Tag Archives: Bible

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Making a baby from Brad Pitt’s skin cells?

Leave a comment

Someone could retrieve Brad Pitt’s skin cells from a hotel bed and use them to make a baby. Two men could make a baby that is biologically related to both. A man could clone himself.

These are some of the possibilities with in vitro gametogenesis (IVG). Today’s New York Times tells the story: scientists take adult skin cells and reprogram them to become embryonic stem cells. Then they guide the cells to become eggs or sperm.

Researchers in Japan have already used the technique to produce healthy baby mice. Within a decade or two, the technique may be refined for use with humans.

In other news, technology experts say North Korean hackers could be behind the massive malware assaults that continue to impact the world. A teenager was killed Friday night when a woman repeatedly rammed her into a tree with her Jeep Liberty; a friend of the victim said the altercation escalated from a Facebook argument.

In the April issue of National Geographic, D. T. Max describes ways “humans are shaping our own evolution.” His article begins with Neil Harbisson, a color-blind “cyborg” with a color-sensing antenna implanted in his skull. The antenna’s fiber-optic sensor picks up colors that a microchip implanted in his skull converts into vibrations he senses as colors.

According to Max, around 20,000 people have implants in their bodies that can unlock doors. Last year, the CEO of a company called BioViva claimed that she successfully reversed some of the effects of aging in her body by using injections from a gene therapy her company created. A subject at the University of Pennsylvania was able to transmit electrical impulses from his brain through a computer to control a robotic arm and sense what its fingers were touching.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Making a baby from Brad Pitt’s skin cells? →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley –The Church: God’s Design

Leave a comment

 

Hebrews 10:23-25

When you hear the word church, do you picture a little white building full of smiling people in fancy clothes? As lovely as that image may be, God’s design for church is unrelated to it. He created the church to be a unified fellowship of believers who encourage each other and carry out His ministry to the world.

The Bible clearly defines the following as ministries of the church: worshipping the living God, instructing and edifying believers, making disciples of all nations, and serving the needy. Unless the leadership is careful, however, these purposes can all too easily get out of balance, with the unfortunate result that the body ends up malnourished. For example, a church with too heavy an emphasis on praise could become introverted. Congregations that overemphasize teaching might lose their joy, and those that evangelize to the neglect of the other areas could miss out on great faith.

Because of sin and human imperfection, we do not experience church as it was originally intended. Instead, there’s a tendency to overemphasize certain ministry areas. What’s more, divisive arguments—many of which concern minor issues, such as music preferences or clothing choices—too often destroy church unity. Greed, pride, selfishness, and gossip can also tear a congregation apart.

Since they’re composed of imperfect people, churches will be imperfect too, and expecting anything else will lead to disappointment. Nonetheless, we should strive for God’s original design, continually measuring ourselves against Scripture and correcting course to realign with His purpose.

Bible in One Year: 2 Chronicles 18-20

 

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Being a True Friend

Leave a comment

Read: Genesis 14:17–24

Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 24–25; John 5:1–24

Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine.—Genesis 14:18

Poet Samuel Foss wrote, “Let me live by the side of the road and be a friend to man” (“The House by the Side of the Road”). That’s what I want to be—a friend of people. I want to stand by the way, waiting for weary travelers. To look for those who have been battered and wronged by others, who carry the burden of a wounded and disillusioned heart. To nourish and refresh them with an encouraging word and send them on their way. I may not be able to “fix” them or their problems, but I can leave them with a blessing.

Melchizedek, both the king of Salem and a priest, blessed Abram when he was returning weary from battle (Gen. 14). A “blessing” is more than a polite response to a sneeze. We bless others when we bring them to the One who is the source of blessing. Melchizedek blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth” (v. 19).

We can bless others by praying with them; we can take them with us to the throne of grace to find help in time of need (Heb. 4:16). We may not be able to change their circumstances, but we can show them God. That’s what a true friend does. —David Roper

Jesus, teach us to be a friend of people as You are with us. Give us eyes to see others and their needs and to take the time to listen. Help us to take them to You, the source of life.

A big part of loving is listening.

