Tag Archives: Bible

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – Who To Bless

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Read: Romans 12:14-21

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Romans 12:14

Paul describes the kind of love we should show to a non-Christian world. Paul gives some very practical help on this. Love speaks well of its persecutors. That is getting right down to where the rubber meets the road, isn’t it? That means you don’t go around badmouthing people who are not nice to you. You don’t run them down or speak harshly about them to others, but you speak well of them. You find something that you can approve, and you say so to others. I confess that is not my natural reaction. When somebody persecutes me, I persecute back! At least I want to. But this is what the Word tells us we don’t need to do and we should not do. This applies to such practical areas as traffic problems. Have you ever been persecuted in traffic? It happens all the time. Somebody cuts you off, and you want to roll down the window and shout at them. But according to this, you are not supposed to. Now, this doesn’t tell you what to call them, but it tells you to bless them, anyway.

In verse 17 Paul says, Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the sight of everybody. Later, in verse 19 he adds, Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written, It is mine to avenge, I will repay, says the Lord. Revenge is one of the most natural of human responses to hurt or injury or bad attitudes. We always feel that, if we treat others according to the way they have treated us, we are only giving them justice. We can justify this so easily. I’m only teaching them a lesson. I’m only showing them how I feel. I’m only giving back what they’ve given me. But any time you argue that way you have forgotten the many times you have injured others without getting caught yourself. But God hasn’t forgotten. This always puts us in the place of those Pharisees who, when the woman was taken in adultery, were ready to cast stones and stone her to death. Jesus came by and said to them, He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone, (John 8:7). That stopped them all dead in their tracks, because there wasn’t a one of them who wasn’t equally as guilty as she. They needed to be judged too. We must never carry out revenge, because we are not in the position of a judge. We, too, are guilty. We need to be judged. Therefore, Paul’s admonition is, Don’t try to avenge yourself. You will only make a mess of it. The inevitable result of trying to get even with people is that you escalate the conflict. It is inescapable.

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Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – The Blood of the Martyrs

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Read: Revelation 12:7-17

They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. (v. 11)

At Namugongo, just outside of Kampala, stands a memorial to the Ugandan martyrs. There, on June 3, 1886, the king of Buganda put to death 26 young men who had angered him by their Christian commitment. Some were cut to pieces, others were burned alive; all refused to renounce their faith in Christ.

The church in Uganda then was very small. The gospel had come there a decade earlier, when missionaries were sent from England at the invitation of the prior king. But the martyrdoms in Namugongo became a turning point.

The example of these martyrs, who walked to their deaths singing hymns and praying for their enemies, so inspired many of the bystanders that they began to seek instruction from the remaining Christians. Within a few years the original handful of converts had multiplied many times and spread far beyond the court. (http://churchofuganda.org/about/history).

Today Uganda has a higher percentage of Christians than any other African country. The Anglican Church of Uganda, Words of Hope’s partner in radio ministry, alone has more than 10 million members. And every year on June 3 hundreds of thousands of Christians, both Protestant and Catholic, walk to Namugongo from all over East Africa to honor the martyrs whose blood was the seed of the church.

—David Bast

Prayer:

I praise you for faithful witnesses. Strengthen those who face persecution today.

 

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Forgiven People

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Forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.—Matthew 6:12

On December 1, 1997, about a dozen students were gathered together for their daily prayer meeting at Heath High School in Paducah, Kentucky. As they said their final “Amen,” a 14-year-old boy suddenly walked up and opened fire on the group. Three of the students died, while five others were seriously wounded. The irony of the situation was that a number of these students had actually befriended this young man.

In the midst of this tragedy, an amazing story of forgiveness emerged. As she lay in the hospital, one of the injured girls—15-year-old Melissa Jenkins—was informed that she most likely would be a paraplegic for the rest of her life. Melissa wanted to convey a message to the teenage boy who shot her.

What do you think her message was? Did she say she hated him or that he would get his in the end? No. This is not what she had to say. This Christian teenage girl said she forgave him.

Only a Christian can do something like that. It is not a natural thing to do. Rather, it’s supernatural. That is one of the amazing things about true followers of Jesus: they have the capacity to forgive people.

