Tag Archives: Bible

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Breathe Life into Your Dreams

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For a dream comes with much business and painful effort . . .-Ecclesiastes 5:3

I’m sure this is why many people give up on their dreams somewhere along the way. When they find out it will take effort, be costly and uncomfortable to complete their preparation for the birth of that dream, they conclude it wasn’t really God’s will after all and go and do something else.

I want to encourage you to go press through the hard part because if you give up, you will never be completely satisfied. Faith becomes stronger as we are required to use it. So how do we successfully make it through preparation and give birth to our God-given dreams?

Here are three keys to help you get there:

  1. Be Confident that God is working

Whatever dream God has put in your heart, stand in faith, believing He can bring it to pass. Each day, as you pursue the promise He has given you, make it a habit to say, “God’s working!” You may not know all the details of how it is going to work out, but that’s okay. God knows the beginning to the end (see Isaiah 46:10).

  1. Refuse to Give Up

It’s easy to start a process—or to have a dream—but it is much more difficult to see it through. That’s why so many people’s life lives fall short of God’s best. They start to obey God, or they start to move in the direction of their dream, but when times get tough, or they become weary of waiting, they turn around and run in the other direction.

  1. Realize Your Dream Is about More Than You

Many times, people dream of things only for them—what they want out of life, or what’s best for only them. But Jesus, our example of how to live, gave His life for the benefit of others.

From the book 20 Ways to Make Every Day Better by Joyce Meyer.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Fair in Everything

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“The Lord is fair in everything He does, and full of kindness. He is close to all who call on Him sincerely” (Psalm 145:17,18).

Are you afraid to trust the Lord? I find that many people who have had unfortunate experiences in their youth with their parents, especially their fathers, have a reluctance to trust God.

In my talks with thousands of students, I have found a number of young people who have such an attitude problem.

Even the best of earthly parents, at times, are unfair and fail to demonstrate kindness. Yet how wonderful it is to know that our Lord is fair in everything He does and is full of kindness, and He is always close to all who call upon Him sincerely.

Notice that the Scripture promise quoted above is a categorical statement. The psalmist permits no exceptions, even when we are sure we deserved better than we received. Thus we need to claim the promise in God’s Word by faith and live by it. Some day we will see events from God’s side and recognize the fairness we could not see here.

We often see “as in a glass darkly,” but God has perfect 20/20 vision. That’s why the attitude of trust alone will help us overcome our feelings that God or the world, is unfair. Only then can we live a supernatural life of daily acceptance of what God sends our way.

Bible Reading: Psalm 145:8-12

TODAY’S ACTION POINT:  Today I will put my trust in God and His goodness, no matter how I feel. I will move beyond preoccupation with my disappointments and carry out God’s appointments in the certainty that our Lord is fair in everything He does and will enable me to live supernaturally as I continue to trust and obey Him.

 

http://www.cru.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – The Hand of God

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Come with me to the hill of Calvary. Watch as the soldiers press a knee against a forearm and a spike against a hand. As the soldier lifts the hammer to strike it, think about the hand that received the nail. The fist doesn’t clench—the moment isn’t aborted.

A mallet drove a nail into the hand, not just of a carpenter, but into the hand of God. Fingers that formed Adam out of clay and furrowed truth into tablets felt the pain of crucifixion. The same hand that stilled the seas stilled your guilt. And as the hands of Jesus opened for the nail, the doors of heaven opened for you.

From He Chose the Nails

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – The moment that changed Tony Romo’s career

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I was there for the birth of the legend that is Tony Romo.

It was October 23, 2006, during a game between the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants. My older son and I were at the game. The Cowboys were struggling in the first half; when the team came out to start the second half, there was palpable excitement on their sideline. I turned to my son and said, “I’ll bet they start Romo.” It turned out, I was right.

