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Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – What Will It Profit You?

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Read: Matthew 16:24-28

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? (v. 26)

Recently, I had to confront a student over an issue of academic misconduct. The individual was an excellent student, a record-breaking athlete, and an engaging person. And yet, during a time when she felt pulled in several directions, she made a bad decision. As we sat and had a difficult conversation, I reminded her of all of her strengths and asked, “Was it worth risking all of that for a relatively minor assignment?”

In Matthew 16, Jesus is teaching the disciples about self-denial. Following Jesus requires his disciples—then and now—to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow him. In fact, the one who abandons the path of Christ in an effort to save their soul will be the very one who loses it. In a sense, Jesus is engaging in a difficult conversation with those who are considering the pursuit of other options, asking, “Is it worth risking your soul for such minor attainments?”

Our culture is designed for immediate gratification. Fast food, TV shows that are on demand, and—in some markets—printed books that can be ordered and delivered the same day. These things are not bad in and of themselves. But the nurturing of a soul occasionally requires the denial of that which we long for. This is analogous to the spiritual discipline of fasting. Are we able to abstain from the good in order to attain the best? —Duane Loynes

Prayer: Father, give us the strength to deny ourselves and run after you.

 

https://woh.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Nothing But Christ

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For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. — 1 Corinthians 2:2

Adapted from the resource Battlefield of the Mind Devotional – by Joyce Meyer

I’ve tried to imagine what it would have been like to go to Corinth or other Greek cities at the time of Paul and try to speak to those wise, brilliant thinkers. After studying every parchment given to me, and gaining knowledge of all their arguments, I would have prayed for God to help me overcome their objections.

We don’t know what Paul did, but his answer is astounding. Instead of going after them with great reasoning and sharp logic, he went in exactly the opposite direction. He stayed in Corinth a year and a half, and many came to Christ because of him.

Later, when he wrote 1 Corinthians, he said, For I made the decision to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified (2:2).

That’s amazing. If any man had the ability to reason with those Greeks and could show them the fallacies of their logic, surely that man was Paul. But, being led by the Holy Spirit, he chose a defenseless presentation—to let God speak through him and touch the hearts of the people.

Now, centuries later, I appreciate his approach—although I didn’t always feel this way. For a long time I wanted to explain and reason out everything, but when that didn’t work, I ended up feeling miserable.

I’ve always been curious, always wanted to know, and always wanted to figure out the answer. Then, God began to work in my life. He showed me that my constant drive to figure it out caused me confusion and prevented me from receiving many of the things He wanted me to have. He said, “You must lay aside carnal reasoning if you expect to have discernment.”

I didn’t like loose ends, so I felt more secure when I figured things out. I wanted to be in control of every detail of every situation. When I didn’t understand or was unable to figure things out, I felt out of control. And that was frightening to me. Something was wrong—I was troubled and had no peace of mind. Sometimes, frustrated and exhausted, I would just give up.

It was a long battle for me because I finally admitted something to myself (God knew it all along): I was addicted to reasoning. It was more than a tendency or desire to figure out things. It was a compulsion. I had to have answers—and had to have them right now. When God was finally able to convince me of my addiction, I was able to give it up.

It wasn’t easy. Like people who withdraw from drugs or alcohol, I had withdrawal symptoms. I felt lost. Frightened. Alone. I had always depended on my ability to figure things out. Now, like Paul, I had to depend on God.

Too many people assume that relying only on God is something we do easily and naturally. It didn’t work that way with me. But God was gracious and patient with me. It was as if He’d whisper, “You’re not there yet, Joyce, but you’re making progress. It’s uncomfortable because you’re learning a new way to live.”

God wants us to be victorious—and I knew that all along. Now I walk in greater victory than ever before—and I no longer try to reason out everything before I act.

Prayer Starter: Heavenly Father, thank You for being so patient with me and people like me who feel we must have all the answers before we can act or trust. In the name of Jesus, help me to simply trust in You, knowing that You will give me what is best for my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Never Alone

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“No I will not abandon you or leave you as orphans in the storm, I will come to you” (John 14:18).

“I feel so alone,” Bev said,” with my husband gone and all my children married. Sometimes I can hardly bear the pain, the anguish. At times its as though I am about to suffocate – I am so lonely!”