Understand that if you are a Christian, then you—like Melissa Jenkins—need to learn how to forgive as well. In fact, to not forgive someone is an outright sin. If you don’t forgive a person who has sinned against you, then you are sinning against God. To say that you are a Christian, but that you refuse to forgive, is a contradiction in terms.

If you are an unforgiving Christian, then one must question how much you know about Christianity. Jesus constantly pressed this issue. His sermons, His parables, His private talks, even His prayers, were often filled with lessons about forgiveness. You would be blind to miss this point.

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Doesn’t Make Junk

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“I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:14)

If you create something (whether it’s a picture or a paper airplane, a clay sculpture, or even a new cookie recipe), you have used your mind and your imagination, as well as your hands and tools and supplies. You can truly enjoy creating something – especially if it’s something that matters to you, and if you do a good job. It may never turn out as well as you had hoped back when you started; but after you are done, your project shows others something about you, the creator. It reflects your style.

When God finished making the world, it was perfectly good. (Genesis 1:31 – “And God saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was very good.”) When we look at the world, we see God’s style, His creativity. We see colors and sounds and beauty. We see what He provides for us: food and water, rain and light. We experience a world of systems that work properly, whether it is the four seasons (always in the same order), or day following night, or gravity. We see animals and plants that are so unusual and fantastic that a human being could never have imagined them. Our own bodies are amazing systems that no computer could ever equal. Nothing that we as creatures could ever make would ever be as complicated and wonderful as God’s handiwork, because He is the Master Creator.

Once Adam and Eve sinned, God’s Creation could no longer be perfect. It was still good, but it had a curse on it. You may have seen this in yourself: You get sick, or things go wrong in your body, or you would like to change a part of yourself that does not seem right. God will take care of all these problems one day. If you are His child, you will be part of a new heaven and a new earth, with a new body that works perfectly at all times. But in the meantime, you are still “fearfully and wonderfully made.” For that reason, you can praise God, for it was He Who made us; not the other way around! (See Psalm 100:3.)

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – God Doesn’t Make Junk →

The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – Iniquity of Holy Things

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Today’s Scripture: Luke 18:11

“God, I thank you that I am not like other men . . . or even like this tax collector.”

With whom do we identify, the Pharisee or the tax collector? The prodigal son or the older brother? Obviously no one wants to identify with the Pharisee or the older brother. But are we willing to identify with the tax collector and the prodigal son, as sinners deeply in need of the grace and mercy of God? Are we willing to say, “God, be merciful to me the sinner” or “I am no longer worthy to be called your son”? Are we willing to acknowledge that even our righteous acts are no more than filthy rags in the sight of God (Isaiah 64:6)?

John Owen, known as the prince of Puritan theologians, wrote these words way back in 1657: “Believers obey Christ as the one by whom our obedience is accepted by God. Believers know all their duties are weak, imperfect and unable to abide in God’s presence. Therefore they look to Christ as the one who bears the iniquity of their holy things, who adds incense to their prayers, gathers out all the weeds from their duties and makes them acceptable to God.”

Owen speaks of Christ bearing the iniquity of our holy things—the sinfulness of even our good works. As another Puritan preacher was reputed to have said, “even our tears of repentance need to be washed in the blood of the Lamb.” Our best works can never earn us one bit of favor with God. Let us then turn our attention from our own performance—whether it seems good or bad—and look to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is God’s provision for our sin, not only on the day we trusted Christ for salvation but every day of our Christian lives.

 

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – Our Ever-Present Help

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Today’s Scripture: Nehemiah 5-7

Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. – Joshua 1:9

As Nehemiah struggled to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, one of his greatest enemies was fear. First, he had to fight it among the people. In Nehemiah 4:10, we find the warlike tribe of Judah about ready to throw in the towel, saying, “The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.”

They also feared an enemy attack while they worked. So Nehemiah prayed, posted a guard, and encouraged the people to remember God’s faithfulness. But after helping the people with their fear, the next attack came against Nehemiah himself.

