Tag Archives: Bible

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – From Eternity to Eternity

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Read: Romans 8:29-30

For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. Romans 8:29-30

These are the five steps that God takes, stretching from eternity to eternity — far greater than any of our individual lives would suggest. The first step is that God foreknew us. A lot of people talk about how God foreknew what we were going to do, he foreknew that we would believe in Christ. This verse is not dealing with that. This verse is concerned with the question of existence. It is telling us that from among the tremendous number of human beings that have been spawned onto this earth since the creation of man, God foreknew that you and I would be there — as well as all the believers who have preceded us or who will follow us in the course of history.

Then, Paul says, the next step is that God predestined: Ah, you say, I know what that means! That means God looked over the whole group and said, Now these will go to hell, and those will go to heaven. Predestination has nothing to do with going to hell. Predestination has to do only with believers. It simply tells us that God has selected before hand the goal toward which he is going to move every one of us who believes in Christ. That goal is conformity to the character of Christ. Everything that happens to us focuses on that one supreme purpose.

The third step is that God called us: This is where we get into the act. I could not begin to describe to you the mystery and wonder that is involved in this. This means that the Holy Spirit somehow begins to work in our lives. We may be far removed from God, we may have grown up in a non-Christian family, we may be involved in a totally non-Christian faith, or we may be from a Christian home. It does not make any difference. God begins to work and he draws us to himself.

Fourth, those God called, he justified: Justification is God’s gift of worth. Those who are justified are forgiven, cleansed, and given the position before him of being loved, accepted, wanted, and endeared. By the cross, God was freed to give the gift of righteousness. Had he given it apart from the cross, he could have been properly accused of condoning sin — but the cross freed him. It established his righteous justice on other grounds, so that he is now free to give to us the gift of worth without any merit on our part.

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Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – The Soul’s Blood

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Read: Luke 11:5-10

Be constant in prayer. (Rom. 12:12)

Here we have yet another picture of prayer which, although thoroughly biblical, is a snapshot taken from an unexpected angle.

Blood figures repeatedly in Scripture, usually in terms of deliberate bloodshed, whether in battle or murder, or in religious ritual, or supremely in the shedding of Christ’s blood on the cross. But alongside that is the simple physical fact that loss of blood can be fatal. That has always been known. And it would have been known to George Herbert in a particular way; for during Herbert’s years of ministry at Bemerton (near Salisbury) a momentous book was newly published on the discovery and description of the blood circulation system.

This I take to be what Herbert has in mind here, in this surprising little phrase. From birth to death, while others of our organs develop or decline, that constant blood flow between heart and lungs and every other part of the body keeps each of us alive. It draws in and circulates oxygen, and carries away toxins to where they can be dealt with; it fights infections and brings healing to wounds; it enables everything to work as it should. Much of this has long been known, if understood only imperfectly.

Prayer is the circulatory system of the Christian believer, “the soul’s blood,” constantly in action. “Occasional” prayer is an idea to grow out of as early as possible!

Here is the poem in its entirety:

 

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Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Always Watching

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The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

—Matthew 8:25

It was a serious storm to frighten these seasoned fishermen. The disciples were afraid for their lives. Matthew tells us, “Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping” (8:23–24).

In the original language, the word for storm is also used to describe an earthquake. The storm they were facing was a mega storm. It covered the boat to the extent they couldn’t even see past their hands. As The Amplified Bible puts it, “Suddenly a violent storm arose on the sea, so that the boat was being covered by the waves.” And Mark’s Gospel, describing the same storm, says, “High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water” (Mark 4:37).

This gives us an idea of how massive of a storm this was. It reminds me of the TV program Deadliest Catch. I’m glad someone is going out there and doing that job. But looking at what some of those guys face, I would never get on one of their boats. It’s probably like what the disciples went through at sea. Meanwhile, Jesus, who was fully God and fully man, was asleep.

Has it ever seemed to you as though God were sleeping during your times of need? Maybe you were going through some difficulty and called out to the Lord, but you didn’t hear an answer that you knew of. You thought maybe God was just bored, preoccupied, or even asleep. But that isn’t true. The Bible says, “He who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps” (Psalm 121:4).

When the disciples cried out to Jesus, He responded to their call. And He will do the same for us.