Bev was in her late 70’s. Her husband was dead, and the other members of her family had become involved in their own careers and activities. Though they loved her, they were so busy they seldom saw her to express that love.

I shared with her the good news of the one who loved her so much that He died on the cross for her and paid the penalty for her sins, the one who promised to come to her and, once He came, never to leave her.

There in the loneliness of her living room, she bowed with me in prayer and invited the risen living Christ to take up residence in her life, to forgive her, to cleanse her, to make her whole, to make her a child of God. When she lifted her face, her cheeks were moist with tears of repentance and her heart was made new with joy.

“I feel so different,” she said. “Already I feel enveloped with the sense of God’s presence, His love and His peace.”

As the months passed, it became increasingly evident that she was not alone. He who was with her had been faithful to His promise never to leave her.

Do you feel deserted, alone, rejected? Do you have problems with your family, work, school, or health? Whatever may be your need, Jesus is waiting to make His presence as real to you as if He were with you in His physical body.

There are five things that I would encourage you to do to enhance the realization of His presence. (1) Meditate upon His Word day and night. (2) Confess all known sins. (3) Aggressively obey His commandments. (4) Talk to Him about everything as you would your dearest friend. (5) Tell everyone who will listen about Him so that they too can experience with you the supernatural life which comes only from allowing the supernatural power of the indwelling Christ to be reflected in and through you.

Bible Reading:Psalm 68:3-6

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: In order to enhance the Lord’s presence in my life, I will practice the five recommendations knowing that as I walk in this vital personal relationship with the risen Christ, the supernatural qualities that characterize His life will become more and more apparent in time.

 

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Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Christians at Work

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Ephesians 6:5-8

Oftentimes Christians have the mistaken idea that their life is segmented into religious and secular, but God sees no such distinctions. In all we do, we are living representatives of Christ—even in the workplace.

In today’s passage, we’re told how to behave and what kinds of attitudes we are to have toward our superiors. Although these passages were written to a society that allowed slavery, these Christian principles that applied to Roman slaves still remain true for us today.

First of all, we are called to obey our employers with sincerity and honor. Although there may be times when we must choose to obey God rather than men, there is never a time when we should be disrespectful (Acts 5:29). If we’re tempted to speak badly of the boss or complain to a coworker, we need to remember this principle.

We should do our work as unto God rather than men. This is sometimes the only way we’ll be able to handle frustrations and unfair treatment. When we remember we are doing this for the Lord and He promises to reward us, it softens our heart and changes our attitude.

We must submit to managers even if they are harsh or unreasonable (1 Peter 2:18-23). Never are we more Christlike than when we suffer unjustly and bear up under oppression by entrusting ourselves to God. That’s when His favor rests on us.

In addition, our response on the job broadcasts a message about the kingdom of God. The Lord has placed us in this position—even if it is a difficult one—and wants us to be an accurate reflection of Christ.

Bible in One Year: Mark 1-2

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — He Carried Our Burden

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Read: 1 Peter 1:18–25 | Bible in a Year: Isaiah 41–42; 1 Thessalonians 1

“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter 2:24

It’s not unusual for utility bills to be surprisingly high. But Kieran Healy of North Carolina received a water bill that would make your heart stop. The notification said that he owed 100 million dollars! Confident he hadn’t used that much water the previous month, Healy jokingly asked if he could pay the bill in installments.

Owing a 100-million-dollar debt would be an overwhelming burden, but that pales in comparison to the real—and immeasurable—burden sin causes us to carry. Attempting to carry the burden and consequences of our own sins ultimately leaves us feeling tired and riddled with guilt and shame. The truth is we are incapable of carrying this load.

And we were never meant to. As Peter reminded believers, only Jesus, the sinless Son of God, could carry the heavy burden of our sin and its weighty consequences (1 Peter 2:24). In His death on the cross, Jesus took all our wrongdoing on Himself and offered us His forgiveness. Because He carried our burden, we don’t have to suffer the punishment we deserve.

Instead of living in fear or guilt, the “empty way of life handed down to” us (1:18), we can enjoy a new life of love and freedom (vv. 22–23).

