprehends. Nothing is beyond the omniscience of your Sovereign Lord. His resources are limitless and always just what you need. Tap into a minuscule fraction of His grace, and you will find peace and forgiveness. He comforts and caresses your heart, and He can break the chains of sorrow that grip your soul.

So, take the medication of His grace. Administer larger doses in the beginning to stop the spread of sorrow’s infection. He wants you to experience His abundant life in Christ. He wipes away your tears in heaven and on earth. Sorrow removal is His specialty. Let God remove your points of sorrow one by one as if they were trees downed by a storm’s horrific winds. He will lift them individually from the objects they have crushed. He will replace hurt with healing. Sorrow is temporary with God; His joy is permanent. Let Him remove your sorrow, and you will be glad you did. So will the many others who love you and pray for you. He is the Savior of your sorrows.

The Scripture is majestic: “…and the ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away” (Isaiah 35:10).

 

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Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – Together, Forever, on the Streets of Gold: A Heavenly Mansion

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In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

John 14:2

The largest private home in the world is Istana Nurul Iman Palace, the official residence of the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah. The home consists of more than 2 million square feet of space, 1,788 rooms, 257 bathrooms, 5 swimming pools, a 110-car garage, air-conditioned stables for 200 polo ponies, a banquet hall, and a mosque large enough for 1,500 worshipers. It cost around $1.4 billion to build in the mid-1980s.

Recommended Reading: Psalm 23:6

Grand as it is, that mansion pales in significance to what Jesus is preparing for His followers. The home He is preparing is called the New Jerusalem in the book of Revelation 21:2—and it is large. Shaped like a cube, it measures 1,500 miles in each of its three dimensions—length, width, and height (Revelation 21:16). It is built of precious stones and minerals, and its worth, in human dollars, would be incalculable. But more important than its worth in dollars is its worth in security and joy for all who dwell there for eternity.

When comparing man’s greatest with God’s greatest, there is no comparison. Make sure you have secured your reservation in the mansion Jesus is preparing.

The nearer to heaven in hopes, the farther from earth in desires.

William Gurnall, from The Christian in Complete Armor

Read-Thru-the-Bible: Jeremiah 9 – 14

 

http://www.davidjeremiah.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – ace Life with Boldness and Courage

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Then you will prosper if you are careful to keep and fulfill the statutes and ordinances with which the Lord charged Moses concerning Israel. Be strong and of good courage. Dread not and fear not; be not dismayed.- 1 Chronicles 22:13

Recently a group of pastors asked me a question: Besides God Himself, what one thing had helped me get from where I started in ministry to the level of success I currently enjoy? I immediately said, “I refused to give up!” There were thousands of times when I felt like giving up, thought about giving up, and was tempted to give up, but I always pressed on.

Don’t let life defeat you. Face it with boldness and courage, and declare that you will enjoy every aspect of it. You can do that because you have the awesome power of God dwelling in you. God is never frustrated and unhappy. He always has peace and joy, and since He lives in us and we live in Him, surely we can attain the same thing.

When you are in pain, you don’t have to dwell on the pain and let it ruin your day. You can still accomplish what you need to do by God’s grace, and you don’t have to fear and dread that you may feel that same way tomorrow. I have ministered to others many times while I was in pain myself. Whatever we go through, God will always be with us. Choose to believe that Jesus is your Healer and that His healing power is working in your body right now!

When tempted to worry, Dave always says, “I am not impressed.” He believes we should be more impressed by God’s Word than our problems. He says if we don’t get impressed, we won’t get depressed, then oppressed, and ultimately perhaps even possessed by our difficulties.

No matter what you are facing right now, God has a great life planned for you. It includes prosperity and progress in every area of life. It includes great peace, unspeakable joy, and every good thing you can imagine. Refuse to settle for anything less than God’s best for you!

Trust in Him: Trusting God means believing He lives in you, and all that is His is yours. Be strong and courageous and never give up, and you will have everything He wants you to have in life.

From the book Trusting God Day by Day by Joyce Meyer.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Praying in His Will

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“This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have requests which we have asked from Him” (1 John 5:14,15 NAS). 