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – Submitting to His Discipline

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Today’s Scripture: Hebrews 12:9

“Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?”

John Owen said that to submit to the Father of our spirits denotes “an acquiescence in his sovereign right to do what he will with us as his own; a renunciation of self-will; an acknowledgment of his righteousness and wisdom in all his dealings with us; a sense of his care and love, with a due apprehension of the end of his chastisements; a diligent application of ourselves unto his mind and will, or to what he calls us to in an especial manner at that season; a keeping of our souls by persevering faith from weariness and despondency; a full resignation of ourselves to his will, as to the matter, manner, times, and continuance of our afflictions.”

Owen’s quote is a mouthful, but I’ve used it because it’s such a complete description of the attitude and response toward adversity we need to develop. I encourage you to go back over it several times until you fully grasp what he said.

Submitting to God’s discipline doesn’t mean we shouldn’t pray for relief from the difficulty or seek legitimate means to gain relief. Sometimes the end God has in mind is to exercise our faith, so he brings us into straitened circumstances so that we might look up to him and see his deliverance. But strengthening our faith is an important aspect of discipline.

The main thing is our attitude. We can pray earnestly to God for relief and still be submissive to him regarding the outcome. Jesus is our supreme example in this as he prayed the night before his crucifixion, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39, NIV). (Excerpt taken from The Discipline of Grace)

 

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – Unselfish Leading

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Today’s Scripture: Judges 9-12

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. – 1 John 3:16

I suppose anyone who has read the first eight chapters of the book of Judges could guess what takes place after the death of Gideon. The people turned from following the Lord. But the punishment that followed was not inflicted by some nation who invaded the land from without, but from trouble within caused by a selfish leader.

In Judges 9, we learn of the tyranny of Abimelech, who gained power by committing murder. God had not called him to a position of leadership. His carnal ambition and lust for power were his only call. He surrounded himself with a group of scoundrels who hastened his downfall.

History gives us examples of leaders of nations in our own century who have milked the economy instead of building it, stolen from the people and sent the money to the proverbial Swiss bank account. When things begin to crumble economically and politically, the leader gets in his private jet and flees to another country where he lives in comfort.

The lesson for us is clear. A selfish leader can bring untold grief to people under him. This holds true in a family, a church, an organization, or a nation. What kind of spiritual leadership opportunity is God giving you today? It could be in your family, your church, or with a small group of people hungry to grow in their Christian faith. Whatever the opportunity, accept it as a call from God, step out in faith, and seek His grace to be an unselfish leader. The Lord is waiting to do great things through you.

Prayer

Lord, help me to focus my leadership energy on goals that benefit Your kingdom. Amen.

To Ponder

Am I guilty of selfish leadership in the responsibilities God has given me?

 

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BreakPoint

BreakPoint –  The Bible Shows Its Age: Unfurling the Burnt Scroll

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Is the Bible we read today the same Bible that was written millennia ago by prophets and apostles? That was a question that consumed scholars for generations. You see, prior to 1947, the earliest manuscript copies of the Old Testament were from the Middle Ages. Critics seized on this as a major hole in the Bible’s reliability. How, they asked, could we trust a text that had been copied hundreds of times in the thousands of years since its authors wrote it? Surely it had suffered corruption through all those duplications.

But seventy years ago, a Bedouin shepherd boy shattered those doubts when he threw a rock into a cave, breaking some clay pots containing the Dead Sea Scrolls. These ancient manuscripts of the Old Testament were near matches to the medieval text, confirming our modern Bible’s antiquity and pushing the earliest known evidence for the Hebrew Scriptures back a millennium.

Now, thanks to another discovery on the shores of the Dead Sea, and an exciting technological breakthrough, that date has moved back even further.

This story begins in 1970, when archaeologists at En-Gedi found a burnt scroll that was little more than a lump of charcoal. A fire in 600 AD had destroyed the synagogue there, leaving its ancient documents so brittle that a touch would cause them to disintegrate. Unable to read the scroll, curators merely preserved it, hoping that someday, the technology necessary to peek at its contents would be developed.