INSIGHT: A benediction is a prayer that asks for God’s blessing. In this passage, Melchizedek, priest-king of Jerusalem, blessed Abraham with a benediction, attributing Abraham’s victory to the power of God (vv. 19-20). In many churches the pastor often closes the worship service by reciting the words of Numbers 6:24-26 as a prayer of blessing, assuring the congregation of God’s presence, pardon, protection, and peace. The biblical writers underscored this privilege of blessing others when throughout their letters they sprinkled prayers of blessing upon their readers (see Rom. 15:13; 2 Cor. 13:14; 1 Thess. 3:11-13; 2 Thess. 2:16-17; Heb. 13:20-21; Jude 1:24-25).This week, why not use one of the biblical benedictions as a prayer of blessing for a loved one.  Sim Kay Tee

 

http://www.odb.org

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – When We Wander

Leave a comment

Dr. John Ratey is a fan of walking with no purpose. A professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, Ratey has done extensive research on exercise, creativity and depression. His research suggests that when we walk without any goal or agenda—when we wander in other words—our brains are able to pick up more information.(1) In fact, walking aimlessly allows the free flow of thoughts and ideas that don’t occur when we focus on something specific. In addition to inspiring creative thought, Ratey has found that exercise can be therapeutic for depression and ADHD. When patients would walk for even ten minutes a day, these ailments would lift. Dr. Ratey notes, “A bout of exercise is like taking a little bit of Prozac and a little bit of Ritalin.”(2) Who knew that wandering aimlessly could be so good for well-being and creativity?

In a fast-paced and efficiency driven world, these ideas are counter-intuitive. For many, walking without any purpose sounds like a complete waste of time. After all, there is so much to do! Days overflow with so many demands on time and attention. Flooded by obligations, it is no wonder that hypertension, depression, and other stress-related diseases are so prevalent. Living life becomes all about doing, without much thought for being. Exercise, when it is undertaken, is for most just one part of a day’s hoped-for accomplishments. “Bucket lists” are created so that even the living of one’s life is marked by checking off one event or experience after another. As we move at hyper-speed, wandering for the sake of wandering sounds ridiculous.

While it would be unlikely to characterize the earthly ministry of Jesus as time spent wandering aimlessly, our efficiency-driven, goal-oriented world might wonder at his unusual pace and priorities during those short, three years. Some might wonder, for example, at the seemingly wasted hours eating and drinking with a sundry and often sordid cast of characters. Luke’s gospel alone mentions meals around the table (or implies them) ten times, with guests and hosts as diverse as religious leaders and tax collectors, lawyers and well-known sinners. When a highly regarded official begged Jesus to come and heal his daughter, Jesus is willing to be delayed by an unnamed, unknown woman grabbing the hem of his garment in spite of the throngs of people pressing around. In other words, Jesus willingly allows himself to be interrupted by a seemingly unimportant individual, on his way to the synagogue official’s home. Other times, the gospel writers tell of Jesus going off to “lonely places” to pray. Even the way Jesus taught spiritual truths—the telling of parables and stories—suggests a whimsy, a wandering from a style of teaching that was purely didactic. And of course, while one could argue that the tremendous amount of time he spent walking the countryside was simply utilitarian, his willingness toward these disruptions, stories, and ministry along the way demonstrate otherwise.

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – When We Wander →

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Love Not the World

Leave a comment

 

Do not love or cherish the world or the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. —1 John 2:15

Many today are far too attached to the things of this world. Our society is filled to the brim with commerce—there are stores on almost every corner. And everyone is busy making money so they can buy more things. God wants His children to be blessed with nice things, but the Bible tells us not to love them excessively. It is important to keep things in their proper place.

If you use what you have to bless others, God will see to it that you have everything you need and more. So your goal should be to enjoy the things God gives you and to share with others. This shows your love for the Father.

From the book Ending Your Day Right by Joyce Meyer.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Faithful of the Land

Leave a comment

“Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that he may dwell with Me: he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve Me” (Psalm 101:6), KJV).

My mind immediately turns to the faithful minister of the gospel, the Sunday school teacher, the Christian worker as I read this verse of Scripture with its glorious promise.