Lord, sometimes our guilt and shame can feel so heavy. Help us to release our past and its pain to You and experience Your peace, knowing You have carried it all and have set us free.

Jesus carried the burden of our sin so He could give us the blessing of life.

By Marvin Williams

INSIGHT

Our natural instinct is to lash out against injustice. But Jesus’s example (which is what Peter called it in 1 Peter 2:21) calls us to higher ground. Notice verse 23: “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.” Rather than returning what, arguably, His tormenters deserved, Jesus refused. In a sense, He chose to look up to the Father rather than down to those who caused His pain. Perhaps that was behind His prayer, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). In entrusting Himself to the Father, Jesus felt no need for retaliation.

For more on the cross, read The Mockery and Majesty of the Cross at discoveryseries.org/hp081.

Bill Crowder

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Streams in the Desert

Streams in the Desert for Kids – Everyone, Come Now!

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Joel 2:32

Jeremy was just about the meanest kid in town. He beat up smaller kids. He stole candy from the store. He picked on animals. He had even been in trouble with the law for some of the things he had done. Some people called him “incorrigible.” Incorrigible means that a person is impossible to correct. They are incurably bad, and punishment doesn’t seem to make any difference.

There have been some real bad guys in history, but even they are included when God said, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” If they had asked God to forgive their sins, he would have. Wow! Every single person who asks God to save him will be saved.

So when you are in a bad situation or facing a tough time, remember that you too can call on the Lord. He answers anyone—bad guys, good guys, in easy times, in hard times. There is never a reason to keep you from asking God for his salvation and help.

Dear Lord, You answer prayers, even from people who are so bad it seems they can’t be saved. But your Word says that anyone can come to you for help and salvation. Please remind me of that promise whenever I am in a tough spot. Amen.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Solitude

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And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone. — Matthew 14:23

Adapted from the resource Wake Up to the Word Devotional – by Joyce Meyer

Solitude is the state or quality of being alone or remote from others.

One of the things we need more of in our society is solitude. We live in a noisy, high-pressure, busy world, where more is expected of most of us than we can possibly do.

The world more than likely won’t change, but we can. One of the main things that combats and offsets stress is solitude or quiet.

I absolutely love quiet times! I have discovered that even five minutes of quiet and solitude can restore my soul to a restful place and relieve stress. It gives me time to actually breathe deeply and do nothing.

If you’re not used to quiet times, you may have to build up an ability to be quiet. If it is difficult for you, then start with a few minutes three or four times a day, and gradually increase your comfort level.

Solitude offers a great chance to rest and refresh your soul and spirit. You’ll be glad you learned to value this time.

Prayer Starter: Father, help me to take times away from the busyness of my day. Please remind me to plan moments of solitude when You can restore my mind, emotions, body and spirit. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Path of Blessing

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“You know these things – now do them! That is the path of blessing” (John 13:17).

These words of Jesus are as binding on us who follow Him today as they were on the disciples who actually heard Him speak them.

You will remember the setting. Jesus had just washed the feet of His disciples as an example of servanthood that He wanted them to observe and to learn. And that is the lesson we do well to ponder: service for others.

Except for the good we can do others, in the power and with the enabling of God’s Holy Spirit, what really is the purpose of our being left here on earth? And miracle of miracles, when we do that which is right – serve others, in Christ’s name – our own personal problems seem minor and relatively unimportant.

Loneliness and depression have their quickest cure in the realm of helping others. No matter what our problem – physical, spiritual, or material – it is quite likely we can find others whose plights are worse. By giving of ourselves in their behalf, we forget about our own troubles, which are usually resolved in the process.

Simple, is it not, that we are to do those things the Lord commands us to do? When we read and study His Word, we can find our just what they are.

Bible Reading:John 13:12-16

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will not be content with just admiring the example Jesus has set before us, but will seek to obey His commands to be a doer if the Word as well.

 

 

http://www.cru.org

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – What Are You Arguing About?

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Read: Mark 9:33-37

And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” (v. 33)

My son is an only child. This state of affairs means that his upbringing has been dramatically different in some respects than that of his friends with siblings. For example, my son is often amazed (and disconcerted) when he spends the night at a friend’s house and observes how heated sibling arguments can become. Wishing that he had a sibling, he can’t imagine what dispute could lead brothers and sisters to battle one another with such ferocity.