Well, that day has arrived. The New York Times reports that computer scientists at the University of Kentucky partnered with biblical scholars in Jerusalem to pioneer a technique for “unfurling” this badly-damaged scroll. Thanks to traces of metal in the ancient ink and a new method for reconstructing 3-D surfaces, known as “volume cartography,” these scientists were able to read the charred parchment, without ever opening it.

The results were stunning. Dr. Michael Segal of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem marveled: “Much of the text is as readable, or close to as readable as actual unharmed Dead Sea Scrolls.”

That text is the first two chapters of Leviticus—ironically, a set of instructions for burnt offerings to the Lord. But what’s really amazing is that the fragment is identical—letter for letter—to the Masoretic text that forms the basis of modern Old Testament translations.

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Today in the Word

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – A TIME OF FEASTING

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Read ESTHER 9:20–28

Jewish people still celebrate the Feast of Purim each year, usually during the month of March. They set aside a day to celebrate God’s deliverance of their people as recorded in the book of Esther. They exchange gifts, make charitable donations, prepare special dishes like pastries nicknamed “Haman’s Hat,” and participate in the public reading of Esther. A special prayer, Al ha-Nissim, which is translated “For the Miracles,” is said at morning, noon, and night. They take time to celebrate and remember what God has done.

Indeed, the Jewish people had a miracle to celebrate. God had delivered them from death. Today’s passage records the very first Purim celebration. Mordecai made the day official (v. 21). They were to do three things: observe a day of feasting, give presents to one another, and give to the poor (v. 22). Certainly this would have been a welcome announcement after months of fear and days of intense battle. God had been good to His people and delivered them from Haman’s wicked plot.

This passage re-tells the story and explains the meaning of the word Purim, which comes from the word pur, the lots that are cast in divination (v. 24). Haman had decided the fate of the Jewish people by consulting fortunetellers who had cast lots, but God prevented Haman from carrying out his wicked plan.

Notice the word every used repeatedly in verse 28. This celebration would be carried out by “every family, and in every province and in every city” (v. 28). The happiness should be pervasive. This event had decided their fate and changed the course of history. They were never to forget what God had done. Purim would help them remember, so “the memory of these days” would not die out for future generations (v. 28).

APPLY THE WORD

We often come to God with requests, and He has invited us to do so. But sometimes we need to set aside time to thank Him for what He has done. We must tell the stories of God’s blessings to our children and our children’s children. Take time today to thank God, to remember what He has done, and to celebrate His work in your life.

 

http://www.todayintheword.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – TRANSGENDER MAN GIVES BIRTH TO CHILD

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A transgender man has given birth after conceiving a child with his transgender wife. Fernando Machado was born a female; his partner Diane Rodriguez was born a male. Neither has completed sex reassignment surgery. As a result, the transgender man was impregnated by his transgender wife and bore a child.

Gender identity issues are increasingly in the news these days. The Wall Street Journal reports that sex reassignment surgery is becoming more common as a growing number of hospitals offer the procedure and insurance companies provide coverage. And efforts are underway to encourage more children to question their gender identity.

For instance, Washington State public school curriculum will begin teaching kindergarteners to “understand there are many ways to express gender.” By grade five, students will be taught to “identify trusted adults to ask questions about gender identity and sexual orientation.” We are likely to see more such initiatives: The Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network received a $1.425 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control in 2011 to promote the LGBT agenda in public schools at taxpayers’ expense.

It’s no coincidence that unbiblical morality is increasing as trust in the Bible decreases. Since 1990, the American Library Association (ALA) has released each year a list of the ten “most challenged books.” Now the ALA has released its 2015 list. For the first time, The Holy Bible is on the list. The only reason given: “Religious viewpoint.”

According to Barna, the percentage of adults who read the Bible once a week or more is steadily declining. It is highest among Elders (49 percent) and lowest among Millennials (24 percent). In addition, the number of people who disagree strongly that “the Bible is totally accurate in all the principles it teaches” has nearly doubled in the last six years.

In the moral maelstrom of these days, how can you and I make a difference?

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Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Using a Wrong Approach

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Genesis 3:1-8

The Lord promises to supply our needs, but that means in His way and time frame. There might be temptations to take a wrong approach, so we must be careful not to push ahead of God or follow a route that leads away from Him.