Christian leaders are, indeed, included in this conditional promise. But many others may have a part as well. When that construction worker, a believer, who hears blasphemy on the job dares to speak up for his Lord, his act shall not go unnoticed and unrewarded.

That man who is scrupulously honest in his business, in the face of countless opportunities to be otherwise and in the face of competition and opposition that would seek to wipe him out, likewise shall have his reward.

That homemaker who cuts no corners, but completes the drudgery of housework, with love and joy and peace, shall rejoice too in that day when the faithful are rewarded.That young person who dares swim upstream against the tide of humanism, the drug culture, the careless, the indifferent, also shall be rewarded.

It is remarkable, too, that God rewards His children for good works which He makes possible by giving the grace and ability to perform them! He gives us grace, then smiles on us because we exercise the very grace that is a gift from Him.

Bible Reading: Psalm 101:1-5

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will do what is right, regardless, and be faithful in every task I am called upon to do.

 

http://www.cru.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Regarding Others As More Important

Leave a comment

When Paul writes, “consider others better than yourselves” he uses a verb that means “to calculate,” “to reckon” (Philippians 2:3 NIV). To consider others better than yourself, is not to say you have no place; it is to say that you know your place.

Scripture says: “Don’t cherish exaggerated ideas of yourself or your importance, but try to have a sane estimate of your capabilities by the light of the faith that God has given to you” (Romans 12:3 Phillips).

Make people a priority. Accept your part in his plan. Be quick to share applause. And most of all, regard others as more important than yourself. Think of it this way: If I think you are more important than I am, and you think I am more important than you are—then in the end we all feel important, but no one acts important! Hmmm. Do you think that’s what God had in mind?

From A Love Worth Giving

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

Home

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Is it time to replace Mother’s Day?

Leave a comment

Columnist Emma Teitel is proposing that “we scrap both Mother’s Day and Father’s Day for good,” replacing them with “Guardian’s Day.” Her reason: both holidays assume that a parent is a female or a male.

Why is this a problem? Teitel: “The gendered holidays are . . . generally a drag for non-binary parents who don’t identify with a single gender.” The “Guardian’s Day” she proposes would be a “rotating statutory holiday—meaning you can celebrate it any day you please, and you can interpret it any way you like.” For instance, “A guardian can be a mom, a dad, a non-binary parent, a grandparent, an aunt, an uncle, a pet owner, or why the heck not—someone who takes really good care of his houseplants.”

I doubt that “Guardian’s Day” will catch on. But the cultural movement it symptomizes is a “tolerance” train that has already left the station.

Twenty-five years ago, Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy defined “liberty” as “the right to define one’s own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, and of the mystery of human life.” Two years ago, he enshrined this “right” in the ruling that legalized same-sex marriage: “The Constitution promises liberty to all within its reach, a liberty that includes certain specific rights that allow persons, within a lawful realm, to define and express their identity.”

Justice Kennedy’s decisions reflect and express the cultural narrative of our day. However, this supposed right to self-invention goes back to the beginning of human history. In the Garden of Eden, the serpent promised Eve that if she chose her will over God’s word, she would “be like God” (Genesis 3:5). Every temptation since is a variation on this lie.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Is it time to replace Mother’s Day? →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley –The Church: What Is It All About?

Leave a comment

 

Colossians 1:18, Colossians 1:24

Church buildings are plentiful in our country. Locating one may be easy, but wisely deciding which to join involves more thought. God’s Word gives us some specific instructions in this matter.

First, let’s explore the original biblical meaning of the word “church.” The term ecclesia meant a group of people who are called out of the world’s system by God’s grace for the purpose of assembling to worship and serve Christ. Ephesians 5:22-30 further specifies that believers are the body and Jesus is the head of such a fellowship. Under His leadership, we can enjoy the unity and purpose that He intended.

God’s design for this sacred gathering involves worship, instruction, encouragement, evangelism, and ministry to those in need, both within the fellowship and outside its walls. A healthy, vibrant congregation is possible when members rely on the Holy Spirit’s guidance. The work of the church is to be done in His power, in humble and prayerful submission to the Lord.

To help you determine whether a church is following the design laid out in Scripture, here are some important questions to ask: Do they believe God’s Word is infallible and inerrant? Is the church discipling her people? Does the fellowship have some kind of missionary or evangelistic program?