One day on the way to Capernaum, the disciples get into an argument over who is the greatest of the disciples. Jesus, wanting to reorient their misguided zeal, gives them an object lesson about greatness. He takes a child into his arms, declaring that the greatest is the one who serves and the one who receives those whom the Father has sent.

The Christian church should lament the ways in which the mission of God has been hampered by the historical record of infighting that has characterized generations of Christians. Hundreds of denominations, church splits, and political fault lines that have sundered the body of Christ are testimonies to the energy we have spent in tearing one another down. What a difference the church could make if we realized that other children of God—despite important distinctions—are our siblings, heirs to the same Father and sinners redeemed by the same blood of Jesus Christ. —Duane Loynes

Prayer: Let the church be one, even as you and the Father are one.

 

https://woh.org/

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Results of Rejecting God

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Romans 1:24-32

Who hasn’t listened to the news and wondered, What’s going on in the world? The evil and social decline in our present culture is something we couldn’t imagine even a few decades ago. What we are seeing today is the inevitable result of a society that has denied the existence of God. As a result, many have been given over to a depraved mind and sinful pursuits.

As our Creator, God is the only one who can truly satisfy our heart. When people reject Him, they will seek alternative ways to fill the emptiness within them. But when they turn to something or someone other than God to give meaning to their life, the result is idolatry. From there, they quickly step into immorality in an attempt to gratify their desires but eventually discover that they still feel empty.

Scripture clearly warns that idolatry and immorality incur divine wrath. God’s punishment of those who suppress the truth and reject Him is accomplished through His withdrawal. He turns them over to be guided and ruled by a depraved mind and degrading passions. Basically, He pulls away and lets their sin control them. There is no worse penalty than to have the Creator turn away.

Knowing what awaits those who reject God should cause us who know and love Him to respond with wholehearted devotion, faithful obedience, and overwhelming gratitude for our salvation. Sometimes we can’t truly appreciate what we have until we see the horror of the alternative. Our loving God and Savior is truly worthy of all our worship.

Bible in One Year: Matthew 27-28

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Safe in His Arms

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Read: Isaiah 40:9–11 | Bible in a Year: Isaiah 39–40; Colossians 4

He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart. Isaiah 40:11

The weather outside was threatening, and the alert on my cell phone warned about the possibility of flash floods. An unusual number of cars were parked in my neighborhood as parents and others gathered to pick up children at the school bus drop-off point. By the time the bus arrived, it had started to rain. That’s when I observed a woman exit her car and retrieve an umbrella from the trunk. She walked towards a little girl and made sure the child was shielded from the rain until they returned to the vehicle. What a beautiful “real time” picture of parental, protective care that reminded me of the care of our heavenly Father.

The prophet Isaiah forecast punishment for disobedience followed by brighter days for God’s people (Isaiah 40:1–8). The heavenly dispatch from the mountain (v. 9) assured the Israelites of God’s mighty presence and tender care. The good news, then and now, is that because of God’s power and ruling authority, anxious hearts need not fear (vv. 9–10). Included in the announcement was news about the Lord’s protection, the kind of protection shepherds provide (v. 11): vulnerable young sheep would find safety in the Shepherd’s arms; nursing ewes would be led gently.

In a world where circumstances aren’t always easy, such images of safety and care compel us to look confidently to the Lord. Those who trust wholeheartedly in the Lord find security and renewed strength in Him (v. 31).

Father, in a world where we are sometimes threatened, we are comforted because of Your gracious care for us—in and through the Lord Jesus Christ.

The good news is that God cares for us!

By Arthur Jackson

INSIGHT

We also see the shepherd imagery in the New Testament when Jesus is described as our Good Shepherd. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11) and “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep” (vv. 14–15). Just as a shepherd watched over, provided for, and protected his sheep against danger and death and even pursued them when lost (Psalm 23:1–3; Luke 15:4), Jesus laid down His life for our sins and then rose again so that we would have the opportunity to live forever with Him (John 3:16). By doing so, He freed all who receive Him as Savior from the clutches of our enemy, Satan, and from eternal misery. And in this life, our Shepherd leads and guides us along the way. We need not fear, for He is with us (Psalm 23:4). He loves us and knows us (John 10:14–15).

