Tag Archives: Bible

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Strengths and Struggles

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We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.   Romans 12:6a

Know and understand your strengths, for it is best to behave how God created you. By God’s grace, He places within you giftedness to carry out His plan. This is called your core competency. You may be a gifted leader, so lead. You may be a gifted coach, so coach. You may be a gifted counselor, so counsel. You may be a gifted administrator, so administrate. You may be a gifted networker, so network. You may be a gifted writer, so write. You may be a gifted teacher, so teach. You may be a gifted servant, so serve. You may be a gifted artist, so create. You may be a gifted communicator, so communicate. There is a long menu of gifts, and you probably represent several of them. Study your gifts, and you will discover your strengths.

Become comfortable with and accept the one thing you do naturally. It is effortless because God has engineered you for this. He gave you the skills and abilities to innovate, create, and produce these desired outcomes. However, make sure you do not confuse passion with strength. If you have the passion to speak, it is imperative you at least have the raw skill for speaking. Many of the technicalities of communication can be learned, but don’t try to make yourself become someone you’re not. Synergy for life and work come as you align passions and strengths. Take the time to understand what you do best and where you have the most energy, and then position your responsibilities at home and work to mirror that ideal. Do not be afraid to change and try new things.

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Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – Back to Your Future—Back to Square One

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Tune your ears to my voice. Keep my message in plain view at all times.

Proverbs 4:20, MSG

If your old clunker was built in 1980, you probably need a tune-up every 15,000 miles. If you have a car from the 1990s, you can go 30,000, on average, between tune-ups. Newer cars may only need tune-ups at 100,000-mile increments.

Recommended Reading: Psalm 26

When it comes to our internal engines—our hearts and habits—we need spiritual tune-ups frequently. September is a great time for a tune-up. With summer ending and fall around the corner, it’s a perfect time to revisit our attitudes and routines. If your priorities and patterns shifted during vacation, take a few minutes today to recalibrate them. If the last few weeks have disrupted your progress, let this weekend be a “Back to God” weekend.

Have you been skipping church? Start back. Has your daily devotional period fallen by the wayside? Begin at once to reclaim it. Has a bad habit slipped into your schedule? Confess it and turn from it. Get back to square one, and tune your ears to God’s voice. Keep His message in plain view at all times.

Cars specify periodic checkups … (and) the Christian’s spiritual condition needs a regular checkup too…. Have you ever had a spiritual checkup? Have you ever asked for one?

  1. I. Packer

Read-Thru-the-Bible: Daniel 1 – 5

 

http://www.davidjeremiah.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Seek God Wholeheartedly

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Seek, inquire of and for the Lord, and crave Him and His strength (His might and inflexibility to temptation); seek and require His face and His presence [continually] evermore.- Psalm 105:4

If you have a need today, seek God with your whole heart. The Bible says to “aim at and seek the [rich, eternal treasures] that are above” (Colossians 3:1). If you seek the fruit of the Spirit wholeheartedly, God will do a work in your life so that you will enjoy the abundant life Jesus died to give you.

God promises, “And the Lord shall make you the head, and not the tail; and you shall be above only, and you shall not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you this day and are watchful to do them” (Deuter¬onomy 28:13).

From the book Starting Your Day Right by Joyce Meyer.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Blessed are the Merciful

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“Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7, KJV).

If you and I have a desire to imitate God, seldom do we accomplish that purpose more than in the practice of showing mercy.

God delights in nothing more than in the exercise of showing mercy. One of the clear prerequisites to real happiness is this display of genuine mercy. Surely God has given us the supreme example, by giving His only Son to die in our place. That is mercy beyond comprehension, beyond description.

The world speaks often of having someone at its mercy. In a very real sense, God has us at His mercy – but He chose to be merciful and make a way of escape for us. The decision to take that way is ours.

To the degree that we show mercy to the poor, the wretched, the guilty – to that degree we are like God. And if He keeps us here on earth to be conformed more and more to His image, how important it is that we trust Him – by His indwelling Holy Spirit – to make us merciful.

When we do something to glorify God, like giving a cup of cold water in His name, in obedience to His commandments, and with a desire that He should be honored, He will consider it as done unto Him and reward us accordingly.