His first pass was tipped and intercepted. He went on to throw two touchdowns and three interceptions in the game. Two days later, Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells named Romo the team’s starting quarterback. He made the Pro Bowl that year, the first of four times he received that prestigious honor. In the years following, the list of Cowboys team records he set is astounding:

•    Passing touchdowns for a career (eighty more than Troy Aikman)
•    Passing yards for a career
•    Quarterback rating for a career
•    Games with three or more touchdowns
•    Games with three hundred or more yards passing
•    Most fourth-quarter comebacks (five more than Roger Staubach)
•    Passing touchdowns in a season
•    Passing yards in a season
•    Passing yards in a game.

In addition, Romo is the NFL’s all-time highest rated quarterback for the month of December and for the fourth quarter of games played.
Continue reading Denison Forum – The moment that changed Tony Romo’s career →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley –What If There Is No Resurrection?

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1 Corinthians 15:12-19

On a very cold November afternoon, I sat under a green tent with my mother’s coffin in front of me. How many times had I stood in cemeteries, offering comfort and the Word of God to those who had lost a loved one? But this was my first experience being on the other side of the casket. As I sat there, a shocking thought popped into my head: Suppose there is no resurrection! This idea was quickly driven away by my faith and confidence in Christ. But it had lasted just long enough for me to feel the despair and hopelessness of such a belief.

To help us appreciate Christ’s victory over the grave, let’s consider what the outcome of life and death would be without the resurrection. First of all, Jesus would still be dead. That means our faith in Him would be worthless and our message to the world would be a lie. What’s more, Jesus Himself would be proved a liar since He claimed that He would rise from the dead.

There would be no forgiveness of our sins, no possibility of reconciliation with God, and no hope of heaven. All deceased believers throughout history would have perished. Without the resurrection, there would be nothing positive for anyone to look forward to. Everybody’s destiny after death would be hell.

Thank God, none of these scenarios are true. Our Savior lives, our sins are forgiven, death has been defeated, and believers in Christ have assurance of eternity in heaven with Him. After considering how hopeless we would be without a resurrection, let’s rejoice all the more in the greatness of our salvation.

Bible in One Year: 2 Samuel 1-3

 

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — His Word the Last Word

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Read: Psalm 63:1–11

Bible in a Year: Ruth 1–4; Luke 8:1–25

On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.—Psalm 63:6–7

Dawson Trotman, a dynamic Christian leader of the mid-twentieth century and founder of The Navigators, emphasized the importance of the Bible in the life of every Christian. Trotman ended each day with a practice he called “His Word the last word.” Before going to sleep he meditated on a memorized Bible verse or passage, then prayed about its place and influence in his life. He wanted the last words he thought about each day to be God’s words.

The psalmist David wrote, “On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings” (Ps. 63:6-7). Whether we are in great difficulty or enjoying a time of peace, our last thought at night can ease our minds with the rest and comfort God gives. It may also set the tone for our first thought the next morning.

A friend and his wife conclude each day by reading aloud a Bible passage and daily devotional with their four children. They welcome questions and thoughts from each child and talk about what it means to follow Jesus at home and school. They call it their version of “His Word the last word” for each day.

What better way to end our day! —David McCasland

Thank You Father, for Your Word in our hearts and our minds—our last thought at night as we rest securely in You.

The Spirit of God renews our minds when we meditate on the Word of God.

INSIGHT: Psalm 63 can encourage us as we reflect on how the psalmist David brought his struggles to God. First, he expressed his thirst for the living God as being like a thirsty man yearning for life-giving water (vv. 1-2). Second, he observed God’s glory in the sanctuary and compared it to eating and being satisfied by delicious and nourishing food (vv. 3-5). Third, even when he was on his bed at night, he meditated on his Creator and Savior and felt the closeness of God’s love (vv. 6-8). Fourth, he trusted God for protection when he encountered real-life enemies (vv. 9-10). Finally, the psalmist admitted that his power didn’t come from his regal position. Instead, it was rooted in the living God who brings joy to the heart and glory to His name (v. 11).What can we learn from David’s example? Why not spend some time today reflecting on the character of God. Dennis Fisher

