Tag Archives: Bible

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Sins of the Spirit

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How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults.—Psalm 19:12

Sin is not always obvious. Some sins are, however, such as murder, adultery, and stealing. But other sins are more subtle, like pride, selfishness, and gossip. Sometimes we will sin in ignorance or presumption. That is why David prayed, “How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. Keep your servant from deliberate sins!” (Psalm 19:12–13).

The Bible talks about sins of the flesh and sins of the spirit. Paul pointed out in 2 Corinthians 7:1, “Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.”

What does it mean to commit a sin of the spirit? It is to knowingly go against what is true. We talk about some sins being worse than others. But it may not be the sins that we think. Jesus said to Pontius Pilate, “You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above. So the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin” (John 19:11, emphasis added).

Jesus was talking about either Caiaphas or Judas. Caiaphas was the high priest who had a hand in putting Jesus up on false charges and then sent Him to the Romans to do his dirty work and crucify Him. Then there was Judas, who betrayed Him.

Either way it is the same. Judas was one of the handpicked disciples of Christ who betrayed the Lord, and Caiaphas, the high priest, should have known better. The point is, when you have been schooled in the Scriptures like Caiaphas or exposed to the truth and the power of God like Judas, you are without excuse.

Knowledge brings responsibility.

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – The LORD Disciplines His Loved Ones

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“My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?” (Hebrews 12:5b-7)

Melody was playing an old vinyl record, listening to the story of the Three Little Pigs. She laughed at the part where the older, smarter brother-pig (the one who built his house out of bricks) was punishing his younger, silly brothers for their foolishness. They had made their houses out of straw and sticks, mostly so they would have more time left in the day to goof around. They mocked their brother for working all day.

The voice of the older-brother-pig was a gruff, matter-of-fact voice. Melody decided it was a great voice for that character. If she had not heard the beginning of the story, she would have thought he was being awfully mean to his little brothers. But now that she knew how silly they were, she began to wonder if he might be going too easy on them! He was always having to help them get out of trouble with the Big Bad Wolf!

How foolish the little pigs were! They thought their brother was boring and old-fashioned. They just wanted him to relax and play all day with them. They laughed at their brother for always worrying about danger and the Big Bad Wolf. All they could see was how he worked all day building a house that was safe, and he never wanted them to have any fun. They did not understand that he loved them and did not want the Big Bad Wolf to get them.

Do you take it seriously when God disciplines you? Do you understand what it means when He allows you to get in trouble for sins you wanted to hide? We should all be careful to respond rightly to our heavenly Father’s correction. He corrects us because He loves us.

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – The LORD Disciplines His Loved Ones →

The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – Assuming God’s Role

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Today’s Scripture: Matthew 7:1

“Judge not, that you be not judged.”

It’s easy to become judgmental toward anyone whose opinions are different from ours, then to hide our judgmentalism under the cloak of Christian convictions. Paul wrote, “Stop judging one another regardless of which position you take.” Then he added, “Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand” (Romans 14:4). Basically, Paul was saying, “stop trying to play God toward your fellow believers in Christ. God is the Judge, not you.”

That’s what we’re doing when we judge others whose preferences and practices are different from ours. We’re arrogating to ourselves a role God has reserved for himself. Perhaps this is what Jesus had in mind in the well-known words of Matthew 7:3 when he said, “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” Could that log in our eye be the log of judgmentalism, arrogating to ourselves the role of God?

Here we see Jesus using hyperbole to make his point. Physically, it’s impossible to have a log in one’s eye. But the log in one’s own eye may well represent God’s verdict on our sin of judgmentalism. If I’m correct, then the seriousness of the sin of judgmentalism is not so much that I judge my brother as that in so doing I assume the role of God.

We sin if we condemn the obviously flagrant sins of others without at the same time acknowledging that we ourselves are still sinners before God. One of the major objectives of this book is to help us stop doing that. (Excerpt taken from Respectable Sins)

 

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – First Love

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Today’s Scripture: Revelation 1-3

“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm–neither hot nor cold–I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” – Revelation 3:15-16

I was sitting in the Sunday evening service of an evangelical church in the South. The preacher was delivering a sermon that was known in that part of the country as a stem-winder, or barnburner. His Scripture-filled message was fiery–full of compassion and concern for the lost.