The lesson is clear: the merciful shall obtain mercy. And who among us is not a candidate for more of God’s mercy?

Bible Reading: Luke 6:31-36

: “Dear Lord, with Your great mercy as the supreme example, I resolve to allow your Holy Spirit to show mercy through me.”

 

 

http://www.cru.org

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – The Father of Faith

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Read: Romans 4:1-12

What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about — but not before God. What does Scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. Romans 4:1-3

Paul says that Abraham our forefather discovered two ways to gain worth: One, Paul suggests, is by works. Abraham was a man of good works. In Genesis, Abraham was an idolator and worshipped the moon goddess. But he was not deliberately seeking to evade God. He worshipped in ignorance. It was in the midst of that condition that God appeared to him and spoke to him. Abraham believed God, responded to his call, and set out on a march without a map. He trusted God to lead him to a land he had never seen before, to take care of his family, and to fulfill his promises. So Abraham appears in the Scripture as a man of great works.

Paul admits that if Abraham was righteous because of works, he had something to boast about. Works always give you something to boast about. You can look at the record, you can show people what you have done and why you ought to be appreciated. You may not boast openly, but we all have very subtle ways and clever tricks of getting it out into the open so people can see what we have done. You can drop a hint of something you have done, hoping that people will ask some more about it. Somehow you manage things so that people will know you are a person of significance. That is the way the world is today, and the way it was in Abraham’s day.

Continue reading Ray Stedman – The Father of Faith →

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Engine Against the Almighty

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Read: Luke 18:1-8

This widow keeps bothering me. (v. 5)

Think Middle Ages. Think warfare, and a walled city, and besiegers attacking its fortifications with catapults and scaling ladders and battering rams. These are what Herbert means by the word “engine”—siege engines, constructed by the army’s engineers.

But what sort of prayer is this? “Engine against the Almighty”—attacking God, as if he were an enemy?

Jesus’ parable about the widow who was determined to get justice for herself does say exactly that. He describes her besieging the offices of the “unrighteous judge” day after day, while the clerks whisper to one another, “Here comes that dreadful woman yet again!” It is of course one of the “how much more” parables. If a judge who is corrupt will do what’s right out of sheer exasperation, how much more may we expect from a loving God? So we should come to prayer with the determination that we would use if he really were an enemy with whom we were at war. “We threaten God in prayer,” said Herbert’s contemporary John Donne, in one of his sermons. “Prayer hath the nature of violence . . . we besiege God, and God is glad to be straitened by us in that siege.” He was one of the greatest preachers of the age, and we may hope that his congregation at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London was duly fired to practice what it had heard him preach.

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Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – What Are the “Gifts of the Spirit”?

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There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. —1 Corinthians 12:4–5

Scripture teaches that when we are baptized in the Spirit, we receive gifts of the Spirit.

Romans 12:6–8 says, “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully” (NIV).

Note that it says, “We have different gifts.” Each is important, each worth using.

Who are we to be upset with God if He did not give us the gifts we want? They are not given by merit but “according to the grace given us.” We are to take what He has placed in our life and seek to multiply it.

2 Timothy 1:6 says, “Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands” (NKJV). To “stir up” means to “fan into full flame.” To fail to do this is to “quench the Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 5:19). That speaks of extinguishing something, and it is a specific sin against the Holy Spirit.

Continue reading Greg Laurie – What Are the “Gifts of the Spirit”? →

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – Only the LORD Can Promise Safety

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“I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.” (Psalm 4:8)

Devon woke up with a start and sat up straight in his bed. His room was pitch black. In his mind, he could still see the dark forest and the mean-looking dogs that had been chasing him in his nightmare. He looked across the room toward the window. Were they out there, outside in the back yard? What if there really were mean, wild dogs out there waiting for him under his bedroom window?

He thought about calling for his mom to come in and sit with him. Or maybe he could catch Grandpa in the kitchen again, munching on a midnight snack. Maybe Grandpa would make him a jam sandwich and tell him stories about the Navy. Devon looked at the crack under the door. It was dark in the hallway, and he really did not want to go out there by himself. Deep down, Devon also knew that Mom needed to get up early for work in the morning. It would probably be better not to bother her. He lay back down and glanced toward the window again. Was that a twig snapping outside? Was something moving around in the bushes out there? Oh! What could he do?