Sanballat and Geshem tried to lure him into meeting with them in one of the villages. When he resisted their scheme, they created a false report about him and threatened to report him to the king. Then they tried to frighten Nehemiah into taking refuge in the temple to escape their threats of death. And was he afraid? Yes. But he didn’t show it. He was not controlled by the fear. And he asked God to strengthen him (verse 9).

Christian, we do not have to be under the control of our emotions if we walk under the control of the Holy Spirit. The Bible says that one fruit of the Spirit is self-control, or self-discipline.

Paul wrote to his young friend Timothy, “For God did not give us a spirit of [fear], but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7). The answer to fear is not denial. Like Nehemiah, admit your fear. That’s the first step. Then place your trust in the never-changing One who, right up to this day, has never lost a battle.

Prayer

Lord, when I am afraid, I will trust in You. Amen.

To Ponder

Walking in the Spirit is a daily decision to hand over control of our lives to God. When we do this, there is no room for fear.

 

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Moody Global Ministries

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – GOD PROVIDES EVEN WHEN WE’RE OVERWHELMED

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Read JOHN 6:1–13

God promised Israel abundant provision for the Year of Jubilee. A single harvest would suffice for three years’ worth of food—the harvest year itself, the sabbath (seventh) year following, and the Year of Jubilee (every 50 years) after that. The Lord said, “I will send you such a blessing in the sixth year that the land will yield enough for three years” (Lev. 25:21).

One of Jesus’ miracles in particular evokes this theme of abundant provision—the feeding of the 5,000. It’s the only miracle (other than the Resurrection) found in all four Gospels. One of its many lessons is that God provides even when we feel overwhelmed.

There’s no question that this situation was too much to handle by ordinary means. The crowd numbered 5,000 men, but including women and children it would have been much larger. Philip guessed it would take six months’ wages to buy enough food for them (v. 7), an estimate that may have been a bit low. Even if they would have had the money, they were not near a market. Instead, Andrew found one boy with one small lunch consisting of five barley loaves and two fish. “How far will they go among so many?” he asked (v. 9). Not far, obviously. Andrew’s question implied a request, made in faith, for Jesus to do something.

Jesus in fact already had a plan (v. 6). He miraculously multiplied the boy’s lunch into more than enough food

for all the people. There were even leftovers (v. 13)! One study Bible notes that at this time all Jews carried small baskets for picking up scraps after meals because wasting bread was seen as disrespecting God’s provision. Giving thanks for the food was not a mere ritual, but a way to honor and glorify God for this miracle.

APPLY THE WORD

You probably don’t have to feed a crowd of 5,000, but perhaps it feels like 5,000 bill collectors are knocking at your door! Commit to the Lord any overwhelming situation you’re facing, and read the rest of John 6. Though things look impossible, we can trust God to provide, and we already have the most abundant provision of all—His Son.

 

http://www.todayintheword.org

Streams in the Desert

Streams in the Desert for Kids – No Stress

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2 Corinthians 1:8–9

Today we call pressure stress. You hear many people talking about stress. Stress can be bad if all we do is worry. It can be good if it pushes us toward the only One who has answers for our stress—God our Father.

Once a stressful situation has passed, you come out of it with the ability to help other people. Think about the last time you had to study for a hard test. You probably felt pressure until you finished the test. But now when a friend talks about being stressed out about an exam, you know exactly how he or she feels.

Or do you remember a time when your mom got really sick or your dad traveled away for several weeks? Was it stressful for the rest of your family? But when the sickness or travel was over, you were relieved. Now, you can be understanding when others face a similar situation.

The most important thing to remember is that any time you face pressure, turn to God first. If you learn to rely on him, you will experience his peace and the stress won’t be as overwhelming. Then you will have a truly helpful answer to offer others—God’s strength.

Dear Lord, Everybody talks about being “stressed out.” I’m so glad you are the answer to all stressful situations. Amen.

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley –Sharing the Good News

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Acts 9:1-19

When you receive exciting news, what’s the first thing you do? If you’re like most people, you probably tell someone who will share your joy. The apostle Paul told others about salvation for a similar reason.

God saved Paul on the road to Damascus, and the apostle dedicated the rest of his life to spreading the good news of the gospel. He gave his time, his energy, and ultimately, his life because he was committed to telling people about Jesus.