About halfway through, I looked around at the congregation and saw that some were responding to the preacher’s impassioned plea with a hearty yawn. Eyelids were drooping, and some had even drifted off to sleep.

Don’t get me wrong. These were good people. Some had put in years of faithful service for the Lord. Many had shown a zeal for evangelism and a concern for the spiritual growth of new Christians. But somehow they had become spiritually flat. They were comfortable, lethargic, engulfed in spiritual dullness. What happened?

Jesus said in Revelation 2:2-5, “I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love… Repent and do the things you did at first.”

Christian, has your devotion to Christ cooled? Has your fervency in serving God been replaced by a sense of duty? If there was a time when your heart burned hotter and brighter than it does today, Jesus says it’s time to repent and go the other way. Ask Him to rekindle the flame and renew the joy and excitement of your first love for Him.

Prayer

Lord, renew the flame of my first love–for You and for Your kingdom. Amen.

To Ponder

Do you still experience the same excitement, dedication, and hunger for the Word that you did as a new believer?

 

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BreakPoint

BreakPoint –  Study: ‘Born This Way’ Science Lacks Evidence

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If you blinked sometime around 2010, you probably didn’t recognize the country when you opened your eyes. Once President Obama “evolved” on marriage, and the Supreme Court redefined that institution, the remaining cultural dominoes are falling, and fast.

This year alone, laws were proposed that would force Christian colleges to deny their beliefs, and a federal directive demanded that schools nationwide accommodate transgender students in both restrooms and athletics. And this march is accompanied by the persistent media drumbeat that “the science is settled” on these issues.

But the rhetoric is way ahead of the research. A sweeping new report in the The New Atlantis surveys decades of published data on sexual orientation, gender dysphoria, and the psychology behind them. The results are turning heads. Not only is the science behind LGBT claims far from settled, but these findings call into question foundational assumptions of the new sexual orthodoxy.

Dr. Paul McHugh and Lawrence Mayer, psychiatric experts, argue that “there is a large gap between the certainty with which beliefs about [sexual orientation and gender identity] are held…and what a sober assessment of the science reveals.”

Their report identifies major areas where scientific findings don’t support the triumphal rhetoric of activists. First, the idea that “gay” people are “born that way,” genetically pre-programmed to be attracted to their own sex, lacks evidence.

“Genes,” write the authors, “constitute only one of the many key influences on behavior in addition to environmental influences, personal choices, and interpersonal experiences.” So-called “sexual orientation” is “fluid,” not “fixed” and often changes throughout a person’s life. In fact, some studies found that eighty percent of males who reported homosexual or bisexual feelings as children later identified exclusively as heterosexual.

Their report also tackles the transgender question, comparing actual research to the lofty claims of activists. Once again, there’s a yawning chasm. Only a tiny minority of children who experience gender dysphoria continue to identify as transgender when they’re adults.

Continue reading BreakPoint –  Study: ‘Born This Way’ Science Lacks Evidence →

Moody Global Ministries

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – THE TRINITY AND THE BLESSINGS OF SALVATION

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Read EPHESIANS 1:3–14

A recent study found that the five happiest cities in America are all in one state: Louisiana! The researchers explored well-being and life satisfaction data from many sources. The five happiest cities emerged as Lafayette, Houma, Shreveport, Baton Rouge, and Alexandria, Louisiana.

Today’s reading, which is all one sentence in Greek, perfectly captures the genuine happiness and joy of redemption. The Father is the giver of this greatest of all blessings. He possesses all wisdom and under- standing (v. 8), and in it He sovereignly chose us (vv. 4–5). At just the right time, He revealed His will and lavished on us the riches of His grace (vv. 6–10). His plan for history is moving irresistibly forward (v. 11).