Then Devon remembered that his Sunday school teacher had talked about different kinds of fear. Mr. Rooks was tall and had huge muscles, but even he admitted that sometimes he felt afraid of things. He shared with them a verse, something about trusting in God in the times he was afraid. It was hard for Devon to imagine someone as big and strong as Mr. Rooks being afraid of anything! But if Mr. Rooks found comfort and courage in trusting God, Devon thought, surely he could, too.

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – Only the LORD Can Promise Safety →

The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – Unquestionable Love

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Today’s Scripture: Psalm 145:17

“The Lord is . . . kind in all his works.”

The apostle John said, “God is love” (1 John 4:8). This succinct statement, along with its parallel one, “God is light” (1 John 1:5; that is, God is holy), sums up the essential character of God, as revealed to us in the Scriptures. Just as it is impossible in the very nature of God for him to be anything but perfectly holy, so it is impossible for him to be anything but perfectly good.

Because God is love, an essential part of his nature is to do good and show mercy to his creatures. Psalm 145 speaks of his “abundant goodness,” of his “abounding in steadfast love” and being “good to all,” of how “his mercy is over all that he has made” (verses 7-9). Even in his role of Judge of rebellious men, he declares, “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked” (Ezekiel 33:11, NIV).

When calamity after calamity seems to surge in upon us, we’ll be tempted to doubt God’s love. Not only do we struggle with our own doubts, but Satan seizes these occasions to whisper accusations against God: “If he loved you, he wouldn’t have allowed this to happen.” My own experience suggests that Satan attacks us far more in the area of God’s love than either his sovereignty or his wisdom.

If we’re to honor God by trusting him, we must not allow such thoughts to lodge in our minds. As Philip Hughes said, “To question the goodness of God is, in essence, to imply that man is more concerned about goodness than is God. To suggest that man is kinder than God is to subvert the very nature of God. It is to deny God; and this is precisely the thrust of the temptation to question the goodness of God.” (Excerpt taken from Trusting God)

 

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – The Separated Life

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Today’s Scripture: James 4:4

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. – Romans 12:2

If you were to announce a lecture on “The Separated Life” before an average audience in, say, New York City, some might think it had to do with troubled marriages. Even Christians are vague about the biblical teaching on a separated life. It means a life set apart for God, no longer swayed by the pull of worldly attractions and ambitions. In my discussions with Christians across America about the concept of living a separated life, most people have strong opinions on the subject.

I know a man who advocates the idea of having a drink with nonChristians to show them he can be their friend and perhaps to gain an opportunity to witness to them. As a matter of fact, he’s had the opportunity to lead people to Christ along the way. He cites the Scripture passage that speaks of becoming all things to all men that by all means we may save some (1 Corinthians 10:22).

The late Paul Little had a different approach. Paul practically lived on the college campus. He was always out there with his shirtsleeves rolled up, mixing in lively discussions with nonChristians. And when one of them would invite him down to the bar to have a drink, he simply thanked them but said he really didn’t enjoy that. Would the person like to go to a game the next night–his treat? He kept the lines of communication open, didn’t condemn the person, yet didn’t participate in something he’d separated himself from.

We don’t need to enter into questionable practices with people to show them we’re not crazy-headed fanatics. There are many ways to build friendships with nonChristians without doing things we’re against.

Prayer

Lord, show me how to follow Your lead of loving sinners without compromising my walk. Amen.

To Ponder

God wants us to show His love to the ungodly.

 

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Today in the Word

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – HONORING GOD ALONE

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Read ESTHER 3:1–4

King Nebuchadnezzar constructed a golden statue and ordered everyone to worship it. Three young Jewish men in the king’s court refused to bow, and they were punished for their defiance by being thrown into a furnace. To the king’s amazement, the fire did not destroy them. Instead, God protected them, and their obedience to God became an example to the king, his court, and the Jewish people. Nebuchadnezzar praised the God of Israel: “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants” (Dan. 3:28).