 

http://www.odb.org

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Death and Harvest

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Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself, alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.(1)

I spent this last weekend sowing seeds in my garden. Some of these seeds, like the sugar snap peas, were quite large seeds. Others like my broccoli, cauliflower, chard, and kale were tiny. I had to look closely to make sure I was getting them into the dirt where they will hopefully come to life and take root, rather than flinging them about as I covered them with their blanket of soil. Regardless of size, all seeds will stay as “dead” seeds, unless they are put in the ground. The act of gardening is like performing a burial, just as these opening verses from the Gospel of John suggest. Seemingly, dead seeds are buried within the soil, which itself is an ecology of dead or decomposing material. Yet, out of this world of death, the gardener trusts that living things will rise and produce a bountiful harvest.

For Jesus, his season to “fall into the earth and die” was fast approaching when he shared this agrarian metaphor with his followers. He had borne a great deal of fruit in the short, three years he ministered, taught, loved, and lived among the people of Israel. But now, his hour had come and the cross lay ahead of him. Now, he says, my soul has become troubled and what shall I say, Father, save me from this hour?(2)

Rather than taking the way of self-preservation, he would offer his life like a grain of wheat. He would die. He would be buried in the darkness of the earth, but as a result he would bear even more fruit than he had while he was alive. Despite what lay ahead of him, and despite the trouble in his soul, he affirms: For this purpose, I came to this hour. Father, glorify Thy Name.

While there are many formal theories of atonement, the Bible uses rich metaphors to explore the nature and essence of Christ’s redemptive work. Jesus often used agrarian or gardening metaphors to teach his followers about his own death. As recorded in John’s Gospel, Jesus indicates that his death would be a path to abundant life resulting in the production of much fruit: “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified… unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone, but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” Charles Spurgeon, the nineteenth century theologian and preacher, wrote that this passage of Scripture is rich with paradoxical statements describing the nature of atonement itself:

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Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Have You Talked to God Today?

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In the morning You hear my voice, O Lord; in the morning I prepare [a prayer, a sacrifice] for You and watch and wait [for You to speak to my heart].—Psalm 5:3

I think some people don’t begin their day talking to God because they don’t realize what a great honor and privilege it is to be invited to do so. We hear so often that we need to pray that perhaps we tend to over-spiritualize the idea and end up seeing it as something that is a job or an obligation rather than an honor.

It doesn’t have to be eloquent, or even necessarily long, but trying to live without it is foolish. It’s asking God to meet your need or someone else’s. It’s praising Him and thanking Him. It’s about committing things to Him and honestly sharing your worries and concerns with Him.

There is no subject off limits with God—you can talk to Him about anything without the fear of being misunderstood, judged critically, or reproached for your faults.

When we talk to God, we open the door for Him to come into our day—into our problems and situations—and do what we cannot do on our own. We are actually inviting the power of God into our lives. Talking to God about your life doesn’t immediately change your circumstance, but it does change something in you and it gives you the strength you need go through your day with a smile on your face. It helps you believe that you are not alone, and that is important for all of us.

From the book 20 Ways to Make Every Day Better by Joyce Meyer.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Your Joy Restored

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“Create in me a clean heart, O God: and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence: and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation: and uphold me with Thy free Spirit. Then will I teach transgressors Thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto Thee” (Psalm 51:10-13, KJV).

“The Christian owes it to the world to be supernaturally joyful,” said A. W. Tozer.

How do we attain that joy?

When we refuse to exhale spiritually by confessing our sins, we are miserable. On the other hand, when we do confess our sins, we experience God’s complete forgiveness. He removes our guilt and fills our lives with joy, the kind of joy we will very much want to share with others.

The psalmist also knew this when he wrote: “Create in me a new, clean heart, O God, filled with clean thoughts and right desires…Restore to me again the joy of Your salvation, and make me willing to obey You. Then I will teach Your ways to other sinners, and they – guilty like me – will repent and return to You” (Psalm 51:10,12,13).