The Son is the means of salvation. The blessings the Father gives are “in Christ” (v. 3). He has chosen us “in him” (vv. 4, 11). Our adoption and inclusion in God’s family are “through Jesus Christ” (vv. 5, 13). God’s grace is “in the One he loves” (v. 6). Our forgiveness is “in him” and “through his blood” (v. 7). God’s will is “purposed in Christ” and His plan is to put everything “under Christ” (vv. 9–10; Phil. 2:9–11). Our hope is truly “in Christ” alone (v. 12).

The Spirit is the “seal” of our salvation, God’s mark of ownership (vv. 13–14). He is also “a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance,” a down payment on the fullness of salvation. If God can refer to Himself as a “deposit,” how inexpressibly glorious the complete reality will be! Let’s close our study this month with a Trinitarian benediction: “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Cor. 13:14). Amen!

APPLY THE WORD

As you think about this study of the Trinity, what has God taught you about Himself? Prayerfully ask the Lord to reveal which truth He would like to apply in your life. You may find it helpful to write down your thoughts in a spiritual journal or discuss them with a close friend. May God richly bless your attentive consideration of His Word!

 

http://www.todayintheword.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – TWO AMAZING STORIES OF RESILIENCE    

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This morning’s ABC News headline caught my eye: “Dog Swims Over 6 Miles to Reunite With Family After Falling Off Boat in Lake Michigan.” The ten-month-old puppy fell overboard, swam to shore, then walked over twelve miles to a campground where she was reunited with her family the next day.

Now consider another story of resilience. Humans have long aspired to go to Mars, but six months of travel and life in claustrophobic conditions make the psychological part of the expedition as daunting as the physical. ICE environments (isolated, confined, and extreme) have long challenged explorers.

That’s why six astronauts spent twelve months in isolation on a simulated Martian plain. The three-woman, three-man crew lived in a dome-shaped habitat on a lava plain on the flank of Mauna Loa in Hawaii. They worked in conditions as close to Martian as science could make them. And they proved that humans are often as resilient as we need to be.

To many Christians, our culture feels more Martian by the day. As a recent article noted, “Many conservative Christians just don’t feel welcome in their own country. They say they are either mocked or erased in popular culture.” One pastor asked, “When was the last time you saw an evangelical or conservative Christian character portrayed positively on TV?”

But God promises, “In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37). Scripture enjoins us: “Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9).

Rather than viewing negative cultural shifts as cause for retreat, let’s use them to strengthen our commitment to serving Jesus. In this context, consider David Brooks’s latest column in The New York Times. In his view, personal strength is a product of personal significance.

Continue reading Denison Forum – TWO AMAZING STORIES OF RESILIENCE     →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Experiencing God’s Love

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Ephesians 3:17-19

In today’s passage, Paul prays that the Ephesians will grasp the depth of Christ’s love. Though divine care is beyond human comprehension, the apostle says God will give spiritual understanding so we can experience Him more fully. But there are four things that keep us from getting a handle on His love and resting in it.

  1. We think God’s acceptance is imperfect and conditional like ours. Yet the Bible tells us that His compassion comes from His character and is not dependent upon our morality, choices, or thoughts. (See Rom. 5:8.)
  2. When we recognize our sin, we often experience guilt. Sometimes this leads to feeling unworthy of the Father’s ultimate love. Instead, let a guilty conscience lead you back to God so that you can repent. Realize that His love and forgiveness are greater than any sin. He promises that there is no condemnation for His followers (Rom. 8:1).
  3. There are some teachers who encourage legalism. This traps a person into feeling he or she must earn God’s favor. It also contradicts the divine truth that our Father loves His children without condition.
  4. Some of us have a difficult time reconciling God’s love with His discipline. These can exist together, however. His correction flows from compassion, just as loving parents must redirect their children.

Recognizing God’s love will bring peace and joy to your life. At the same time, it doesn’t give license to sin. Like any caring father, the Lord will use discipline to bring you back to Him. Instead, why not let His love motivate you to walk in a holy and obedient manner before Him?

Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 10-12

 

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Gentle Influence

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Read: Colossians 3:12–17 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 129–131; 1 Corinthians 11:1–16

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

A few years before he became the 26th U.S. president (1901–1909), Theodore Roosevelt got word that his oldest son, Theodore Jr., was ill. While his son would recover, the cause of Ted’s illness hit Roosevelt hard. Doctors told him that he was the cause of his son’s illness. Ted was suffering from “nervous exhaustion,” having been pressed unmercifully by Theodore to become the “fighter” hero-type he himself had not been during his own frail childhood. Upon hearing this, the elder Roosevelt made a promise to relent: “Hereafter I shall never press Ted either in body or mind.”

The father was true to his word. From then on he paid close attention to how he treated his son—the very same son who would one day bravely lead the landing of Allied soldiers on Utah Beach in World War II.

Since Jesus came in humility, how can we withhold kindness from one another?

God has entrusted each of us with influence in the lives of others. We have a deep responsibility in those relationships, not only to spouses and children, but to friends, employees, and customers. The temptation to press too hard, to demand too much, to force progress, or to orchestrate success can lead us to harm others even when we don’t realize it. For this very reason, followers of Christ are urged to be patient and gentle with one another (Col. 3:12). Since Jesus, the Son of God, came in humility, how can we withhold such kindness from one another?

What kind of expectations do you have of the people in your life—at home and at work? Think about the influence you might have on others. How can you reflect more of the character of Jesus?

What God does for us we should do for others.

INSIGHT:

Most scholars believe the apostle Paul wrote Colossians from a Roman prison cell around ad 60, about the same time he wrote Ephesians, Philippians, and Philemon. Paul seems to have had two primary purposes for writing this letter to the church at Colossae. First, he wanted the Colossian believers to know that Christ is superior to all human accomplishments, philosophies, and angelic beings. Second, he longed for these dear saints to experience freedom from the moralistic regulations and religious systems that enslaved them.

By Randy Kilgore

 

http://www.odb.org

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – ‘Roughing It’

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Many years ago, my brother and I went on a backpacking trip in Washington State. My brother had done many such trips, but this would be my first. I was living in Tennessee at the time and had joined a hiking club that made frequent excursions into the Smoky Mountains. I ‘practiced’ for my backpacking trip by carrying a school backpack filled with water and snacks. I believed I was ready for the more arduous hiking in the North Cascades. But I could not begin to be ready for the 30-pound pack and the relentless switchbacks climbing a thousand feet or more up the backcountry peaks.

There was always something about camping and backpacking that appealed to me. I relished the thought of ‘roughing it’ for a time—forsaking the comforts of my normal life for the extreme deprivation of having to take only what was necessary into the wilderness. Perhaps I saw this kind of activity as a way to expand my own resilience by taking on the additional physical challenge of climbing a spectacular peak with a huge backpack on my back. In reality, the challenge of just getting my tent set up was enough to throw me into fits of whining and complaining. The thin mat I would sleep on barely hid the sharp rocks beneath me, and the constant insect threats revealed that my resilience was almost non-existent. I imagined the comforts of civilization—instant access to a shower, fresh water, and food—as we used a water filter to replenish our water supply from a local stream, ate just what was necessary to sustain us for a few days, and continued our trek without a change of clothes or a shower. If camping and backpacking taught me nothing else, it certainly taught me how much I take for granted in my life, and how easily I wanted to give up at the slightest inconvenience.

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – ‘Roughing It’ →

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Living One Day at a Time

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“‘Do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own’” (Matthew 6:34).

The believer is not to worry about his future.

British pastor Martyn Lloyd-Jones said, “Although it is very right to think about the future, it is very wrong to be controlled by it.” He was right, because worry is a tremendous force that will endeavor to defeat you. It will try to destroy you today by making you upset and anxious. But if it loses today, it will take you into the future until it finds something to make you worry about. In Matthew 6:34 Jesus says that you have enough to deal with today. Take the resources of today for the needs of today, or you will lose the joy of today.