Years later, Mordecai was in a similar predicament. Some time had passed since Esther became queen. Things had been going well for both Esther and Mordecai, who were now situated in their positions in the king’s court.

But we meet a new person in today’s passage: Haman the Agagite. He was promoted to an elevated position in the court by King Xerxes, “higher than that of all the other nobles” (v. 1). To reinforce Haman’s status, the king ordered that everyone must kneel and pay honor to Haman.

Mordecai refused to obey. His repeated act of civil disobedience was soon noticed by others. From verse 4, we can assume that Mordecai chose to reveal his Jewish heritage as a way to explain his refusal to pay homage to Haman. People urged him to go along with the new order, to just bow down. When Mordecai resisted their peer pressure to kneel before Haman, they reported his insubordination.

Right away we see Haman’s character revealed. He could not tolerate one man who refused to bow before him. He decided to target not only Mordecai but also all his people—a vendetta that would destroy the Jews.

APPLY THE WORD

Mordecai’s action reminds us that we serve first and foremost our heavenly King. His commands guide our actions and give us courage to stand up for our beliefs, no matter how unpopular they may be. Ask God to give you a heart that is open and obedient to His leading and willing to bear witness to Him no matter how uncomfortable the situation.

 

http://www.todayintheword.org

Streams in the Desert

Streams in the Desert for Kids – He Can Do It

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Romans 4:20-21

There is an old song that says God has promised us strength, rest, light, grace, help, sympathy, and love. Those are things we can count on. In addition God grants many of our requests by his power.

 

God hath not promised

Skies always blue

Flower-strewn pathways

All our lives through

God hath not promised

Sun without rain

Joy without sorrow

Peace without pain

But God hath promised

Strength for the day

Rest for the labor

Light for the way

Grace for the trials

Help from above

Unfailing sympathy

Undying Love

 

Annie Johnson Flint (1862–1932)

 

Like the song says, God’s resources are unlimited. He will take care of us and keep his promises. He will give us strength, rest, light, grace, help, and love.

Dear Lord, There isn’t anyone else I can count on to never fail me. You are our good God who has promised to care for us. Amen.

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Your Perspective in Prayer

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Psalms 95:6-8

Why is it that two believers can pray about an issue and come away with completely different responses and attitudes? This has to do with their perspective.

We each come to God with our own life experiences and expectations. If we want to hear His voice clearly, we must first address those things that affect how well we listen.

Our relationship with God. The Father speaks differently to the unsaved than He does to Christians. And while neither God nor the fundamentals of faith ever change, He does tailor His message to individual believers on the basis of their spiritual maturity and unique situations. So two people may hear dissimilar things because they are at different points on the journey.

Our understanding of who God is. How we view the Lord changes the way we hear Him. For example, if you see God as a loving Father, you will hear His encouraging voice and accept His loving discipline. But if you see Him as harsh and demanding, then you may feel as though you can never live up to His expectations.

Our attitude toward God. If we come to the Lord with a proud nature, we will naturally not be inclined to hear His voice. However, if we come with a submissive nature, we will hear—and joyfully receive—His Word.

God is still speaking in the world today. Stop and think about what there is in your own life that could get in the way of His message. What affects your ability or willingness to listen? Lay it out before the Lord today, and ask Him to break through the barriers.

Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 40-42

 

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — What Matters Most

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Read: 1 John 4:7-19

Bible in a Year: Proverbs 6-7; 2 Corinthians 2

He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.—1 John 4:9

As Jesus’s beloved disciple John grew older, his teaching became increasingly narrowed, focusing entirely on the love of God in his three letters. In the book Knowing the Truth of God’s Love, Peter Kreeft cites an old legend which says that one of John’s young disciples once came to him complaining, “Why don’t you talk about anything else?” John replied, “Because there isn’t anything else.”

God’s love is certainly at the heart of the mission and message of Jesus. In his earlier gospel account, John recorded the words, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

The apostle Paul tells us that God’s love is at the core of how we live, and he reminds us that “neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:38-39).

God’s love is so strong, available, and stabilizing that we can confidently step into each day knowing that the good things are gifts from His hand and the challenges can be faced in His strength. For all of life, His love is what matters most. —Bill Crowder

Thank You, O Lord, that Your love is rich and pure, measureless and strong!