Some people think their security rests in bank accounts, prestige, other people, or possessions. This can lead to becoming a workaholic who sacrifices relationships for financial gain. Or it could tempt someone to engage in unethical activities. In contrast, by basing our life on the security we have in Christ, we will have peace of mind and heart.

Another unhealthy way to meet our needs involves looking for companionship outside of God’s established boundaries. We may find temporary excitement in an inappropriate relationship, but in the end, that road brings pain and disappointment.

The enemy wants us to provide for ourselves in a way that is independent of God and out of line with His will. Satan deceived Adam and Eve by implying that the Lord was keeping some important information from them; he suggested that his course of action, not the Creator’s, would make them wise. The first man and woman exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and it cost them dearly. If we allow wrong thinking to direct our actions, we get ourselves into a lot of trouble, too.

It’s important to understand what we have received through our relationship with Jesus. Learning to depend on Him will help us avoid wrong approaches to getting what we need.

Bible in One Year: Habakkuk 1-3

 

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — True Riches

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Read: Luke 12:22-34

Bible in a Year: Isaiah 3-4; Galatians 6

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.—Luke 12:34

At the memorial service for my friend’s dad, someone said to her, “Until I met your father, I didn’t know a person could have fun while helping others.” Her dad contributed his part in helping to build the kingdom of God through serving people, laughing and loving, and meeting strangers who became friends. When he died, he left a legacy of love. In contrast, my friend’s aunt—her father’s older sister—viewed her possessions as her legacy, spending her latter years worrying about who would protect her heirlooms and rare books.

In His teaching and by His example, Jesus warned His followers to avoid hoarding possessions, to give to the poor, and to value what will not rust or decay. “For where your treasure is,” Jesus said, “there your heart will be also” (Luke 12:34).

We might think our things give meaning to our life. But when the latest gadget breaks or we misplace or lose something valuable, we begin to realize that it is our relationship with the Lord that satisfies and endures. It is our love and care for others that does not wither and fade away.

Let’s ask the Lord to help us see clearly what we value, to show us where our heart is, and to help us seek His kingdom above all (12:31). —Amy Boucher Pye

What do you value? Read the story about the manna in the wilderness in Exodus 16. Consider how this story relates to Jesus’s words to the crowds in Luke 12.

What we value reveals the state of our heart.

INSIGHT: The theme of true riches, as seen in today’s devotional, is one that is also found in the book of Proverbs. Since this book is a collection of wise sayings, it is no surprise that it would have much to offer about our attitudes toward wealth and material possessions. In Proverbs 8:18 we read that all of the blessings of life, whether material or spiritual, are a gift from God.

 

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John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – The Spirit Unveils the New Covenant

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“Whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a man turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away” (2 Corinthians 3:15-16).

One of the most important truths the Holy Spirit unveils for us is the glory of the New Covenant.

The Old Testament contains many veiled statements, types, prophecies, and parables. The Israelites didn’t understand most of those things because the Old Testament didn’t have plainness of speech. Its glory was veiled and was even described as fading away (2 Cor. 3:13-14).

In contrast to the Old Covenant, the present New Covenant age is characterized by the clarity of all the key doctrinal and practical passages in the New Testament. This progress from the veiled glory of the previous era to the unveiled glory of the present era occurred when the Holy Spirit came in the Book of Acts. All that God wants us to know and do is clearly brought into focus now because of the teaching ministry of the indwelling Spirit.

The Spirit guides and enlightens New Covenant believers as they read and study God’s Word. Therefore, there is no longer any need, for example, to unscramble the pictures and prophecies regarding Christ. Thus Paul can say, “We use great plainness of speech” (2 Cor. 3:12, KJV). He goes on to say in verses 17-18, “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”

Those verses describe the essence of the Christian life: becoming like Jesus Christ. The only way to do that is to know well the unveiled glory of the New Covenant and allow the Holy Spirit to change you more and more into the Savior’s image.

Suggestions for Prayer

  • As you go through this day, ask the Lord to remind you often of the glory, clarity, and freedom you have under the New Covenant.
  • Pray that all your actions would reflect this truth.

For Further Study

  • Hebrews 8 begins a discussion and outline of the superiority of the New Covenant. Read this chapter, and record what it says are differences and improvements from the Old to the New Covenant.
  • Who mediates the New Covenant?