Joining a congregation is an important decision, as a fellowship of believers is one tool God uses to mature and encourage His children. Those three questions can be helpful in discerning God’s will. Listen for His Spirit to warn or direct as you prayerfully investigate your options.

Bible in One Year: 2 Chronicles 15-17

 

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Forever Flowers

Leave a comment

Read: Isaiah 40:1–8

Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 22–23; John 4:31–54

The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.—Isaiah 40:8

As a toddler, my son Xavier enjoyed giving me flowers. I appreciated every freshly picked weed or store-bought blossom he purchased with his dad. I treasured each gift until it wilted and had to be thrown away.

One day, Xavier gave me a beautiful bouquet of artificial flowers. He grinned as he arranged the silk white calla lily, yellow sunflower, and purple hydrangea in a glass vase. “Look, Mommy,” he said. “They’ll last forever. That’s how much I love you.”

Since then, my boy has grown into a young man. Those silk petals have frayed. The colors have faded. Still, the Forever Flowers remind me of his adoration. And there is something else it brings to mind—one thing that truly stands forever—the limitless and lasting love of God, as revealed in His infallible and enduring Word (Isa. 40:8).

As the Israelites faced continual trials, Isaiah comforted them with confidence in God’s enduring words (40:1). He proclaimed that God paid the debt caused by the Israelites’ sin (v. 2), securing their hope in the coming Messiah (vv. 3-5). They trusted the prophet because his focus remained on God rather than their circumstances.

In a world filled with uncertainties and affliction, the opinions of man and even our own feelings are ever-shifting and as limited as our mortality (vv. 6-7). Still, we can trust God’s unchanging love and character as revealed through His constant and eternally true Word. —Xochitl Dixon

God affirms His love through His dependable and unchanging Word, which endures now and forevermore.

INSIGHT: The Bible has changed lives in each generation that has read it. The apostle Paul told us, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16). This means that the inspired words did not come merely from human authors but from the Holy Spirit of God who guided what they wrote. As Peter told us, “Prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). The word that translates as our English phrase “carried along” actually refers to the wind blowing along a sailing ship. Scripture could not have been written without the gracious guidance of a Divine Author, the Holy Spirit.

How does knowing that all Scripture is inspired by God—who does not change—comfort you?  Dennis Fisher

 

http://www.odb.org

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – House and Ladders

Leave a comment

I am not sure what it is as children that makes us readily picture God as seated high above us. But from childhood, we seem to nurture pictures of heaven and all its wonderment as that which spatially exists “above,” while we and all of our joys and worries exist on earth “below.” While this may simply illustrate our need for metaphors as we learn to relate to the world around us, there is also biblical imagery that seems to authenticate the portrayal. Depicting the God who exists beyond all we know, the Scripture writers describe the divine throne as “high and lofty,” the name of the LORD as existing above all names. Yet even metaphors can be misleading when they cease to point beyond themselves. Though the Bible uses the language and imagery of loftiness, it also pronounces that God’s existence is far more than something “above” us. The startling image of the Incarnation, for instance, radically erases the likeness of a distant God. The message that comes again and again from the mouth of God on earth is equally startling: The kingdom of God is among us!

Of the many objections to Christianity, there is one in particular that stands out in my mind as troubling. That is, the argument that to be Christian is to withdraw from the world, to follow fairy tales with wishful hearts and myths that insist you stop thinking and believe that all will be right in the end because God says so. It was in such a vein that Karl Marx depicted Christianity as a kind of drug that anesthetizes its consumers to the suffering in the world and the wretchedness of life. Sigmund Freud argued similarly that belief in God functions as an infantile dream that helps us evade the pain and helplessness we both feel and see around us. I don’t find these critiques and others like them troubling because I find them an accurate picture of the kingdom Jesus described. Rather, I find them troubling because so many Christians, myself included, find it easy to live as if Freud and Marx are quite right in their analyses.