Lack of joy is a sin too. Many people lose their joy because of worry about tomorrow, and they miss the victory God gives them today. That is not fair to Him. God gives you a glorious and blissful day today; live in the light and fullness of the joy of that day, and use the resources God supplies. Don’t push yourself into the future and forfeit the joy of today over some tomorrow that may never happen. Learn this one little statement: fear is a liar. It will cause you to lose the joy of today. What’s more, God gives strength for only one day at a time. He doesn’t give you grace for tomorrow until tomorrow.

When the Bible says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever” (Heb. 13:8), it means He will be doing the same thing tomorrow that He was doing yesterday. If you have any questions about the future, look at the past. Did He sustain you then? He will sustain you in the future. Since there is no past, present, or future with Him, there is no need for you to worry.

Suggestions for Prayer

Praise God for being the same yesterday, today, and forever.

For Further Study

Read Lamentations 3:21-24.

  • What never ceases and never fails (v. 22)?
  • What does that say about God (v. 23)?
  • What does that give you (v. 21)?

 

http://www.gty.org

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – How to Trust God with Your Future

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“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

As I write this, I am alone in a rented condo in northern Illinois. I decided to take a few days away from home to pray and seek the Lord. This morning, I sat in a chair next to the window and asked Him to speak to me as I read His Word. When I opened the Scripture, Matthew 6:24 caught my attention, “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

I have to confess that in recent days, an insecurity has settled into my spirit about financial provision. I am not sure if it has to do with getting older and peering into an uncertain future, or something else. But deep down I feel it has to do with fear, an ungodly emotion that has taken my heart captive while I was unaware. I am thankful that this morning the Lord showed me the condition of my heart and invited me to trust Him with my tomorrows as I read the next verses in Matthew 6:25-27; 31-32.

“Therefore, [because you can’t serve God and money] I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? . . . So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.”

It hit me. “Oh, yes. The pagans—or unbelievers—run after these things to try and protect themselves and guarantee a secure future. They run after them in fear. They run after them in pride. They run after them in anxiety—and they are tormented and exhausted. But you have called me, Lord, to life and peace.  In You there is no torment. There is no worry. There is just rest.”

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – How to Trust God with Your Future →

Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – Starting Point

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Behold, God is great, and we do not know Him; nor can the number of His years be discovered.

Job 36:26

Recommended Reading

Numbers 13:25-33

Our minds jump into overdrive when we encounter obstacles, tension or conflict: We frantically search for a solution by getting as much information as we can. We consider our resources and weigh our options as we scurry toward a solution.

When the twelve spies entered the Promised Land their mission was simple: discover what they could about the land God had promised to give them. But somewhere during their excursion, they forgot. They stopped looking through the lens of God’s power and focusing on their own. When the ten spies declared that they could not take the land, they were partially right. In their own strength they did not stand a chance. Only Joshua and Caleb began with God’s power in mind. They remembered God’s faithfulness and made decisions from this starting point. God had parted deep waters before them, provided food from the sky, and guided them by a pillar of light at night and a supernatural cloud at day.

While we may not be conquering a land, we have the same choice when faced with problems and obstacles. Will we start with God’s faithfulness and power in mind?

I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that I still possess.

Martin Luther

Read-Thru-the-Bible

Ezekiel 21 – 22

http://www.davidjeremiah.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Don’t Waste Time

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Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people), making the very most of the time [buying up each opportunity]…- Ephesians 5:15-16

We need to be so self-controlled that we don’t waste time. That doesn’t mean that we can never do anything fun. It doesn’t mean we can’t do things that we enjoy.

We don’t need to be rigid, stiff, or boring. But we do need to use our time wisely, choosing to give the best part of our day to spend time with God.

The Word encourages us to be prepared, saying, Hear counsel, receive instruction, and accept correction, that you may be wise in the time to come (Proverbs 19:20). Starting your day with God’s instruction will keep you walking in wisdom, making the most of your time.