God’s love stands when all else has fallen.

INSIGHT: In 1 John we see what characterizes a life that exhibits God’s supernatural love. The Greek word for this kind of love is agape, a self-sacrificial giving of one’s self in time, money, or energy. At the root of this divine care is the idea of esteem. God values human beings because we reflect His image.

 

http://www.odb.org

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Come to Me

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Grief is a strange thing in that its memory is more characterized by what the relationship was or was not than by what characterized the death.(1) You look forward and ache over what has now been lost for the future. You look backward and grieve what never truly was and can now never be.

The award-winning author Paulo Coelho is a beautiful writer, and his lines of pure poetry are disguised as novels. His book The Witch of Portobello, a mystical story with many unusual turns, remains on my shelf, no matter where I live. I often pull it off, brush my hand across the cover, and flip it open to a page I have nearly memorized.

The story begins in Beirut, Lebanon, a country that boasts of warm hospitality, platefuls of hummus and tabouli, the Mediterranean coast, and beautiful cedars. Coelho describes his heroine, Athena, as an unusual girl who possessed a sense of spirituality from the time of her youth. She married when she was nineteen and wanted to have a baby right away. Her husband left her when the baby was still young, and Athena had to raise him alone.

During one Sunday Mass, the priest watched as Athena walked toward him to receive Communion, and his heart was filled with dread. Athena stood in front of the priest, drew her eyes closed, and opened her mouth to receive. I picture her standing there in vulnerability, asking to receive Christ’s body, given for her. She was hungry for the grace that it offered.

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Come to Me →

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – We Need One Another

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To each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:7).

The Holy Spirit uses believers to minister to other believers.

Right in line with modern culture’s emphasis on personal independence, it’s often easy for one to say, “If I have the all-sufficient Holy Spirit living within me, that’s all I need to live my Christian life.” That is true, but because you are not completely sanctified, you do not always allow the Spirit to fully do His work. Therefore, God needs to use other believers to minister the Spirit’s correction, exhortation, or encouragement.

The Bible is very clear about this. The Epistle to the Hebrews says God wants followers who do not waver in their profession of faith. And a primary way Christians will fulfill that is by regularly meeting together and seriously stimulating one another to love and good works (Heb. 10:23-25).

We don’t have to look far for the proper setting in which to meet regularly and encourage one another. It’s any Bible-believing local church that is exercising its spiritual gifts. These special gifts are simply the loving channels through which the Holy Spirit ministers to those within the fellowship of believers. Today’s verse suggests that each of us has a gift, and this truth is explained a little more in verse 11: “One and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.” Here the apostle Paul reveals yet one more way in which the Holy Spirit sovereignly helps us and others to become more mature.

What’s remarkable about the Spirit’s working through us is that we become extensions of His voice. Perhaps you’ve thought of that comparison at times when you’ve shared the gospel with the lost. But the analogy fits equally well when you reach out and minister to someone within your church. The idea of being an extension of the Holy Spirit’s ministry ought to encourage you toward greater faithfulness in using your spiritual gifts to help other believers. Likewise, it should make you more sensitive to the Spirit’s correcting and edifying work in your life as others come alongside and minister to you (Col. 3:12-13).

Suggestions for Prayer

Ask the Lord to keep you always faithful to the commands of Hebrews 10:23-25.

For Further Study

Read 2 Corinthians 8:1-7.

What kind of example did the Macedonians set regarding aid to other believers?

How should that motivate us (v. 7)?

 

http://www.gty.org

Uncategorized, Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Judgment of Christ

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Hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come.  Revelation 6:16-17

There are posers who profess to know God, but He will one day say to them, “I never knew you” (Matthew 7:23). It is scary to think an individual can believe they are ok with the Lord when they are not. Maybe they heard the truth of the Cross, but they did not receive the truth by faith into their heart. There has never been an exchange of trust in themselves to a total dependence on Christ. Faithless fools may have good religious feelings, but they have not surrendered to the convicting power of the Holy Spirit.