In impervious boxes and minimalist depictions of the Christian story, we can live comfortably as if in our own worlds, intent to tell our feel-good stories while withdrawing from the harder scenes of life, content to view the kingdom of God as a world far away from the present, and the rooms of heaven as mere futuristic promises. The kingdom is seen as the place we are journeying toward, the better country the writer of Hebrews describes. In contrast, our place on earth is viewed as temporary, and therefore somehow less vital; like Abraham, we are merely passing through. And as a result, we build chasms that stand between kingdom and earth, today and tomorrow, the physical and the spiritual, the believing world and its world of neighbors. Whether articulated or subconscious, the earth itself even becomes something fleeting and irrelevant—one more commodity here for our use, like shampoo bottles in hotel bathrooms—while Christ is away preparing our permanent, more luxurious rooms.

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – House and Ladders →

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – At All Times

Leave a comment

I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.—Matthew 18:21-22

Faith and trust in God is meant to be exercised more than once in a while or from time to time; we can live in faith at all times. With God’s help we can learn to live from faith to faith, trusting the Lord when things are good, and when things are difficult. It is easy to trust God when things are good, but when things are challenging and we decide to trust God, then we really develop character.

Psalm 34:1 encourages us to bless the Lord at all times. There are several other scriptures that tell us things to do at all times—resist the devil at all times, believe God at all times, love others at all times—not just when it’s convenient or it feels good.

Temptation is a frequent visitor in our lives and as long as we are here on earth, we will have to discipline our emotions, our moods, and our mouths, so that we remain stable and calm, and peaceful—whatever our situation or circumstances. That enables us to be in close fellowship with God and walk in the joy of His Spirit.

Since you can choose your own thoughts, when doubt comes, you can learn to recognize it for what it is, say, “No, thank you,” and keep on believing!

From the book Closer to God Each Day by Joyce Meyer.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – The Godly Shall Flourish

Leave a comment

“But the godly shall flourish like palm trees, and grow tall as the cedars of Lebanon. For they are transplanted into the Lord’s own garden, and are under His personal care. Even in old age they will still produce fruit and be vital and green” (Psalm 92:12-14).

John Vredenburgh preached in a Somerville, New York church for many years, often feeling that his ministry was a great failure even though he preached the gospel faithfully. His death came amidst discouragements, and even some of his members wondered about his success and effectiveness as a minister.

Not long after his death, however, spiritual revival came to Somerville. On one Sunday alone, 200 people came to Christ – most of whom dated their spiritual stirrings from the ministry of John Vredenburgh.

Faithfulness and persistence are great virtues in the service of Jesus Christ. “Pay Day, Some Day” was a significant theme and message of that great Southern Baptist pastor, R. G. Lee – and since God’s timing is always perfect, it surely will come in good time.

“Even in old age they will still produce fruit.” Though the outward man may be pershing, the inward man is renewed day by day. When the outward ear grows deaf, the inward man hears the voice of God. When the eye grows dim, the mind is enlightened with God’s Word.

When the flesh becomes weak, we are “strengthened with might in the inner man.” Older Christians look toward heaven, where they again shall see family and friends; meanwhile, the share their maturity and good judgment with others, knowing that God still rewards the faithful. Until that dying breath, the supernatural life on earth can continue.

Bible Reading: Psalm 92:7-11

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Knowing that even in old(er) age my life can produce fruit, I will persevere and remain faithful to our Lord and His commands.

 

http://www.cru.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Put Others First

Leave a comment

God points to the sparrow, the most inexpensive bird of his day and says, “Five sparrows are sold for only two pennies, and God does not forget any of them…You are worth much more than many sparrows” (Luke 12:6-7).

God remembers the small birds of the world. We remember the eagles. But God notices the sparrows. We make bronze statues of the hawk. But God notices the sparrows. We celebrate the majestic birds, but Christ is partial to the beat up and done in and urges us to follow suit. He said, “When you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind” (Luke 14:13). Want to love others as Christ has loved you? Take note of the last, the lost, the little, and the left out. Take note of the sparrows. After all, God takes note of you.

From A Love Worth Giving

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

 

Home

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Paddleboarding next to 15 great white sharks

Leave a comment

What do these four news stories have in common?

One: This Washington Post headline received global attention: “‘You are paddleboarding next to approximately 15 great white sharks,’ chopper tells Calif. beachgoers.”