In what area of your life do you need the comfort of the Good Shepherd?

Alyson Kieda

 

http://www.odb.org

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Nouns and Adjectives on the Throne

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For years, I never used the word “sovereign” as a noun.  I knew it could be used in this way—”Like a sovereign,” writes Shakespeare “he radiates worth, his eyes lending a double majesty”—I just never did.  But trial and tragedy have a way of waking us to words and realities overlooked.  There was a time that whenever I closed my eyes to pray I was leveled by the image of the throne, and it was empty.  It was somewhere in the midst of this recurrent vision that I realized my neglect of the noun.  Was God indeed the Sovereign who spoke and listened?  I had often used the word as an adjective.  But adjectives, like good moods, seem to come and go.

The prophet Jeremiah depicts a Sovereign that cannot come and go, simply because He is. God’s sovereignty is not a coat that can be taken off when all is going well or when all is going poorly. God does not cease to be the Sovereign though the world refuses to bow or “distant” seems a better adjective. And God’s words are not stripped of their sovereignty though no one is listening or no one responds. The Sovereign of all creation is always sovereign, active, and near. It is we who are inconsistent.

Jeremiah chapter 6 begins with an image of the Sovereign speaking to a people unwilling to listen, an honorable Judge whose words are dishonored. “To whom shall I speak?” the LORD inquires. The question is a lonely one, reflecting both the prophet who speaks and the Sovereign whose words are ignored.  The inquiry also has the force of sarcasm:  Why bother speaking to a people who won’t hear? But the words are not a commentary on God’s behavior; God is not throwing his hands up and suggesting the route of silence. Rather, it is a commentary on God’s words themselves, which are weighted with the compulsion to be heard. Though our ears are closed and we scorn his warnings, the Sovereign speaks and his words go forth with power. “God is always coming,” says Carlo Carretto. “God is always coming because God is life, and life has the unbridled force of creation.  God comes because God is light and light cannot remain hidden.”(1)  God’s decrees from the throne create and sustain the world. There is a person enthroned in every word, bidding the world’s response to every call and every sound.

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Nouns and Adjectives on the Throne →

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Retire from Self-Care

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And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” — Acts 16:31

Adapted from the resource Closer to God Each Day Devotional – by Joyce Meyer

God wants to take care of you, and He can do a much better job of it if you will avoid a problem called independence, which is really self-care.

The desire to take care of yourself is based on fear. You are afraid of what might happen if you entrust yourself totally to God and He doesn’t come through for you. The root problem of independence is you trust yourself more than you trust God.

People love to have a back-up plan. You may ask God to get involved in your life, but if He doesn’t respond as quickly as you’d like, you take control back into your own hands.

But God has a plan for you—and His plan is much better than yours. So, give yourself to Him and see what happens. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Prayer Starter: Father, I can’t do it on my own. Help me to place my trust in You and turn over complete control. I want Your plan for my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – You Can Be Sure

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“And how can we be sure that we belong to Him? By looking within ourselves: are we really trying to do what He wants us to? Someone may say, ‘I am a Christian; I am on my way to heaven; I belong to Christ.’ But if he doesn’t do what Christ tells him to do, he is a liar. But those who do what Christ tells them to will learn to love God more and more. That is the way to know whether or not you are a Christian. Anyone who says He is a Christian should live as Christ did” (1 John 2:3-6).

I frequently counsel with people who assure me that they are Christians, but their life-styles betray their profession. In fact, Jesus refers to this kind of person in His parable of the wheat and tares (Matthew 13:24-30).

“I never knew you; depart from me,” He will say to people whose profession of Christian faith is insincere (Matthew 7:23, NAS). According to the Word of God, these people are confused, and we do them a great injustice if we do not hold before them the mirror of God’s Word. Our Scripture portion today is one of the most effective passages to help open their eyes.

If there has not been a difference in your life-style since you professed faith in Christ; if, even in your failure and sin – and we all fail and sin at times – you do not have a desire to obey God and live a life pleasing to Him, it is quite possible that the new birth has not taken place in your life. Test yourself if you are not sure; if you have not done so, you can experience the new birth simply by receiving Christ into your heart today. This applies more directly to carnal Christians.