 

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Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Don’t Stick Your Fingers in All the Chocolates

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If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. John 15:10

Have you ever struggled with fully obeying God? I have. I once sensed the Lord nudging me toward obedience. It was as if He was telling me to let go of some potential opportunities because I was giving them too much importance in my life; they were edging in on the place in my heart reserved just for Him. These opportunities were like a box of chocolates.

It was as if God was saying, “Wait! Don’t eat those. I have something better for you.” But, because I didn’t fully trust God I didn’t listen, so I gave into temptation and I “stuck my fingers” in all of the “chocolates of opportunity.” I still wanted to check out the possibilities because I doubted God would show up. I wanted a back-up. So, I hedged the line of disobedience without completely disobeying. And, because I hadn’t completely submitted to Him, I didn’t have peace, so panic ruled my life instead.

“This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: ‘In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it”’ (Isaiah 30:15).

Have you ever been there? Remember, we may partially obey God, but it’s still disobedience. Even if we are only “partially sinning,” we won’t experience peace because it’s only where God rules that peace reigns. We may partially obey God in a small matter like purchasing a car, or in something bigger like getting married, or following Him into a new calling. If God says to wait, or if he chooses another option for us, maybe we think, “Well, it’s not really a big deal if I change things up just a little, right?” We must be careful not to deceive ourselves. We will reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7).

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Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Try Some Shrug Therapy

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Do not be quick in spirit to be angry or vexed, for anger and vexation lodge in the bosom of fools. – Ecclesiastes 7:9

There are some things you can control in life—who your friends are, what you eat, and when you go to bed, for example. There are other things you can’t control, such as what other people say or the flat tire you got last night. The way you respond to things you can’t control helps determine your stress level and your quality of life and health. I have two suggestions about dealing with things you can’t control. First, if you can’t control them, don’t take responsibility for them. And second, I like to say, “Do your best, pray, and let God do the rest!”

People who regularly get upset over small things suffer in many ways. People who shrug them off do much better. Shrugging off certain things doesn’t mean you are indifferent; it simply means you’ve accepted the fact that you can’t do anything to change them at that time. The flat tire has already happened. Calling someone to come fix it makes sense; throwing a tantrum and kicking the tire does not. We need to deal appropriately with each stressor as it arises so that we don’t end up exploding in frustration over the unavoidable bumps on the road of life.

God works in mysterious ways. You never know when He may use some inconvenience or frustration for your good. He is in control, and if you trust Him to work things out, you’ll be able to ride the ups and downs of life with peace, joy, and strength.

Love Yourself Today: Refuse to live in frustration. Take life one day at a time, and when things happen that you don’t like, say, “It is what it is and God is still in control.”

From the book Love Out Loud by Joyce Meyer.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Girlfriends in God

Girlfriends in God – The Miracle is On Its Way

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Today’s Truth

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

Colossians 4:2

Friend to Friend

Christmas morning is serious business at the Southerland home. The sequence of events does not vary. First come the stockings. Everyone has a bulging stocking spilling over with small gifts.

And I am not talking about just any old stocking stuffers. I listen and question and watch our children and grandchildren all year long to see what makes their eyes sparkle and their faces light up.

I keep an ever-evolving Christmas list. No one knows where I keep it. And no one ever will if I can help it. I begin buying stocking stuffers and gifts each summer, and I stash them in secret hiding places around the house. I told you … serious business!

After the stockings are opened, we take a break to clean up and eat breakfast. Dan then reads the Christmas story and talks about the miracle of Jesus’ birth.

It is then time to open gifts. We try to follow the rule of taking turns so everyone can enjoy the process. It works pretty well with the adults, but not so much with the kids. The adults usually end up waiting to open gifts until the kids have opened all of theirs. Watching the children really is my favorite part of the day.

One Christmas, God used our oldest grandson to teach me an important lesson. He was six years old at the time and desperately wanted a red remote control Corvette for Christmas. All year long I had heard about this amazing car, so when I found it during a Christmas in July sale, I quickly bought it and stashed it in one of my secret spots.

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Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Ask What You Will

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“If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7, KJV).

When Campus Crusade for Christ began at the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1951, our first act was to organize a 24-hour prayer chain. Around the clock, scores of men and women interceded for UCLA students and faculty. God answered prayer in a remarkable way, as His Spirit touched the entire campus.