Two: A computer virus locked up more than 200,000 computers over the weekend and threatens to wreak more havoc today. The virus, which exploits a security flaw in Windows XP, is “beyond anything we have seen before,” according to the director of Europe’s cybercrime center.

Three: Emmanuel Macron became France’s youngest leader since Napoleon when he was inaugurated as president on Sunday. He takes over a country beset by internal divisions and a sluggish economy; his party is so new it has no seats in Parliament.

Four: North Korea launched a missile Sunday morning that flew 430 miles and landed in the sea between North Korea and Japan. It announced today that this missile can carry a large, heavy nuclear warhead and warned that US bases in the Pacific were within its range.

If the world seems smaller than ever before, that’s because it is.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Paddleboarding next to 15 great white sharks →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley –The Influence of an Ordinary Mother

Leave a comment

 

Proverbs 22:6

If we were asked to name the greatest and most influential people, we’d probably think of presidents or leaders of industry, business, banking, or education because their decisions shape the world. But who shaped them? Perhaps one of the most influential people in anyone’s life is a mother.

When a woman is in the process of raising small children, changing diapers, wiping noses, and settling squabbles, it may not seem like important work. However, God has given mothers the responsibility of shaping those young lives and teaching the importance of knowing and loving Him.

Susanna Wesley didn’t have a high-ranking title at a large company, but she raised 19 children, including two sons—John and Charles Wesley—who were the founders of Methodism. Despite the demands of a large family, she committed herself to spending a full hour with each child once a week. She taught them theology, and through her example, they learned to love and trust God.

If you’re a mom, you have tremendous influence in the lives of your children. There’s no way to know how God will use them in the future. But whatever His plans may be, you can equip your sons and daughters by determining to spend time with them each day, reading and teaching them God’s Word.

But perhaps the greatest impact you have on your children is your example. When they see you modeling godly character or trusting the Lord in the midst of trials, they will want to know and love God as you do. And that is the best way you can equip the next generation.

Bible in One Year: 2 Chronicles 11-14

 

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Scattering Seeds

Leave a comment

Read: Matthew 13:1–9

Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 19–21; John 4:1–30

The seed falling on good soil . . . produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.—Matthew 13:23

I received a wonderful email from a woman who wrote, “Your mom was my first-grade teacher at Putnam City in 1958. She was a great teacher and very kind, but strict! She made us learn the 23rd Psalm and say it in front of the class, and I was horrified. But it was the only contact I had with the Bible until 1997 when I became a Christian. And the memories of Mrs. McCasland came flooding back as I re-read it.”

Jesus told a large crowd a parable about the farmer who sowed his seed that fell on different types of ground—a hard path, rocky ground, clumps of thorns, and good soil (Matt. 13:1-9). While some seeds never grew, “the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it” and “produces a crop yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown” (v. 23).

During the twenty years my mother taught first grade in public schools, along with reading, writing, and arithmetic she scattered seeds of kindness and the message of God’s love.

Her former student’s email concluded, “I have had other influences in my Christian walk later in life, of course. But my heart always returns to [Psalm 23] and [your mom’s] gentle nature.”

A seed of God’s love sown today may produce a remarkable harvest. —David McCasland

Lord, today I want my life to sow good seeds in those around me. Help me to give out what You have put into me.

We sow the seed—God produces the harvest.

INSIGHT: We see the agricultural metaphor of “sowing seed” again in the book of 1 Corinthians. The apostle Paul taught the Corinthian believers for eighteen months (see Acts 18:1-11) and then Apollos watered the spiritual seed Paul had sown (Acts 18:27; 1 Cor. 3:4-9). Paul made it clear that those who spread the gospel are only God’s servants doing the work the Lord has assigned them to do (1 Cor. 3:5). While Paul planted the seed in the hearts of the Corinthian believers and Apollos watered it, it was God who made it grow.