Bible Reading:I John 3:18-24

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: To be absolutely certain of my relationship with Jesus Christ, I will take spiritual inventory of my life and seek to ascertain whether my life-style is consistent with that of the true believer and follower of Christ.

 

http://www.cru.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – We Need a Good Shepherd

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Listen to Today’s Devotion

Sheep aren’t smart.  They tend to wander into running creeks for water, then their wool grows heavy and they drown.  They have no sense of direction. They need a shepherd to lead them to calm water.  So do we!  We, like sheep, tend to be swept away by waters we should have avoided.  We have no defense against the evil lion who prowls about seeking whom he might devour.

Isaiah 53:6 reminds us, “We all have wandered away like sheep; each of us has gone his own way.”  We need a shepherd to care for us and to guide us.  And Jesus is that Good Shepherd.  The Shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep.  The Shepherd who protects, provides, and possesses his sheep.  The Psalmist says: The Lord is my shepherd!  (Psalm 23).  The imagery is carried over to the New Testament as Jesus is called the good shepherd of the sheep.  (John 10:14-15).

Read more A Gentle Thunder

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Hurricane Michael: Finding hope in disaster

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Last weekend, Michael was a tropical storm in the Atlantic Ocean. It was barely a hurricane Tuesday morning, with winds of ninety miles per hour. As the Associated Press reports, “a little over a day later, it had transformed into a monster.” Its wind speed increased 72 percent in less than thirty-three hours.

“Storms are known to do this, but normally we see this happening when it’s away from land,” according to a University of Florida climatologist. “What’s unusual is that it’s happening so close to land.”

The Atlantic now ranks it as “among the most ferocious land-falling hurricanes in American history.” The Washington Post agreed, describing Michael as “one of the most intense hurricanes to ever hit the United States.” It moved toward Georgia and Alabama by evening, becoming the first Category 3 storm to hit Georgia since 1898.

We have developed the most advanced meteorological technology known to humanity. Hurricane experts use satellites, buoys, and aircraft flown into the developing storm. They combine data from various predictive models.

But our best scientific instruments are no match for nature. This week’s devastation is another reminder that our world is more unpredictable and ungovernable than we wish to admit.

It is human nature to believe in the permanence of the present and to assume an even better future. But there’s only one way to face tomorrow with guaranteed hope.

Why did the religious authorities reject Jesus?

Have you ever wondered how the religious authorities could reject the teachings of the Son of God? Or how such astute theological minds could miss the truth of his revelation, while Galilean fishermen and common crowds heard him with grateful appreciation?

Continue reading Denison Forum – Hurricane Michael: Finding hope in disaster →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley –The Danger of Suppressing Truth

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Romans 1:18-23

Have you ever wondered why some very intelligent people live successfully by the world’s standards yet are unable to comprehend the most important truths about God? Although mankind was created to acknowledge the Lord and share a relationship with Him, many people deny His existence.

God has made knowledge about Himself evident to every person and has revealed His attributes and divine nature through His creation. However, many people choose to suppress this reality because it interferes with their preferred lifestyle. Instead, they chase false philosophies that are usually mixed with just enough truth to seem believable. Yet any “truth” crafted by man is foolishness, and those who have willfully rejected divine revelation won’t be able to see their error no matter how much evidence has been provided.

All the denial and atheistic arguments in the world will not change what is reality—namely, that God is the Creator, and He made mankind to love, obey, and honor Him. To resist is to choose a life of darkness and deception, which begins a downward slide ending in a hardened heart and eternal separation from a loving Father.

But God continues to invite people to believe the truth and come to Him. This is the only way to receive the gospel, which is able to save souls. In Psalm 34:8, David calls out, “O taste and see that the Lord is good.” And for those who have accepted His revelations, the Lord is indeed better than all this world has to offer.

Bible in One Year: Matthew 25-26

 

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Stories of Jesus

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Read: 1 John 1:1–4; John 21:24–25 | Bible in a Year: Isaiah 37–38; Colossians 3

Jesus did many other things as well. John 21:25

As a girl I loved to visit my small local library. One day, looking at the bookshelves holding the young adult section, I reasoned I could probably read every book. In my enthusiasm I forgot one important fact—new books were regularly added to the shelves. Although I gave it a valiant effort, there were simply too many books.