Thirty-one years later, more than 16,000 full-time and associate staff members of Campus Crusade for Christ in more than 150 countries and protectorates are teaching millions of others the importance of prayer, with revolutionary spiritual results and many millions receiving Christ.

Prayer has always been the breathe, life, vitality, strength and power of the Christian. Beginning with our Lord, who spent much time in prayer, and continuing with the disciples and fruitful, Spirit-filled Christians through the centuries, prayer remains a major emphasis in the life of every believer.

History records no mighty men or women of God whose lives were not characterized by prayer, nor any great spiritual movements, awakenings or revivals that were not preceded by prayer. James 4:2 reminds us, “Ye have not, because ye ask not.”

It is not enough to pray, we must pray according to the Word and will of God. For that reason, understanding and obeying our Scripture assignment for today is crucial. We must abide in Christ and allow His Word to abide in us before we are qualified to pray. God’s Word reminds us, “And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us; And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.” (1 John 5:14,15, KJV).

Bible Reading: Matthew 7:7-11

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: From this day forth I will seek, through the enabling of the Holy Spirit, to abide in Christ and have His Word abide in me. As I discover God’s Will through the diligent study of His Word and the leading of His Holy Spirit, I will pray more intelligently and thus can expect answers to my prayers.

 

http://www.cru.org

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – All Things

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Read: Romans 8:26-28

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:26-28

Never separate these verses. The Spirit prays according to the mind of God, and the Father answers by bringing into our lives and working through the experiences that we need. He sends into our life the experiences that we need, no matter what they may be.

Now, that means that even the trials and tragedies that happen to us are an answer from the Father to the praying of the Spirit, doesn’t it? You may be in an automobile accident today. Someone may steal your purse. You may find your house is on fire. There are a thousand and one possibilities. What we need to understand is that these things do not happen by accident. They happen because the Spirit which is in you prayed and asked that the Father allow them to happen — because you or someone close to you needs what God will accomplish in them. These are the results of the praying of the Spirit.

The joys, the unexpected blessings, and the unusual things that happen to you are also the result of the Spirit’s praying. The Spirit is praying that these things will happen, he is voicing the deep concern of God himself for your needs and mine. Out of this grows the assurance that no matter what happens, God will work it together for good. This verse does not tell us that everything that happens to us is good. It does say that whether the situation is bad or good, it will work together for good for you if you are one who is loved and called by God. What a difference that makes as we wait for the coming of the glory! God is working out his purposes within us.

Paul is telling us here that we can wait with patience because nature testifies of his glorious coming, and our own experience confirms it as well. We are being prepared for something — we can’t really tell what it is, specifically, but we are getting ready for something. One of these days, at the end of our lives, if not before, we will step out of time into an incredible experience of glory, something that begs description — a glory that Christ himself shares, and that we all shall share with him.

Continue reading Ray Stedman – All Things →

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Church-Bells Beyond the Stars

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Read: Isaiah 33:17-20

The king in his beauty . . . a land of far distances. (v. 17)

“Church-bells beyond the stars heard”: here is a remarkable phrase. This is picture language, of course, but perhaps the strangest of all these metaphors for prayer. And here is light on it from another English poet, this time only one century ago! A. E. Housman wrote “Bredon Hill,” a notable viewpoint in the west of England: “In summertime on Bredon / The bells they sound so clear; / Round both the shires they ring them, / In steeples far and near.” We hear much less bell ringing in my country nowadays. But for Herbert in the 17th century, as for Housman in the early 20th, it was “a happy noise to hear.” Familiar, regular, a universal call to focus afresh on God and his gospel: “Good people, come and pray,” sang the bells.

But notice the background to today’s title. In the previous line of his sonnet the older poet has been stargazing, looking out at the vastness of the universe, to somewhere even beyond the Milky Way, where God the Creator-King sits enthroned. Truly his creation is “a land of far distances” (v. 17). Yet as Herbert’s mind struggles to take in this immensity, what happens? “Beyond the stars” he hears “church bells.” Good people, come and pray, sing the chiming steeples around Bredon. These gatherings of humble village folk, “summoned by bells,” are likely to be encounters with God even more real, and of greater significance, than what an astronomer might find at the far end of the universe.