There was a time when I allowed moods and circumstances to prevent the joyful launching of a new day with the Lord. As a result, I did not feel that close relationship with Him, that beautiful awareness of His presence that comes from fellowship with Him in His Word and in prayer, and through faithful witnessing of His reality to others.

Without that time with Him, there is no joy and the day often begins and continues in the energy of the flesh. There is no personal awareness of God’s presence, and things just seem to go wrong. We can begin every day with that joyful communion with Christ that gives us the assurance of His presence throughout the day. We are the ones who make that choice. God is available; we are the variable.

Bible Reading: Psalm 51:1-9

TODAY’S ACTION POINT:  I will begin this day on my knees, praising and rejoicing in the Lord as an expression of my desire to be with Him. I will read His Word and offer prayers of adoration, confession, thanksgiving and supplication. I will ask Him to lead me to others whose hearts He has prepared for this same joyful relationship with God.

 

http://www.cru.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – The Briar Patch of Humanity

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What is the fruit of sin? Step into the briar patch of humanity and feel a few thistles. Shame. Fear. Disgrace. Discouragement. Anxiety. Haven’t our hearts been caught in these brambles?

The heart of Jesus, however, had not. Jesus never knew the fruits of sin—until he became sin for us. And when he did, all the emotions of sin tumbled in on him. Can’t you hear the emotion in his prayer at the cross? “My God, my God, why have you rejected me?” (Matthew 27:46). These are not the words of a saint. This is the cry of a sinner. He stood silent as a million guilty verdicts echoed in the tribunal of heaven.

Do you want to know the most amazing thing about the One who gave up the crown of heaven for a crown of thorns? He did it for you. Just for you.

From He Chose the Nails

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Officials say Russia attack was suicide bombing

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North Carolina’s victory over Gonzaga in last night’s NCAA title game is dominating headlines this morning. Meanwhile, four other stories in the news are more troubling:

  •  A Mississippi woman called 911 yesterday as her car sank into a rain-swollen creek. She tried to direct rescuers to her location, but they arrived too late. They later found her body in the creek outside her car. She was one of four people killed in storms across the South.
  •  A boiler exploded in an industrial building south of St. Louis yesterday morning, killing three people and damaging three buildings.
  •  More than 250 people have died in Mocoa, Columbia, after a wall of water and mud hit the town like an avalanche. Rescue crews are desperately digging through the rubble in their search for survivors.
  •  A bomb blast on a subway train in St. Petersburg, Russia, killed fourteen people. Authorities now say that the attacker, Akbarjon Djalilov, was a suicide bomber.

When I read about the first three tragedies, I felt grief for the victims and their families, but I did not feel a sense of fear or dread. We live in a fallen world where such disasters are an inevitable occurrence (Romans 8:22). We don’t spend much emotional energy fearing what we know we need to accept. As we grow older, we become callous to this reality unless it threatens us directly.

When I heard about the fourth, my visceral reaction was different. I’m guessing yours was the same. Terrorism that is so leaderless and amorphous could seemingly strike anywhere at any time. I don’t see why residents of St. Petersburg would be more susceptible to attack than residents where I live in Dallas, Texas.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Officials say Russia attack was suicide bombing →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Seek God Early

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Psalm 63:1-8

You’ve probably heard people say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. A similar concept applies to our heart and mind. The fuel we give them each morning greatly affects the remainder of the day. Think of time in God’s Word, prayer, and meditation as spiritual nourishment for your relationship with the Father.

David began his day with the Lord. In Psalm 63, he described seeking God early (the literal translation of earnestly). He woke up ravenous for his Creator, and after filling his yearning soul with the fullness of the Lord, he broke out in thanksgiving and praise to Him. Even while lying on his bed at night, David was still thinking about his heavenly Father.