Why would he do this? Paul felt a deep obligation. First, he was indebted to Jesus for salvation. But his motivation came from more than just his love for and devotion to the Lord. He also felt compelled to offer hope to a world that was in desperate need (1 Tim. 1:15-16).

And the message he gave them was this: God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into the world in human form. Through His death on the cross, Jesus paid mankind’s sin debt in full. All who receive Him as their personal Savior will be forgiven.

Paul realized he needed to bring the gospel to the Greeks as well as to the non-Greeks. In other words, he had to tell everyone. Some would accept the truth, while others would reject it. The apostle himself could not save people—he wasn’t responsible for their reaction. His task was simply to tell about Jesus.

Do you feel the same indebtedness that Paul felt? Pray that God would give you courage and wisdom to share the gospel with others.

Bible in One Year: Acts 5-7

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Seeing Well

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Read: John 15:12–17

Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 50; Hebrews 8

You are my friends if you do what I command.—John 15:14

Raleigh looks like a powerful dog—he is large and muscular and has a thick coat of fur. And he weighs over 100 pounds! Despite his appearance, Raleigh connects well with people. His owner takes him to nursing homes and hospitals to bring people a smile.

Once, a four-year-old girl spotted Raleigh across a room. She wanted to pet him, but was afraid to get close. Eventually, her curiosity overcame her sense of caution and she spent several minutes talking to him and petting him. She discovered that he is a gentle creature, even though he is powerful.

The combination of these qualities reminds me of what we read about Jesus in the New Testament. Jesus was approachable—He welcomed little children (Matt. 19:13-15). He was kind to an adulterous woman in a desperate situation (John 8:1-11). Compassion motivated Him to teach crowds (Mark 6:34). At the same time, Jesus’s power was astounding. Heads turned and jaws dropped as He subdued demons, calmed violent storms, and resurrected dead people! (Mark 1:21-34; 4:35-41; John 11).

The way we see Jesus determines how we relate to Him. If we focus only on His power, we may treat Him with the detached worship we’d give a comic book superhero. Yet, if we overemphasize His kindness, we risk treating Him too casually. The truth is that Jesus is both at once—great enough to deserve our obedience yet humble enough to call us friends. —Jennifer Benson Schuldt

Jesus, thank You for the privilege of knowing You. I acknowledge Your gentle power. I worship You as the Son of God—full of grace and glory.

What we think of Jesus shows in how we relate with Him.

INSIGHT: Jesus spoke of “a new commandment” to love one another (John 13:34). The command to love is not entirely new (1 John 2:7), for God commanded every Jew to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev. 19:18; Matt. 5:43; 22:39). What is new is that Jesus raised the bar to the highest standard of loving: “As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34). He used the words servants and friends to contrast the new level of love and intimacy we now have with Him. The one who loved you as He loved Himself is a true friend, one who will humbly and lovingly serve you (13:1-17), and one who sacrificially loved you, even laying down His life for you (15:13). Sim Kay Tee

 

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Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Lightening the Darkness

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They told me to give it three weeks. “Your eyes and your brain are getting reacquainted again,” he said. “Your eyesight will fluctuate for the next few days.” But less than a week after eye surgery, I was tired of fluctuating. At times my vision was so crisp that it was almost too much for me—like I was somehow seeing more than I should. But this clarity came and went; I was sometimes far-sighted, sometimes near-sighted, sometimes neither very well. Perfect sight was not as immediate as I anticipated.

My experience of Christ is not so far from this. Fittingly, I was given the charge of retelling my story—my journey to faith and sight—the same week I was having trouble seeing. The reflective task of peering into my life, looking at patterns and history with the hope of illumination seemed ironic as I squinted to see my computer screen. But it served as a helpful metaphor. My vision of Christ has been far from immediate. It has been much closer to a fluctuating timeline of beholding and squinting, seeing, not-seeing, and straining to see. My experience has been something more like the blind man’s from Bethsaida. “Do you see anything?” Jesus asked after placing his hands on his eyes. The man looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around” (Mark 8:23-24). Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. “Then his eyes were opened; his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly” (8:25).

