Tag Archives: bible jesus

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Forgiving is Not Excusing

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Max Lucado

Forgiveness is not excusing! Nor is it pretending. To forgive is to move on, not to think about the offense anymore. You don’t excuse him, endorse her, or embrace them. You just route thoughts about them through heaven. Revenge is God’s job.

By the way, how can we grace-recipients do anything less? Dare we ask God for grace when we refuse to give it? It’s a huge issue in the Bible. Jesus was tough on sinners who refused to forgive other sinners. In the final sum, we give grace because we’ve been given grace.

In the story Jesus tells in Matthew 18:32, the master calls the servant in.  “You wicked servant, he said, “I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.  Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you? It’s a good question.  We’ve been given grace….shouldn’t we freely give it?

from Facing Your Giants

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Presidential Prayer Team; G.C. – Two-Way Street

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Have you ever tried to convey important information to a distracted listener, someone who is not completely engaged? It’s a challenge: kind of like trying to get to your destination using only one-way roads. Poor listening is a major roadblock to achieving good relationships. Whether it’s with your spouse, kids, boss, realtor or hair dresser, one-way communication leads directly to misunderstanding.

This salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen. Acts 28:28

Can you imagine God having the same frustration at times, seeking to speak but finding only preoccupied people with plugged in and plugged up ears? In the Bible, Jesus identifies His disciples as the ones that actually hear His voice. Because they listen to Him, He interacts with them and gives them purpose and the power to accomplish meaningful things.

Tell those in your piece of the world about Jesus this week – but before you get up and go, sit down and listen. Start by spending a generous amount of time reading the Bible. It is God’s personal instruction book and road map for you. Invite the Holy Spirit to guide the thoughts in your heart and mind. As you sense His presence, be still, be quiet and really listen. His voice in your ear is a two-way street to the right destination.

Recommended Reading: John 10:24-30

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Charles Stanley – God’s Spirit: An Essential

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Luke 24:36-49

Just how necessary is the Holy Spirit for those wishing to live a God-pleasing life? For an answer, let’s look at a clear example from the Bible. Jesus had told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem until their baptism by His Spirit (Acts 2:1-4). This chosen group of men had lived with the Lord and listened to His teachings for more than three years; nevertheless, He knew they couldn’t begin their work without the divine partner God had planned for them. The same holds true for us today.

Just who is the Holy Spirit? He is called the third person of the Trinity, the other two members being God the Father and God the Son. Like them, He is fully God. Some Christians mistakenly think of the Spirit as a force or a power, but the Bible reveals He is a person—someone whom we can get to know.

He is also the promise of the Father. God pledged to send His Spirit as a helper to every single person in His family. Called the Spirit of truth (John 14:16-17), He is charged with transforming us into the image of Jesus.

Furthermore, the Holy Spirit is a gift to every Christian. At the moment of salvation, He is sent to live within each believer, sealing him or her as a child of God (Eph. 1:13). We do not have to pray to receive Him, nor can we perform any work to get Him.

Settle in your mind once and for all that within you is a divine Person. His presence is a gift promised and given to you by God on your spiritual “birth-day.” By getting to know the Holy Spirit better and listening carefully to what He says throughout the Scriptures, you will be able to please the Father (Col. 1:10).

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Presidential Prayer Team; G.C. – Life, Death and GPS

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It’s amusing to hear of the lady who drove her car into the lake because her GPS said “take a left,” or of the chauffeur who saved his passengers after he realized he’d turned onto the tracks of an oncoming train because the GPS told him to “turn right at the next intersection.” These stories are entertaining – especially since you believe it could never happen to you.

It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority – Acts 1:7

Yet you meet people every day that are completely lost in life, not knowing where they are, or even where they are going. They don’t realize God is all-knowing, all-powerful and has all authority in directing every event in their lives. In the Bible, Jesus says He has prepared a place for those who want to be with Him and, by following His path, will arrive at a wonderful destination. But that’s only if His GPS, spoken from His Word or heard in prayer, is being heeded.

Pray America’s leaders will take an honest, thoughtful look at the directions they’re following for their lives and decisions. Ask God to reveal Himself to them, and that they’d heed His perfect plan for themselves and for this great nation.

Recommended Reading: John 14:1-14

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The Rewards of Service – Charles Stanley

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Hebrews 6:7-12

Someday you and I are going to stand in the presence of the holy Lord, and our life will be reviewed. At that time, our works will be judged, and we will be rewarded accordingly.

That is going to be a very solemn moment because some will suffer heavy loss, while others will receive great reward. I’m not taking about salvation here, because salvation is never a reward for services rendered—it’s simply a gift offered to everyone who receives Jesus as Savior. But rewards are different. They are tied to service.

In the Bible, Jesus had a lot to say about the rewards that we will receive for serving. He also used some very strong words to describe the man who hid his talent instead of working to invest it. In the parable, his master called him a “wicked, lazy slave” and proceeded to take away what had been given earlier (Matt. 25:26).

The Lord also gave us another warning: He cautioned us not to perform Christian service in such a way that others will be certain to notice. When that happens, He says we lose our reward in heaven(6:1-6). Whatever may have been set aside for our benefit will be lost, and our total gain is nothing more than the recognition of others.

The best way to serve is out of love. The better you know God, the more you’ll love Him and desire to serve Him. And the more you want to serve, the more He will honor your service. This leads to even greater love for Him, and the cycle will continue throughout eternity