New books continue to fill more and more bookshelves. The apostle John likely would be amazed with the availability of books today since his five New Testament books, the gospel of John; 1, 2, and 3 John; and Revelation, were handwritten on parchment scrolls.

John wrote those books because he felt compelled by the Holy Spirit to give Christians an eyewitness account of Jesus’s life and ministry (1 John 1:1–4). But John’s writings contained only a small fraction of all that Jesus did and taught during His ministry. In fact, John said if everything Jesus did were written down “the whole world could not contain the books that would be written” (John 21:25 nlt).

John’s claim remains true today. Despite all the books that have been written about Jesus, the libraries of the world still cannot contain every story of His love and grace. We can also celebrate that we have our own personal stories to share and rejoice that we will be proclaiming them forever! (Psalm 89:1).

To write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry. Nor could the scroll contain the whole, though stretched from sky to sky. F.M. Lehman

Let your life tell the story of Christ’s love and grace.

By Lisa Samra

INSIGHT

Although the Scriptures don’t contain every story about Jesus (in fact John twice admits that he has only recorded a portion of Jesus’s life and ministry—see John 20:30 and 21:25), we have the significant parts. Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we have the whole story of Jesus that is necessary for our salvation.

But what about those things that aren’t written down in John’s gospel? There have been attempts to fill the holes. Should John’s admission that “Jesus performed many other miraculous signs” (20:30) make us insecure? Should we try to “fill in the blanks”? Not at all. When John first tells us that what he recorded is only a part of Jesus’s story, he gives us full confidence that what we have is enough: “These are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (20:31).

How can you thank God today that His story is even bigger than we know?

For more on who Jesus is, see Life of Christ at christianuniversity.org/NT111.

J.R. Hudberg

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Why Does It Matter?

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I recently ran across three stories—and three individuals—in Mark 5 that surprised me.  Mark first introduces us to a demon-possessed man, who upon seeing Jesus on the shore at a distance, immediately runs to him and falls upon his knees before him.  Jesus heals him, sends him home to his family, and then gets back into a boat with his disciples.

Next Mark tells us, “When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake…one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there.  Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, ‘My little daughter is dying.  Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.’”  And how does Jesus respond to this man?  Mark says simply, “So Jesus went with him.”

However, before Jesus can get to Jairus’s house, a large crowd presses upon him, including another desperate person seeking his help—this time a woman bleeding for twelve years.  Writes Mark, “She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, ‘If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.’  Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.  At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him.  He turned around in the crowd and asked, ‘Who touched my clothes?’”

Jesus’s question prompts his disciples to ask with urgency and impatience, “You see the people crowding against you…and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’”  Do you hear what they communicate?  “Jesus, we are trying to get to the home of this powerful synagogue ruler before its too late and his child dies, and you stop to ask who touched you in this throng of people?  What does it matter?  Why do you care?”  But Jesus kept looking around, Mark observes, to see who had done it.  “Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth.”

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Why Does It Matter? →

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Freedom to Be Ourselves

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Adapted from the resource The Confident Woman Devotional – by Joyce Meyer

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation. —Psalm 42:5

Ask 21st—century women, “How do you feel about yourself?” and many will confess, “I hate myself.” Or perhaps their opinion of themselves is not that severe, but they will admit they really don’t like themselves.

Our world has created a false, unrealistic image of what women are supposed to look like and act like. But the truth is that every woman was not created by God to be skinny, with a flawless complexion and long flowing hair. Not every woman was intended to juggle a career as well as all of the other duties of being a wife, mother, citizen, and daughter.

Single women should not be made to feel they are missing something because they are not married. Married women should not be made to feel they must have a career to be complete. We must have the freedom to be our individual selves.

Many women hate themselves and have no self-confidence because they have been abused, rejected, abandoned, or in some way damaged emotionally. Women need to experience a revival of knowing their infinite worth and value.

Prayer Starter: Lord, You know exactly how I feel about myself. You know how deeply I’ve been influenced by the messages of our culture and how confusing it is. Help me to discover the truth of my worth and value in Your eyes. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org