John describes the coming judgment of Christ—no one is excluded: kings, princes, generals, the rich, and the mighty. Everyone must give an account of their life on earth. So, fearful of God’s wrath, they call to the mountains and rocks to fall and cover them from the coming peril. In the end as in the beginning, sin causes mankind to try to hide from the Lord—a frivolous and naive response—juxtaposed to owning and repenting of sin. Christ’s judgment exposes unsaved souls.

“This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous” (Matthew 13:49-50).

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Girlfriends in God

Girlfriends in God – Going Around the Same Old Mountain

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Today’s Truth

So do not be foolish with your lives. But learn what the Lord wants you to do.

Ephesians 5:17

Friend to Friend

There is only one thing more painful than learning from experience – and that is not learning from experience. Life is a journey, not a destination. It is through that journey that we are born, broken, changed and shaped.

Life is God’s chosen classroom in which He teaches His children how to love and live out His truth. One of the first and most vital truths we need to learn in our walk with God is obedience.

Truth does not change. We must change in response to the truth. A learned truth is an applied truth, and when we apply truth, we are practicing obedience. When we don’t learn from our wrong choices, we are doomed to make the same mistakes again, falling back into disobedience. It is like going around the same old mountain again and again.

My husband Dan served as Youth Pastor for many years in South Florida. Each summer we took the youth on a mission trip to the mountains of North Carolina where they conducted youth rallies in parks, taught back yard Bible Clubs, and held worship services in local churches. Everyone worked hard, but each afternoon was free time.

Continue reading Girlfriends in God – Going Around the Same Old Mountain →

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Covered With His Love

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“Long ago, even before He made the world, God chose us to be His very own, through what Christ would do for us; He decided then to make us holy in His eyes, without a single fault – we who stand before Him covered with His love” (Ephesians 1:4).

On every continent and in scores of countries, I have asked thousands of people, including Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, communists and atheists: “Who is the greatest person who ever lived? Who has done more good for mankind than anyone else?”

Among knowledgeable people, the answer is always the same, “Jesus of Nazareth.”

Born nearly 2,000 years ago, His coming had been foretold for centuries by the great prophets of Israel. The Old Testament, written by many individuals over a period of 1,500 years, contains more than 300 references concerning the promised Messiah. All of these prophecies have been fulfilled in the birth, life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus. They could not have referred to anyone else.

That in itself is conclusive evidence of God’s personal and supernatural intervention in history. Jesus’ coming into this world was no accident, and we who trust Him are covered by His love.

What a beautiful picture – covered with His love!

“All the armies that ever marched and all the navies that were ever built, and all the parliaments that ever sat, and all the kings that ever reigned, put together have not affected the life of man upon this earth as has that one solitary life,” declared an anonymous observer in reflecting upon the life of Jesus Christ.

Bible Reading: Ephesians 1:5-14

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Throughout this day I will picture myself embraced by the arms of the Almighty, His love covering and comforting me. I will share His love and faithfulness with others.

 

http://www.cru.org

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – No Boasting

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Read: Romans 3:27-31

Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. Romans 3:27-30

Paul raises and answers three simple questions to show us the natural results of this tremendous acceptance that God gives us in Jesus Christ. First, Who can boast? No one, absolutely no one. How can you boast when everyone receives the gift of grace without any merit on his part? This means that any ground for self-righteousness is done away with, and this is why the ugliest sin among Christians is self-righteousness. When we begin to look down on people who are involved in homosexuality, or greed, or gambling, or whatever — when we begin to think that we are better than they are — then we have denied what God has done for us. All boasting must be excluded. There are no grounds for anybody to say, Well, at least I’ve never done that. The only ground of acceptance is the gift of grace.

Next is Paul’s second question: Is anyone excluded from grace, Jew or Gentile? The answer is NO!, God has no most-favored-nation; they are all alike before him. Paul argues, Is God the God of Jews only? Then there must be two Gods — one for the Jews and one for the Gentiles. But that cannot be; there is only one God; God is one. Therefore he is equally the God of the Gentiles and the God of the Jews, because both must come on exactly the same ground. This is the wonderful thing about the gospel. All mankind is leveled; no one can stand on any other basis than the work of Jesus Christ.

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