From the book Starting Your Day Right by Joyce Meyer.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Girlfriends in God

Girlfriends in God – The Lonely Antelope

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Today’s Truth

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Friend to Friend

Dan and I have traveled to many foreign countries on mission trips. Our family vacations have taken us across the United States … but we had never been to Yellowstone National Park and had only driven through Montana on our way to another state. So when I booked a speaking engagement in Gardner, Montana, we decided to take a few days following the event for a mini-vacation.

It did not take us long to fall in love with Montana. We flew into Billings and made our way to Gardner where we had booked a hotel. The drive was spectacular. The hotel was rustic and quaint, and the people could not have been nicer.

But Yellowstone National Park was unlike anything we had ever seen! The magnificent mountains, the lush green landscape, the breathtaking boulders and the steaming geysers that seemed to erupt in the most random places … it was overwhelmingly beautiful!

And the animals! I had never observed such a stunning array of animals. We saw dozens of buffalo, a black bear, a grizzly bear, deer, elk, moose, and even a bald eagle. But some of the most interesting and beautiful animals we saw were the antelope.

I had only seen antelope in zoos – not meandering across the grassy plains and even strutting across the roads in front of our car. I knew virtually nothing about them, but Google came to my rescue.

Continue reading Girlfriends in God – The Lonely Antelope →

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – Defeating Worldliness

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Read: Jeremiah 46:1-28

This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations: Concerning Egypt: This is the message against the army of Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt, which was defeated at Carchemish on the Euphrates River by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah… Jeremiah 46:1-2

This takes us back to the year 605 B.C., when Nebuchadnezzar first came up against Judah. He was met by the armies of Egypt at the city of Carchemish on the Euphrates River, and there one of the great strategic battles of all history was fought. Until then, Egypt had been the most powerful nation of the day, but Babylon broke the power of Egypt at that place. In chapter 46, Jeremiah is describing that battle in advance — how long in advance we do not know. He describes in very vivid terms the advance of the Babylonian army, the clash of these conflicting forces, the terrible battle that ensued, and the final defeat of Egypt. We will not take time to cover these verses, but you can read them for yourself. The language is very beautiful.

However, in the midst of this a characterization is made of Egypt. In the Scriptures Egypt is a picture of the world and its influence upon us. Egypt was a place of tyranny and bondage for the people of Israel. They were under the yoke of a wicked and severe king who enslaved them and treated them cruelly. Yet strangely enough, after they escaped, it was the place they always fondly remembered and wanted to return to. They remembered the food, the comfort, and the ease of life in Egypt. So this has always stood as a picture of the lure of the world to the believer — to think as it thinks, to react as it reacts, to seek from the world your own satisfaction and pleasure and enjoyment instead of living for the glory of God.

Continue reading Ray Stedman – Defeating Worldliness →

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Tree of Redemption

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Read: Galatians 3:1-14

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.” (v. 13)

Have you ever been in jail? To your great relief, a friend pays your bail, or gives you (in the board game Monopoly) a get-out-of-jail-free card. You are redeemed, because of someone else, and a feeling of gratitude washes over you.

In this short letter, sometimes called the magna carta of Christian freedom, the apostle Paul makes clear the centrality of grace in the work of salvation. We are saved by grace through faith. Followers of Christ are not obligated to follow the Mosaic law. As Martin Luther put it: good works are necessary, but not for salvation.

Jesus died on a tree. Thus, according to the Torah he was cursed (Deut. 21:23). But his being cursed “redeems” us, argues Paul, from the curse of the law, from our inability to keep the law. Christ did for us something we cannot do for ourselves. Christ paid our debt, bought us back from slavery to sin, freed us from captivity to our own bondage—the metaphors are thick when Paul speaks of God’s way of reconciliation. All of this our Lord Jesus accomplished by taking our place—by hanging on a tree and thus becoming a curse for us. Yet another tree—the tree of redemption.