For those of us who want to relate to Jesus as the God of immediacy, two-staged miracles are cumbersome. I don’t want fluctuating vision. I am leery of winding roads and long journeys. I want to live knowing that he is the one who makes all things new—now. And he is. But Christ also makes us ready to handle it. God is working that we might be able to stand in the very midst of the one who makes all things new—and apparently we are not always ready.

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Lightening the Darkness →

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Being Honest

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“If you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth” (James 3:14).

Humility is the hallmark of a wise person.

James says that if a person has a self-centered motive for life, he should stop arrogantly boasting. He should stop claiming to possess true wisdom. Why? Because he is lying “against the truth.” In verse 13 James indicates that if a person claims to have God’s wisdom, he must show it. If I see you are motivated by self-centeredness and pride, you ought to stop your arrogant boasting about having the wisdom of God. The fact is, you’re lying against what is obviously true. Stop claiming to have what you don’t have.

“The truth” refers to the saving gospel. Both James 1:18 (“In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth”) and James 5:19 (“If any among you strays from the truth, and one turns him back . . .”) link the truth with the gospel. Anyone who claims to have the wisdom of God but lives a life motivated by “bitter jealousy and selfish ambition” is obviously lying in the face of the gospel. No pretentious claims to a possession of divine wisdom are convincing when they come out of a heart totally motivated by human wisdom.

James is calling you to take an inventory of your heart. Take a look at yourself. What motivates you? Are you motivated by the things that honor God? Are you motivated by a love for others? Are you motivated by humility and unselfishness? There is no single characteristic of unredeemed man more obvious than his pride. And there is nothing more characteristically evident of a redeemed person than his humility.

Suggestions for Prayer

Ask God to help you have a humble attitude and make you more aware of how you can serve Him and others every day.

For Further Study

  • The wise person seeks to be humble. To help you manifest humility in your life, meditate on the following verses: Proverbs 16:19; 22:4; Isaiah 57:15; Micah 6:8; Matthew 18:4; James 4:10; 1 Peter 5:5.
  • Memorize at least one Old Testament verse and one New Testament verse from this list.

 

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Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Reward of Faithfulness

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This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.  Revelation 14:12

Faithfulness is doing what I said I would do. It is an integrity issue. Commitments are not to be taken lightly. For example, a verbal commitment is an unwritten contract. However, these can be the most risky and the most misunderstood. If we make a verbal commitment it behooves us to make sure it is understood by all parties involved. Slow down, communicate more and show up on time for appointments. Less is more. Most of us would be much better off if we focused on fewer commitments.

The Lord has been faithful even in our unfaithfulness. God says what He does and does what He says. He is faithful to forgive our sin and lead us to forgive. He is faithful to convict us of sin and to lead us into righteousness. He is faithful to flood our souls with peace, joy and contentment. God understands what it means to keep a commitment—even at great cost—the death of His only son. Indeed, the Lord is faithful to the faithful.

“To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless…” (Psalm 18:25).

After our conversion we made a commitment to follow Christ. Following Jesus requires fidelity of faith. There are no equals to our love for Him. When He says in His word to “let our yes be yes and our no be no” then we must do so because we want to be faithful to Him and others.

Unfaithfulness will catch up with us if not quickly remedied. How many of us go to bed with conflicting relational commitments? Do not let work, hobbies, children or money become your idols of activity. Faithfulness begins and ends in follow through with our commitments to God.

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – Reward of Faithfulness →

Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – Scamming the System

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Not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.

Romans 12:11

Recommended Reading

Romans 12:9-13

Last summer, the mayor of the Italian town of Boscotrecase had to close down city hall because 23 of his staff were arrested for absenteeism. Staff members learned to scam the system by swiping one another’s passes when clocking into their jobs. Thirty people were involved in the scheme, and among those arrested was the head of the local traffic police.

We’re living in a world where people cut corners whenever they can. After a while, scamming the system becomes a way of life. That doesn’t work on the spiritual level. There aren’t any shortcuts to spiritual growth. The Bible uses the word “diligent” to describe how we should go about our Christian lives. According to Hebrews 11:6, God rewards those who diligently seek Him. Peter told us to be diligent to make our call and election sure. “Be diligent,” he wrote, “to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless” (2 Peter 1:10 and 3:14).