At different times in our life we may be the one who is planting the message of God’s truth and love, and at other times we are the one who is watering. What’s important is that it is God who makes the seed grow. As God’s worker, what seeds can you plant in someone’s life?  Sim Kay Tee

 

http://www.odb.org

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – An Act of Love Endures Forever

Leave a comment

If I [can] speak in the tongues of men and [even] of angels, but have not love (that reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion such as is inspired by God’s love for and in us), I am only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. —1 Corinthians 13:1

Most of the things we devote our time and energy to are things that are currently passing away, things that will not last. We strive to make money, build businesses, achieve great accomplishments, be popular, own buildings, cars, and jewelry. We want to expand our minds and see the world, yet all of these things are temporal. They will all come to an end.

Only love never comes to an end. An act of love goes on and endures forever. Thankfully, God allows us to have a lasting impact when He asks us to love others. Henry Drummond says that “to love abundantly is to live abundantly, and to love forever is to live forever.” In order to “love abundantly” and “love forever,” I encourage you to first receive God’s love for you…then you can walk in love toward everyone else.

Prayer of Thanks: Father, I am grateful that I can live my life in such a way as to have a lasting impact. Thank You for the power of love. Help me exercise that power and make an eternal impact by showing love to those around me today. Help me to always know what is truly important.

From the book The Power of Being Thankful by Joyce Meyer.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Obedience Releases the Power

Leave a comment

“For the Lord says, ‘Because he loves me, I will rescue him; I will make him great because he trusts in My name. When he calls on Me I will answer, I will be with him in trouble, and rescue him and honor him'” (Psalm 91:14,15). 

Pete was the playboy type. He believed that Christ was in his life and that he had eternal life and would go to heaven when he died, but he was not willing to “go all the way with the Lord.” He wanted to live the “good life,” he said. One day perhaps he would make a total commitment of his life to Christ, but not now. He had all kinds of physical and emotional problems, but somehow he was never able to make the connection that the fact that his life was miserable was because of his disobedience to God.

All of God’s supernatural resources are latent within us waiting for us, as an act of the will by faith, to release that power. This explains the difference between impotent, fruitless, defeated Christians and those who are buoyant, joyful, victorious and fruitful in magnificent ways for the glory of God. Both are indwelt by the same God and possess the same supernatural power, but one for whatever reason – lack of knowledge, lack of faith, disobedience – fails to release the power while the other – knowledgeable, dedicated, obedient, faithful – releases the power.

John 14:21 is another way of stating Psalm 91:14,15. Jesus said, “He that hath My commandments, and keep them, he it is that loveth Me and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him.”

We demonstrate that we love God when we obey Him. And when we trust and obey Him, all the supernatural resources of deity are released in our behalf. He literally heals our bodies, our minds and our spirits and enables us to live the supernatural life.

Bible Reading: Psalm 91:7-13

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will acknowledge Jesus daily as the Lord of my life and demonstrate my love by obeying His commandments. In so doing, I can be assured that He will be with me in trouble and deliver me and honor me as He promised.

 

http://www.cru.org

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Virtuous Woman 

Leave a comment

A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Proverbs 31:10

A woman of character is not easily found. She is rare and valuable. Because of her appealing attributes, she is a gift from God. Thank Him often if you are blessed with this quality of woman in your life. She is rare because we live in a self-crazed culture, yet a woman of character is others-focused. For the follower of Christ, selflessness is expected. But for our society as a whole, it is an anomaly. She refuses to demean herself to a standard of mediocrity.

Her goal is excellence in living. Duplicity is far from her thinking as she serves with authenticity and industry. No skills or gifts remain dormant in her active life. She channels her energies into the welfare of her family and is resourceful with financial opportunities. A woman of character is an anchor for her family. Her character provides stability when challenges creep into her home. She is determined to do the right thing regardless of the difficulties it may require. Character is more important than compromise, therefore she models the way for her friends and family. She is a rock of hope and consistency because God’s Word has become that for her.

However, be careful to not take the world on your shoulders—that is God’s job. Also, do not hold a standard of perfection over your head. Leave yourself some wiggle room for mistakes. You will make mistakes. Let mistakes be a reminder of what to do and what not to do in the future. They are reminders of your dependence on God. Your goal is not to live a mistake-free life but a life that loves God and loves people. Let Him continue to develop your character and grow you into a mentor of other women. Don’t waste your wonderful experiences. Share them with younger women so that they can grow in their character.

“A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones” (Proverbs 12:4).

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – Virtuous Woman  →