A very dedicated church member, who came to me for counsel concerning her prayer life, said, “I pray all the time, but I don’t seem to get any answers. I have become discouraged and I wonder if God really answers prayer.”

I showed her this wonderful promise and asked, “First of all, do you pray according to the will of God?” This was a new thought to her.

“What do you mean?” she inquired. I explained by reminding her what God’s Word says. How do our requests relate to the Word of God and to the desires which He places in our hearts? As we read in Psalm 37:4, if we delight ourselves in the Lord, He gives us the desires of our hearts, and in Phillipians 2:13 Paul states that it is God who works in us both to will and to do His good pleasure. For example, we can always know that we are praying according to the will of God and the Word of God when we pray for the salvation of souls, for God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. We can pray for the maturing of believers because God wants all of us to be conformed to the image of Christ. We can also pray for all the needs of our brothers and sisters materially, emotionally, and most of all, spiritually – because God’s Word promises that He will supply all of our needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

One can know that selfish prayers for “me, myself and only my interests” are not likely to be heard because we are to seek first God’s kingdom.

If we want to receive blessings from God for ourselves, we must forget ourselves and help others find their fulfillment. In the process, God will meet our needs. This does not suggest that we should not give attention to our own needs and to the needs of our loved ones, but rather we are not to seek only that which is for our personal best.

No prayer life can be effective without a thorough knowledge and understanding of God’s Word, the basis from which we can know the will of God and thus pray with assurance that our prayers will be answered.

Bible Reading: I John 3:22-24

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will saturate my mind with the Word of God and seek to know and do His will so that when I pray, my prayers will have ready answers.

 

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Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – The Way Back

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Read: Jeremiah 2:5-30

How can you say, I am not defiled; I have not run after the Baals? See how you behaved in the valley; consider what you have done. You are a swift she-camel running here and there, a wild donkey accustomed to the desert, sniffing the wind in her craving — in her heat who can restrain her? Any males that pursue her need not tire themselves; at mating time they will find her. Jeremiah 2:23-24

Do you see the picture? If you have ever worked among horses you know what he is talking about. Here is a mare in heat, lusting. A little later on, in Chapter 5, he speaks of lusty stallions who keep neighing after their neighbors’ wives. God uses these vivid figures to awaken people to where they are. There is a wonderful frankness about the Scriptures which sometimes rebukes the Victorian prudishness we have fallen heir to and often exhibit in talking about some of these things. God intended us to learn from the animal kingdom. He gave animals a different kind of sexuality than he gave us, so that we might learn from them, might have a vivid picture of how we look when we start lusting after everything that comes along, and being available for any kick, any thrill, any drive, other than God himself. So God holds up this vivid picture. It must have meant a great deal to the people of Judah. They understood what an animal looks like in heat, how eager it is to be satisfied.

I remember a scene from my high school days in Montana, when I was working on a ranch up there. One day a group of people came out from town to go horseback riding. Among them were some school teachers, and one was my English teacher, who was somewhat of a prude. I remember that she was given a stallion to ride. When we were saddling up, the stallion got tremendously excited about a mare nearby. To this day I can vividly recall the bright crimson of her face as she sat on that horse and tried to restrain it, while everybody else tried to pretend nothing was happening!

Continue reading Ray Stedman – The Way Back →

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – God’s Call Is Not about Me

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Read: Philippians 2:1-16

In this passage, Paul exhorts the church in Philippi to put their desires beneath the needs of others and to be humble, even as Jesus humbled himself to the point of dying on a Roman cross.

In this passage, Paul exhorts the church in Philippi to put their desires beneath the needs of others and to be humble, even as Jesus humbled himself to the point of dying on a Roman cross.

When working as a team building a house, you quickly discover that there are some tasks no one wants to perform. Immediately upon arriving at the build site our team leader, Nathan, asked me to grab a paint brush and start painting side panels. He also asked my wife to paint and gave her a roller. I had a measly two-inch paint brush. Her job was to roll over the paneling and then I filled in the grooves. My patience with the task didn’t last long. My wife knows my aversion to painting and noted my frustration in having to use the tiny brush. She offered me the roller, which I quickly accepted.