Just imagine having a day like that—filled with joy and gratitude to God. This is possible when we set apart the beginning of our day to spend with the Lord, listening to Him speak through His Word and talking to Him in prayer. Our blessing will be even richer when we stay mindful of God throughout the day and into the night, contemplating who He is and how He works. Seeking the Lord not only fills our empty soul; it also increases our hunger for more of Him.

Do you find it a struggle to set apart time with the Lord each morning? Realize that lifelong habits begin with baby steps, not overwhelming resolutions. Start today—set aside 15 minutes this morning. Then try doing so for a few days, and see if the Lord begins to satisfy your soul and increase your hunger for Him.

Bible in One Year: 1 Samuel 30-31

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — A Heart of Compassion

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Read: Colossians 3:12–17

Bible in a Year: Judges 19–21; Luke 7:31–50

Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.—Colossians 3:12

Seven of us were attending a musical production at a crowded amusement park. Wanting to sit together, we tried to squeeze into one row. But as we did, a woman rushed between us. My wife mentioned to her that we wanted to stay together, but the woman quickly said, “Too bad,” as she and her two companions pushed on into the row.

As three of us sat one row behind the other four, my wife, Sue, noticed that the woman had an adult with her who appeared to have special needs. She had been trying to keep her little group together so she could take care of her friend. Suddenly, our irritation faded. Sue said, “Imagine how tough things are for her in a crowded place like this.” Yes, perhaps the woman did respond rudely. But we could respond with compassion rather than anger.

Wherever we go, we will encounter people who need compassion. Perhaps these words from the apostle Paul can help us view everyone around us in a different light—as people who need the gentle touch of grace. “As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Col. 3:12). He also suggests that we “bear with each other and forgive one another” (v. 13).

As we show compassion, we will be pointing others to the One who poured out His heart of grace and compassion on us. —Dave Branon

Your compassions never fail, Father. May we mirror Your heart by showing compassion to others.

Compassion is understanding the troubles of others.

INSIGHT: Compassion is not just feeling pity for a needy person; our emotions must move us to relieve the misery of that person. The apostle Paul calls us to “be kind and compassionate to one another” (Eph. 4:32) and “to follow God’s example” (5:1). Jesus commands us to be “compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate” (Luke 6:36 nlt). In one of the greatest self-revelations in the Bible, God described Himself as “the compassionate and gracious God” (Ex. 34:6). We echo with the apostle James, “The Lord is full of compassion and mercy” (James 5:11).Imagine a world without compassion. What would it be like? How is showing compassion essential for God’s children? Sim Kay Tee

 

http://www.odb.org

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Curiosities

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In a special documentary, a major television network investigated the beginnings of Christianity and the influence of the apostle Paul in spreading the message of Christ. The narrator noted his fascination with the historical figure, commenting that if not for the voice of Paul, it is “unlikely that the movement Jesus founded would have survived beyond the first century.” Yet of the resurrection of Christ he also noted, “Something must have happened, otherwise it’s hard to explain how Jesus’s story endured for so long.”

Why has the story of Christ endured? Has it survived through the centuries because of effective speakers in antiquity? Has it endured, as Sigmund Freud argued, because it is a story that fulfills wishes, or as Friedrich Nietzsche attested, because it masks and medicates our despairing fate? Has the story of Christ endured because something really happened after Jesus’s body was taken down from the cross or was it only the clever marketing of ardent followers?

We live in an age where religion is examined with the goal of finding a religion, or a combination of religions, that best suits our lives and lifestyles. We are intrigued by characters in history like Jesus and Paul, Buddha and Gandhi. We look at their lives and rightly determine their influence in history—the radical life and message of Christ, the fervor with which Paul spread the story of Christianity, the passion of Buddha, the social awareness of Gandhi. But far too often, our fascination stops there, comfortably and confidently keeping the events of history at a distance or mingling them all together as one and the same.