As Christians we need to take responsibility for our walk with God, seeking to be more like Him, sharing our faith and serving others. Don’t try to scam the system. Be diligent to serve the Savior.

I could never have done what I have done without the habits of punctuality, order, and diligence.

Charles Dickens

Read-Thru-the-Bible

Acts 1 – 3

 

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Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Control Your Mouth, Enjoy Your Life

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For the Scriptures say, “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies.” —1 Peter 3:10 NLT

The Bible says that we need to control our tongues if we want to enjoy life, and I believe we all want to enjoy life. I find that reading and meditating on what God’s Word says about the power of words is helpful to me. Here are some of my favorites:

Those who control their tongue will have a long life; opening your mouth can ruin everything (Proverbs 13:3 NLT).

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my [firm, impenetrable] Rock and my Redeemer (Psalm 19:14).

If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless (James 1:26 NIV).

Look up these additional scriptures and meditate on them as you seek to live a powerful life: Proverbs 8:8; 11:9; 12:18; 15:4; 18:21. God’s Word has power in it that will strengthen and enable you to speak words of life that will benefit you.

Power Thought: I am careful and intentional about all that I say.

From the book the book Power Thoughts Devotional by Joyce Meyer.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Girlfriends in God

Girlfriends in God – A Joyful Offense

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Today’s Truth

As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.

2 Chronicles 20:22

Friend to Friend

They were surrounded, outnumbered. Anyone could see it was only a matter of time.

A “vast army” closed the distance on God’s people. A cloud of dust swirled, kicked up by the boots of a thousand of angry warriors. White with fear, witnesses ran to King Jehoshaphat with warning.

The news no doubt caused parents to pull children closer and whisper about ways of escape. The Bible said even King Jehoshaphat—a warrior himself—was “alarmed.” Even so, rather than rouse his generals and arm his men, Jehoshaphat turned his face to God and prayed.

“‘O LORD, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven? We have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.’” (2 Chronicles 20:6, 12)

For years I’ve marveled at Jehoshaphat’s immediate response in crisis. I’m a “get it done” girl. When faced with a problem, I get right to work, try to fix it, resolve it, and make the problem go away. But pray? Sometimes prayer feels too flimsy for a real life crisis.

Jehoshaphat knew otherwise. The best preparation he could make was of the praying kind. Thus, he called men, women and children to circle up. There wasn’t much time, but there was time enough to pray. Food was refused and knees were bent, until God spoke. And He did speak:

“Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s … You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you.” (vs. 15, 17)

Continue reading Girlfriends in God – A Joyful Offense →

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Living the Godly Life

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“As God’s messenger I give each of you God’s warning: Be honest in your estimate of yourselves, measuring your value by how much faith God has given you” (Romans 12:3).

A newly appointed director of affairs for our ministry came to me for counsel after being given his assignment. “Tell me,” he inquired, “what are the biggest problems that I will encounter in my new area of responsibility?”

“Three major ones,” I responded. “First, pride, the problem that causes Satan to seek a place of authority over God Himself, resulting in his expulsion from the heavenly kingdom. Since creation, man’s greatest problem has been pride – thinking more highly of oneself than one ought to think.

“Your second problem will be materialism – the desire to accumulate wealth, to live the good life, to keep up with the Joneses with better houses, cars, clothes, and security.

“And the third problem will be sex, the temptation to immorality. Man’s second greatest drive after self-perservation is sex. In the marriage bond, sex is one of the most beautiful of the God-given privileges. But out of marriage, it results in grieving and quenching the Spirit and, ultimately, in the discipline of God. Therefore, be faithful to the wife that God has given you and love her as Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:25).

“Keep yourself humble by God’s power. Seek the simple life and be motivated and constrained by the love of God for the souls of men, rather than for the good things of this world.”

This is my counsel to all of our staff. It is my message to all Christian leaders and to all who seek to live godly lives.

The highways and byways of the world are littered with men and women of great talent and ability who are no longer being used of God. The fire has gone out of their hearts; the smile is gone from their faces. They harvest no fruit for the kingdom. They have fallen, thinking more highly of themselves than they ought to think, after the example of Satan, the author of pride.