My satisfaction was short-lived. I soon noticed that the family we were building the house for enthusiastically took on the most menial of tasks. Yolanda, the family mother, and her nephew Alex began helping to paint the grooves. Javier, the father, struggling with an injured arm, carried panels with one arm to the painting area. Their humble service broke me. I realized that this project wasn’t about me doing what I wanted to do. It was about giving a family a home.

Prayer:

Lord God, forgive me for putting my needs and desires above the needs of others. Help me be humble and follow you, whatever task you give me.

Author: Rob Donoho

 

https://woh.org/

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Snakebit

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Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. —Isaiah 45:22

In John 3, Jesus lays out the “ABCs” of the gospel to Nicodemus:

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life (verses 14–15). Jesus is sending Nicodemus back to familiar territory: the Torah, Numbers 21.

The Israelites were complaining that God had abandoned them. They accused Moses and God of failing them, and bringing them to die in the wilderness. They were sick of what God had given them. So the Lord sent venomous snakes to bite them.

I once aspired to be a herpetologist (someone who studies reptiles), so I wondered, “What kind of snake was this?” I have been bitten by many snakes—king snakes, gopher snakes, red racers, pythons, boas—but never a poisonous snake.

These snakes in Numbers 21 could have been cobras. They are native to that region, and the bite of a cobra is deadly for sure. But there is another possibility. It also could have been a saw-scale viper, which is indigenous to that region. Saw-scale vipers are on the “Top 10” list of the most deadly snakes. They are only two feet long but have a huge striking range and are very aggressive. They put so much effort into a strike, they actually leave the ground. Once bitten, you only have hours to live.

The Israelites knew they were in trouble and called out to Moses. Moses was instructed by God to erect a pole with a bronze serpent on it. Whoever then looked at that serpent on a pole was healed of their venomous bite. God did everything He could do. It was up to the Israelites to look at that pole. They could have known of the pole’s existence yet never have looked.

In the same way, Satan has bitten us and the bite is potentially fatal if not treated. There is very little time. God provided the antidote through the atonement of Jesus on the cross. On the day Jesus hung on the cross, we read that some looked and believed. Others looked and turned away.

You can “look and live” or you can “look and leave.” In Isaiah 45:21–22, God says, “There is no God apart from me . . . Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other” (NIV).

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – Jesus Knew How To Handle Temptation

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“Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil.” (Luke 4:1, 2a)

Are you ever tempted to do something that you know is wrong? Maybe when you get home from school you see the super-chewy, ooey-gooey, fudge brownies that your mom has just finished baking. You ask if you might have a brownie, but to your utter dismay, your mom responds with, “Only if your homework is done; do you have any?” Now you know that you have just a little bit of math homework. But your “need” for that brownie is so great that you think to yourself, “I’ll say ‘no’ right now and just do the math homework later on tonight before I go to bed.” When you think that way, you have been tempted to do something that you know is wrong.

How should we handle temptation? When we’re right in the middle of being tempted to do wrong, that is no time to try to figure out a way to handle it. We need to decide before the temptation how we are going to handle it. One reason Jesus went through the temptations in the wilderness (listed in Luke 4) is to show us how to handle temptation. Let’s take a look at this passage and see what it says about Jesus and temptations.

After Jesus was baptized, He went into the wilderness and fasted for forty days (fasting means that He prayed to the Father instead of eating). At the end of those forty days, Satan came to tempt Him. Our passage lists three temptations that Jesus went through during this time. Each time, Jesus responded by quoting something God had said in the Bible. This is very important. God has given us His Word so we can live in a way that pleases Him. If we are going to handle temptation correctly, we must know what God’s Word says.

Remember the cookie-and-homework-temptation-to-lie situation? A couple of verses that would be good to memorize for a temptation like that would be these:

“Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another.” (Leviticus 19:11)

“Honor your father and mother.” (Ephesians 6:2a)

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – Jesus Knew How To Handle Temptation →

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