C.S. Lewis wrote often of “the great cataract of nonsense” that blinds us to knowledge of earlier times and keeps us content with history in pieces. He was talking about the common tendency to treat the voices of history with a certain level of incredulity and inferiority—even if with a pleasant curiosity all the same. Elsewhere, he called it chronological snobbery, a tendency to concern oneself primarily with present sources while dissecting history as we please. Yet to do so, warned Lewis, is to walk unaware of the cataracts through which we see the world today. Far better is the mind that truly considers the past, allowing its lessons to interact with the army of voices that battle for our allegiance. For a person who has lived thoroughly in many eras is far less likely to be deceived by the errors of his or her own age.

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Curiosities →

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – You Can’t Drive a Parked Car

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Establish my steps and direct them by [means of] Your word.…—Psalm 119:133

People often ask, “How do I know what God wants me to do with my life?” Some spend many years being totally immobile because they are waiting to hear a voice from heaven telling them what to do. My best advice to anyone in this position is to simply do something. Do what you think God might be calling you to do and if you make a mistake, He will help you correct it. Don’t spend your life so afraid of making a mistake that you never try to obey what you believe God has spoken to you.

I like to say, you can’t drive a parked car. You need to be moving if you want God to show you which way to go. He has no need to say to you, “Turn left” if you are not going anywhere. But if you are moving, He can give you directions.

Let me insert a word of wisdom here. There are certainly times when we need to be still, wait on God, pray, and not take immediate action. But that does not apply to every situation. There are times when the only way we can discover God’s will is to get moving in a certain direction and let Him speak to us and lead us as we go. If you are going in the wrong direction, He’ll close that door and open another one.

From the book Hearing from God Each Morning: 365 Daily Devotions by Joyce Meyer.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Gift of His Spirit

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“This is what God has prepared for us and, as a guarantee, He has given us His Holy Spirit” (2 Corinthians 5:5).

A dynamic young business man sat across from me in my office. By almost every standard of human measure he was an outstanding success in both his business and his religion.

He was one of the leading men in his field of specialty in the world. A highly moral, religious person, he was very active in his church. And yet, he was not sure that he was a Christian.

He wanted desperately – more than anything else in the world – to have real assurance, but he did not know how to go about obtaining it. Step by step, I explained to him from the Bible how he could receive Christ into his life and be sure of his salvation.

Soon we were on our knees in prayer, after which he went on his way rejoicing in the assurance of his salvation to begin a supernatural walk with God.

Many pastors and other Christian leaders, I have discovered, also have this same gnawing doubt about their salvation. One pastor who had preached the Bible-centered gospel for 40 years told me that he was still unsure of his salvation.

The wife of an evangelist confided, “During the past 30 years, my husband and I have introduced thousands of people to Christ, but I have never been sure of my own salvation. Never before have I had the courage to share this concern with anyone, but now I am so desperate that I have come to seek your help.”

I explained that we receive Christ as our Savior by faith or on act of the will; then, as a guarantee, He gives us His Holy Spirit.

Bible Reading: II Corinthians 5:6-10

TODAY’S ACTION POINT:  With God’s Holy Spirit as my constant witness, I will daily give thanks to Him for assurance of my salvation.

 

http://www.cru.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – The Gifts of the Cross

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Have you ever wondered why God gives us so much?  We could exist on far less! God could have left the world flat and gray—we wouldn’t have known the difference. But he didn’t. Why give a flower its fragrance? Why give food its taste?

Jesus asked, “If you hardhearted, sinful men know how to give good gifts to your children, won’t your Father in heaven even more certainly give good gifts to those who ask him for them?” (Matthew 7:11 TLB).

Every gift reveals God’s love—but no gift reveals his love more than the gifts of the cross. They came, not wrapped in paper, but in passion. Not covered with ribbons, but sprinkled with blood. The gifts of the cross! Have you taken time to open these gifts? If you do, perhaps you will hear him whisper, “I did it just for you.”