Prayer:

God of unfathomable grace, thank you for redeeming us, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Author: Steven Bouma-Prediger

 

https://woh.org/

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Restore, Don’t Destroy

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Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. —Galatians 6:1

Not every person who quotes the Bible is necessarily a believer. Those who quote the Scriptures to condemn others often are the guiltiest of all. Those who are quick to find fault with others often have greater fault in their own lives. The people who are so quick to come down on someone else often are guilty of far worse.

This is exactly what Jesus was talking about when He said in the Sermon on the Mount, “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:3).

It’s a humorous illustration, but it makes a point. Jesus was saying, “You are so quick to focus on the minutiae in another person’s life, yet you are guilty of overt sin.”

If we know of someone who is falling into sin, our objective should be to confront and restore them, not condemn and destroy them. Galatians 6:1 says, “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.” Our objective is to restore, not destroy.

I find it interesting that this verse goes on to say, “Considering yourself lest you also be tempted.” One day it could be you. One day you could be the person who stumbles and falls. One day you could be the person who makes that mistake, who commits that sin. And hopefully someone will come along in graciousness and boldness and help you get back on your feet again.

As the old hymn says, “Prone to wander—Lord, I feel it—prone to leave the God I love.” We have to constantly keep our guard up because we all have the potential to fall.

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Is the Giver of All Life

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“But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession; that thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (I Timothy 6:11-14)

Jesse looked at his brand new little sister through the hospital’s nursery window. He could not believe that he was a big brother now. A nurse had taken a picture of him with the baby and Mom and Dad. Jesse thought Zoey was a great name, and easy to spell. She had not cried when they put her in his arms, and he held very still so she would not get upset. She was very quiet, light, and fragile – like a China doll. And she was so tiny. Her little foot could fit into the palm of his hand!

Jesse’s mom and dad had told him their reasons for choosing the name “Zoey.” They told him that God is the One Who gives life, and “Zoey” is like the Greek word for “life.” They had prayed a long time for a daughter (Jesse had been praying for a sister, too); and, since God had given her life, they wanted to name her “Zoey.”

The word “quicken” means “to give life,” or “to bring to life.” God was the One Who created Adam and Eve in the beginning, and He still gives life today. The Bible teaches that our “times” are in His hands, and that He can give or take away life. What a great God we must have! Humans do not have that kind of power. Jesse could not have snapped his fingers and gotten a little sister – he had to pray for her and wait for God to give life. God is the One Who gives all physical life.

God is the Giver of all eternal life, too. No normal human being has ever been able to raise himself from the dead like Jesus Christ did. Jesus could do that because Jesus is God. No normal human being has the power to take people to heaven, but Jesus Christ did. He even described Himself as “the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” He said that nobody could come to God the Father except through Jesus Himself, God the Son.

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – The Reward of Grace

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Today’s Scripture: Romans 11:35

“Who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?”

Every aspect of our ministry is by the grace of God. We’re unworthy to minister, but God considers us worthy through Christ. We’re inadequate to minister, but God makes us adequate through the powerful working of his Holy Spirit. We’re not naturally given to self-sacrifice, but God gives us that spirit by his grace. All is of grace. No human worthiness or adequacy is required or accepted.

Such a strong, biblical emphasis on God’s grace apart from human worth or adequacy leads to the question of the relationship of grace and rewards. Doesn’t God promise rewards to his faithful servants? Didn’t Paul himself teach that we must appear before the judgment seat of Christ to receive what is due us?

God does promise rewards, and we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ (see Matthew 25:21; 2 Corinthians 5:10). But these rewards are rewards of grace, not of merit. We never by our hard work or sacrificial service obligate God to reward us.

If all our service to God is made possible by his undeserved favor and made effective by the Spirit’s power, we’ve really brought nothing to him that we didn’t first receive from him. The Puritan Samuel Bolton said, “If there was anything of man’s bringing, which was not of God’s bestowing, though it were never so small, it would overturn the nature of grace, and make that of works which is of grace.” But every thought, word, or deed emanating from us that is in any way pleasing to God and glorifying to him has its ultimate origin in God, because apart from him, there’s nothing good in us (Romans 7:18).

 

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