Here is the poem in its entirety:

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Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Perfect Peace

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You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.—Isaiah 26:3

I remember asking Billy Graham a number of years ago about what he experienced when he gave the invitation for people to come to Christ at a crusade. He said, “When I am preaching and giving the invitation, I feel like power is draining out of me.” I understand that, because it is a spiritual battle that rages on. When we are serving the Lord, it can be draining in many ways. It can even be draining spiritually.

Jesus, who was fully God, also was fully man. That means He was human just like you and me. He felt pain. He felt sorrow. He felt hunger. And He could feel weary from a hard day’s work. In Matthew 8, we read that Jesus, tired after a day of ministry, was sleeping soundly. He and the disciples were on a very primitive wooden boat, being tossed back and forth like a cork in the ocean.

How do you sleep in a storm like that? You can sleep in a storm when you’re confident in the will of God. In other words, you know you’re doing what you should be doing. Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”

Sometimes the worries and pressures of life keep us awake at night. When this happens to me, I’ll pray about it and say, “Lord, I can’t worry about this for a while, so I’m going to let You worry about it. I’m going to get some shut-eye.” I’m being humorous, of course, because I know God isn’t going to worry about it. But I’m entrusting the matter to Him. That is what we need to do when we’re tired and overwhelmed by worry. We need to cry out to God.

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Sanctifies Us

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“They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.” (John 17:16-19)

What does it mean to “sanctify” something? “Sanctify” means to clean up something, to set something apart as special or for special use, to make it appropriate for a special purpose. The word “sanctify” has the idea of making something holy, purifying it, setting it apart for a special spiritual purpose.

Have you ever been in a stable? It is not especially clean, is it? There are animals in stables, and all the things that go along with animals – their food, the way they smell, the dirt that they get on them. Stables, even when they have been cleaned out, are not exactly clean! But they are clean enough for their purpose – to be a house for animals like cows and horses.

Have you ever been to the mother-baby floor of a hospital? There is a very special nursery room for the newborn babies there. It is a room set apart for them, and it is always kept 100% spic-and-span clean. Why? Because babies pick up germs and sicknesses very easily. It is important to keep germs away from them until they grow strong and healthy enough to fight off sicknesses. This room is so set apart that normal people (non-nurses and non-babies) have to wear special robes to go in there and sit with the babies. Sometimes they have to wear masks. Normal people would look funny wearing masks and robes in a supermarket or at the library – but in a hospital nursery, we do not think it is strange. It is appropriate and right to be careful around babies in a hospital nursery. That room is set apart just for them.

Now, even though Jesus was born in a stable, we would probably never dream of putting a newborn baby in a stable under normal circumstances. Even the cleanest of stables will still have germs and weird smells – and no nurses or masks or robes! So what made the stable where Jesus was born a good enough stable for His birth to happen in? Well, that stable was special because God, in His sovereign wisdom and power, had prepared it and set it apart for the birth of His Son. By itself, that stable would have been just as dirty and smelly – and as inappropriate for a nursery – as any other dirty and smelly stable. But because God chose it and “sanctified” it, it was a good enough place for Jesus’ birth.

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – God Sanctifies Us →

The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – The Reign of Christ

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Today’s Scripture: Matthew 11:27

“All things have been handed over to me by my Father.”

The concept of Christ’s reign is stated most explicitly in the words of Jesus commonly known as the Great Commission: “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20).

Here Jesus first asserts his universal authority, then commands his disciples to go and make disciples—to bring people of all nations under the sway of his authority. Whatever other meanings we may include in the word disciple, it must capture this idea of coming under the reign and rule of Jesus Christ.

The reign of Christ among all nations is a parallel goal to that of bringing the blessing of Christ to all nations. The goal of Christ’s universal blessing focuses on people’s needs. They desperately need to be rescued from God’s coming wrath, and to be redeemed from their futile, destructive ways of life.

The goal of Christ’s reign focuses on his authority in the hearts of those people. Jesus came “to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good” (Titus 2:14). This speaks of the rule and reign of Christ in the heart of every individual believer.

Both these goals—the blessing and the reign of Christ—are accomplished through the successful proclamation of the Gospel among all nations, or to the ends of the earth.

 

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