From He Chose the Nails

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – March Madness and anxious times

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South Carolina defeated Mississippi State last night in the NCAA women’s basketball championship game. This after Mississippi State ended Connecticut’s historic 111-game winning streak Friday night with a stunning shot at the overtime buzzer. Gonzaga plays North Carolina tonight in the much-anticipated men’s title game.

March Madness has been a welcome distraction from the news. CNN is reporting today that Chicago police have arrested a fourteen-year-old boy in a group sexual assault on a teenage girl that was broadcast on Facebook Live. Police are looking for as many as six people who were shown in the video of the assault.

Former Defense Secretary Ash Carter told a reporter yesterday that a preemptive strike against North Korea could lead to an invasion of South Korea. London is now home to more than 423 mosques and is, according to one Islamic preacher, “more Islamic than many Muslim countries put together.”

What many of us feel as we read the news is more anxiety than fear. Theologian Paul Tillich distinguished between the two: fear has a specific object, while anxiety is more ambiguous and amorphous. We prefer the former to the latter—we can define and hopefully defeat our enemy, but it’s hard to defeat a feeling. Many have a general sense that things are not going well (only 38 percent of likely voters say the US is headed in the right direction) but don’t know what to do about it.

In this context, a statement I read recently has been deeply encouraging.

Continue reading Denison Forum – March Madness and anxious times →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – A Heart for God

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Acts 13:16-22

God’s assessment of David’s heart is one of the highest praises that anyone has ever received from the Lord. And this commendation is not reserved exclusively for Israel’s beloved king; in fact, our Father longs for every one of His children to have a heart for Him.

In Acts 13:22, the Lord called David “a man after My heart, who will do all My will.” In other words, the chief characteristic of a heart for God is a passion to obey Him. Not every act of King David’s life was as the Lord would have desired, but his pattern was to follow after God. And David also knew what to do when he sinned. His prayer was that the Lord would search out any wicked way in him, clean it up, and help him to get back on track to become the kind of person his heavenly Father wanted him to be (Psalm 139:23-24).

David’s highest priority was his relationship with the Lord. He delighted in both reading God’s Word and having intimate conversations with the Father, many of which are recorded for us in the book of Psalms. In addition, the Scriptures reveal many examples of how David trusted the Lord in all the challenges of his life. This humble servant recognized that any greatness he achieved as king was actually due to God alone.

Becoming a man or woman with a heart for the Lord is a valuable goal. Our aim is not perfection but a consistent, growing relationship with Him. In the process, we will discover that our desires and interests increasingly align with God’s, and obeying Him will be our great delight.

Bible in One Year: 1 Samuel 27-29

 

 

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Behind the Scenes

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Read: Daniel 10:1–14

Bible in a Year: Judges 16–18; Luke 7:1–30

Your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.—Daniel 10:12

My daughter sent a text message to a friend, in hopes of having a question answered quickly. Her phone’s messaging service showed that the recipient had read the message, so she waited anxiously for a reply. Mere moments passed, yet she grew frustrated, groaning her annoyance at the delay. Irritation eroded into worry; she wondered whether the lack of response meant there was a problem between them. Eventually a reply came and my daughter was relieved to see their relationship was fine. Her friend had simply been sorting out the details needed to answer the question.

The Old Testament prophet Daniel also anxiously awaited a reply. After receiving a frightening vision of great war, Daniel fasted and sought God through humble prayer (10:3, 12). For three weeks, he received no reply (vv. 2, 13). Finally, an angel arrived and assured Daniel his prayers had been heard “since the first day.” In the meantime, the angel had been battling on behalf of those prayers. Though Daniel didn’t know it at first, God was at work during each of the twenty-one days that elapsed between his first prayer and the angel’s coming.

The confidence that God hears our prayers can cause us to become anxious when His reply doesn’t come when we want it to. We are prone to wonder whether He cares. Yet Daniel’s experience reminds us that God is at work on behalf of those He loves even when it isn’t obvious to us. —Kirsten Holmberg

Lord, help me to trust Your care for me even when I can’t see it.

God is always at work on behalf of His people.

 

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