God’s Word admonishes us to think soberly, wisely, prudently and modestly. The faith which we each have is a gift from God, measure by Him. That fact alone should produce in you and me a true, humility, changing any feeling of pride to one of gratitude. The truly humble person regards God as the source of all blessings.

Bible Reading: Ephesians 4:1-6

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: When the temptation comes to think more highly of myself than I ought to think, with God’s help I will remember that everything I have is a gift of His grace. I will humble myself before God and man and, by faith, live a supernatural, godly life, dedicated to the extension of His kingdom

 

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Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – Sincere Love

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Read: Romans 12:9-13

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Romans 12:9-13

This describes love among Christians. It consists of six things. First, he says, Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. He is talking about people. Hate what is evil in people, but don’t reject the person because of the evil. God loves that person. He or she is made in the image of God. True love learns to hate evil but not to reject the good. Hypocritical love, love that pretends to be Christian, does the opposite.

Second, love remembers that relationship is the ground of concern, and not friendship. That is why Paul says, Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. This doesn’t refer to just anyone that is in need; it specifies your brother or sister. The basis of concern for one another is not that we know each other well or enjoy one another, it is that we are related to one another. If we are Christians, we know that we already have a tie that ought to evoke care for one another. They are our brother, our sister and so we treat them warmly and with acceptance.

Third, Paul says that true love regards others as more deserving than yourself: Honor one another above yourselves. I like the J.B Philips translation here. He says, Be willing to let other men have the credit. If you really don’t care who gets the credit, then you can just enjoy yourself and do all kinds of good deeds. Just be glad that it is done, and don’t worry about who gets the credit. Our flesh doesn’t like that. It is very eager to be recognized, but the Word tells us that real love will not act that way.

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Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Faithful Witness

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Read: Revelation 2:12-17

Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you. (v. 13)

There is often a high cost for being “not ashamed of the gospel.” On a visit to a small Bible college in a rural district of India, I heard the story of Navin Doman. The students at the college were from the Kuruk people and Navin Doman was the first Kuruk Christian, converted through the witness of German Lutheran missionaries in the 19th century.

When Doman accepted Christ and was baptized in 1850, the tribal elders seized him, bound him, and told him he would be killed on the spot if he did not renounce Christ. Navin Doman replied, “I will not deny my faith. If you kill me, from each drop of my blood a thousand Christians will spring.” The Kuruk leaders were so impressed with Doman’s courage they allowed him to go free. He became an evangelist, and spent the rest of his life bearing witness to Christ.

The word martyr comes from a Greek word that means “witness.” It is because so many of the early Christian witnesses were like Antipas–faithful to the death–that martyr gained its modern meaning. The African church father Tertullian famously said that the blood of the martyrs was the seed of the church. In God’s providence Navin Doman was not called to seal his testimony with his life’s blood. But his prophecy has come true in other times and places. From every drop of martyr’s blood, a thousand Christians have sprung.

—David Bast

Prayer:

Lord, give me the strength to be a faithful witness.

 

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Reasons to Forgive

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Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.—Ephesians 4:31–32

Without even knowing you, I know this about you: You have been hurt in life. You have had people say unkind things to you. You have had people do mean things to you. There have been incidents in your life where you’ve been treated unfairly.

Some want to rationalize that there is no need to forgive those who have wronged them because they don’t deserve forgiveness. But they have to ask themselves whether they deserve forgiveness themselves. As C. S. Lewis pointed out, “Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have something to forgive.”

Here is what the Bible has to say about forgiving those who have wronged us: “And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:30–32).

God’s command to forgive should be enough. But let me offer another reason why we should learn to be forgiving: it might actually extend our lives. Recent studies have suggested that those who do not forgive are more likely to experience high blood pressure, bouts of depression, and problems with anger, stress, and anxiety. Dr. Charlotte vanOyen Witvliet, a researcher at Hope College, said “If you are willing to exert the effort it takes to be forgiving, there are benefits both emotionally and physically.”

People who have been studying the medical benefits of forgiveness have come to the same conclusion that the Bible came to long ago: it is a good thing to forgive others.

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie