Tag Archives: christianity

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – Twins

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But your sorrow will be turned into joy.
John 16:20

Recommended Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Some Bible verses are twins—they say exactly the same thing in slightly different words. Compare, for example, these two verses about looking at our suffering in life from the perspective of eternity:

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us—Romans 8:18 (NIV).

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all—2 Corinthians 4:17 (NIV).

When we go through suffering, it’s important to look ahead to the wonder and joy we’ll experience in heaven with our Lord. When we learn to look at life from the perspective of eternity, we gain a unique perspective that lightens any load. Just before His crucifixion Jesus promised the disciples that their sorrow would be turned to joy. The same is true for us. The Bible says, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5). Ask God to help you put your suffering into perspective, understanding that difficulties now pale in comparison to the wonders of heaven.

If you could see the everlasting crowns of the saints in heaven, and the great glory wherein they now rejoice. How could you dare to complain?
Thomas à Kempis

 

 

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – Humble Sacrifice

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Who am I, Lord God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? 1 Chronicles 17:16

Today’s Scripture

1 Chronicles 17:16-22

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Today’s Devotion

A pilot and his two daughters took off from Soldotna, Alaska, on a sightseeing trip. Their small plane, however, never made it to its destination. After several local pilots began searching for the missing aircraft, one named Terry Godes finally spied its nearly submerged wreckage on a partially frozen lake. The three family members were standing on its wings as they had been for hours. Thankfully, the trio was soon rescued by the National Guard. Godes humbly sacrificed his time and resources for others—leading to lives being saved. In humility, he said of his efforts, “I was just the guy that saw the plane first.”

King David sacrificed much for the people of Israel, including battling to save them from their enemies (1 Chronicles 14:8-17). Then he heard from the prophet Nathan that through his bloodline a throne would be “established forever,” as fulfilled in Christ (17:14; see Luke 1:30-33). He replied in humility, “Who am I, Lord God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?” (1 Chronicles 17:16). He knew that his life was established by God and His will (v. 19) and that He had ultimately done the work of rescue and redemption for David and his people (vv. 20-22).

Jesus “humbled himself” and made the ultimate sacrifice for us (Philippians 2:8). As He helps us, let’s humbly sacrifice our lives for others.

Reflect & Pray

Why is humility before God so important? What will it mean for you to humbly sacrifice for others?

Loving God, please help me to humbly sacrifice for You and others.

Today’s Insights

The books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles offer two approaches to Israel’s kingdom story. In 1 and 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Kings, the focus is on the kings and prophets of Israel—from Saul to the final kings of the divided kingdom era. By contrast, 1 and 2 Chronicles focus on the kings of Judah and the priesthood and development of the temple. The writer of 1 Chronicles—which Jewish tradition says was Ezra the priest—considers David’s prayer (1 Chronicles 17:16-22; see 2 Samuel 7:18-29). The prayer has a priestly tone to it, with its emphasis on Yahweh as the covenant-keeping God of Israel. David humbly sacrificed for the people of Israel, but he acknowledged that God is the one who has redeemed His people: “You made your people Israel your very own forever, and you, Lord, have become their God” (1 Chronicles 17:22). Today, as we reflect on the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus made for us, we can humbly respond in sacrifice to Him and others.

 

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – “America Reads the Bible” continues in Washington, DC

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“America Reads the Bible” began Saturday at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC. Over seven days, nearly five hundred participants will read the Bible aloud from Genesis to Revelation. Daily readings are scheduled from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

If you wonder whether America needs a spiritual and moral awakening, you need only read the news. Yesterday’s mass shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana, in which a father fatally shot eight children, including seven of his own, is enough to break your heart. There was also a shooting early Sunday on a pedestrian mall near the University of Iowa, injuring five people.

I could go on, which makes my point.

In such a broken world, how does reading the words of an ancient book out loud help? There are no plans to preach or teach from the biblical passages being read. The words themselves will simply be read publicly across the week.

Is this merely a performative gesture, perhaps with political motives?

The answer is more relevant to our souls and national future than one might think.

“Bind them as a sign on your hand”

From its beginnings, the Judeo-Christian worldview has promoted the public declaration of biblical revelation. In Deuteronomy 6, the Jews were instructed with regard to the “commands” of God: “You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (vv. 6, 8–9).

This led to the tefillin (also called a “phylactery”), a small box containing Scripture verses that orthodox Jews still bind to their hands and foreheads during worship. And to the mezuzah (Hebrew for “doorpost”), a small, decorative case containing a scroll of Scripture that Jews affix to the doorposts of their homes.

When I led more than thirty study tours to Israel, we stayed in hotels adorned with mezuzot on each doorpost. Observant Jews often touched them on their way into the rooms.

In Christian terms, the reading of Scripture is a central part of our public worship services. Some see this as merely the prelude to the sermon to be preached on the text, but many churches read the Bible, often responsively, as an act of worship unto itself.

Why is this more than performative religiosity and ritual?

“I did nothing; the Word did everything”

In Isaiah 55, God makes a remarkable promise:

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it (vv. 10–11).

Here we discover that the words of Scripture possess intrinsic agency and authority. This makes sense when we consider their origin: “No prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21).

The same Spirit who inspired Scripture also knows every human mind and heart and can use biblical truth to guide us into “all the truth” (John 16:13). This is why “the word of God is alive and active” still today as it “judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12 NIV). The Bible is therefore “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16–17).

For example, Martin Luther explained his role in the Protestant Reformation this way:

I simply taught, preached, wrote God’s Word; otherwise, I did nothing. And while I slept, or drank Wittenberg beer with my friends Philip and Amsdorf, the Word so greatly weakened the papacy that no prince or emperor ever inflicted such losses upon it. I did nothing; the Word did everything.

The “secret” that changed Billy Graham’s ministry

Billy Graham explained his ministry in similar terms. His most famous, oft-repeated phrase was simply, “The Bible says…” Over and over, we heard him say this as he quoted God’s word.

This was intentional. During the 1948 Los Angeles Crusade that made national headlines and promoted him to the forefront of American culture, Dr. Graham “discovered the secret that changed my ministry.” As he began quoting Scripture over and over, he said, “I felt as though I were merely a voice through which the Holy Spirit was speaking.”

A crusade scheduled for three weeks stretched into eight, with hundreds of thousands in attendance. Dr. Graham explained:

The people were not coming to hear great oratory, nor were they interested merely in my ideas. I found they were desperately hungry to hear what God had to say through his Holy Word. I felt as though I had a rapier in my hand and, through the power of the Bible, was slashing deeply into men’s consciences, leading them to surrender to God.

He added:

I found that the Bible became a flame in my hands. That flame melted away unbelief in the hearts of the people and moved them to decide for Christ. The Word became a hammer breaking up stony hearts and shaping them into the likeness of God.

I can attest personally to the truth of the great evangelist’s experience. The most transforming thirty minutes of my life each day are the time I spend each morning reading Scripture. Not to prepare an article or write a book, but simply to let God’s Spirit speak from God’s word to my mind and heart.

The esteemed theologian J. I. Packer called the Bible “God preaching.” When last did hearing your Father’s voice change your life?

Why not today?

Quote for the day:

“The Bible is the book of my life. It’s the book I live with, the book I live by, the book I want to die by.” —N. T. Wright

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Denison Forum

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – The Hard Truth About Spiritual Warfare

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 I have followed your commands, which keep me from following cruel and evil people. 

—Psalm 17:4

Scripture:

When the devil wanted to lead the first man and woman into sin, he started by attacking their minds. According to Genesis 3:1, “The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the LORD God had made. One day he asked the woman, ‘Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?’” (NLT). A simple question was enough to plant a seed of doubt. That seed quickly sprouted into full-fledged action. Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate from the forbidden tree. The devil’s strategy worked so well that he still uses the mind-targeting tactic to this day.

The apostle Paul warned of this when he wrote, “But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent” (2 Corinthians 11:3 NLT). The hard truth about spiritual warfare is that the devil attacks our minds incessantly. He knows that our brain, our thoughts, and our imagination are our command center. When you have power over someone’s mind, you can reach into the past through memories, and you can reach into the future through imagination. The devil knows that if he can get us to think about something, to contemplate it, to consider it, then he is halfway to getting us to sin.

Paul also wrote, “We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:4–5 NLT).

It’s been said, “Sow a thought; reap an act. Sow an act; reap a character. Sow a character; reap a destiny.” What starts with a thought can lead to a destiny.

Eve’s mind certainly wasn’t filled with the things of God when the devil approached her. Had it been, she could have effectively resisted his temptations. The psalmist wrote, “I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11 NLT).

Jesus used God’s Word three times in response to the devil’s temptations in Matthew 4:1–11. The devil had no defense against Scripture. Verse 11 says, “Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus” (NLT).

The devil still has no defense against God’s truth. So, when we hide the Word of God in our hearts, we have everything we need to stand strong against our spiritual enemy and effectively resist his temptation.

In his passage on the armor of God, Paul wrote, “Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17 NLT). Knowing how to wield that sword will keep our enemy out of our minds.

Reflection Question: How can you fix your mind on God and His Word so that you’re less vulnerable to the devil’s attacks? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

 

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – God Is Holy

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by Henry M. Morris III, D.Min.

“Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?” (Exodus 15:11)

The awesome vision of the throne that God gave Isaiah included a short description of the seraphims. They stood above the throne announcing, “Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory” (Isaiah 6:3). They are cited again in Revelation 4:8 as constantly saying, “Holy, holy, holy, LORD God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.” Apparently, the holiness of God is all-consuming.

Both the Hebrew and Greek words for “holy” used in Scripture are strong descriptions of separateness, a dedicated detachment from all else. “Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy” (Revelation 15:4). “There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God” (1 Samuel 2:2).

It is this absolute and unique transcendence that sets the Creator of the universe above and beyond all others: “For I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me” (Isaiah 46:9). Although there are “gods many, and lords many” (1 Corinthians 8:5), and the “desperately wicked” heart of man (Jeremiah 17:9) twists the “glory of the uncorruptible God” (Romans 1:23) into every vile image possible, “Jesus Christ [is] the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8).

Since God is holy, you and I can trust Him without reservation or doubt. “For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen” (2 Corinthians 1:20). Since God is holy, we can be totally confident that our souls are secure in God, “with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17). HMM III

 

 

https://www.icr.org/articles/type/6

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Count the Cost Before Committing

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Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.

Psalm 1:1 (NKJV)

Today’s scripture says that we are not to take counsel from the ungodly. I believe that taking advice from our feelings fits into the category of “the ungodly” and is a big mistake. Feelings are simply fickle; they change frequently, and you just can’t trust them.

We can hear a good speaker talk about the volunteers needed at church and be so inspired that we sign up to help. But that doesn’t mean we’ll feel like showing up when it’s our turn to work. If we sign up and then don’t show up because we don’t feel like it, our actions don’t have integrity or honor God. When we don’t keep our word, we know it isn’t right. And no matter how many excuses we make, the fact that we were not dependable sits on our conscience like a weight.

If we desire to follow the Holy Spirit, our actions must be governed by principles—a precise standard of right and wrong. How we feel does not alter that standard. We should always count the cost to see if we have what it takes to finish a thing before we begin it (Luke 14:28). If we begin and find we cannot finish, then we need to communicate openly and honestly with all parties involved. Our emotions will help us commit, but people who honor their commitments and finish the job must eventually press on without feelings to support them.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me honor my commitments and live by Your truth, not my feelings. Strengthen my integrity, guide my actions by Your Spirit, and give me perseverance to finish what I start, amen.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Enough of the Frenzy 

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Attempts at self-salvation guarantee nothing but exhaustion. We scamper and scurry, trying to please God,  collecting merit badges and brownie points, scowling at anyone who questions our accomplishments. The result? The weariest people on earth. We so fear failure that we create the image of perfection. Call us the church of hound-dog faces and slumped shoulders. Stop it! Once and for all, enough of this frenzy.

Hebrews 13:9 (NCV) says, “Your hearts should be strengthened by God’s grace, not by obeying rules.” In Matthew 11:28 (NASB) Jesus said, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” There is no fine print. A second shoe isn’t going to drop. God’s promise has no hidden language. Let grace happen. You have his unending affection. Stretch yourself out in the hammock of grace. You can rest now.

 

 

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Today in the Word

Today in the Word – Moody Bible Institute – Enduring Covenant Love

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Read Psalm 136:1–26

One of the most powerful practices to engage in—especially when we’re feeling discouraged—is to lift our voices in praise, rejoicing in who God has been and how He has worked. Today we’ll sit in the sanctuary of the hesed love of God.

Psalm 136 is a rich liturgical hymn that recalls the mighty acts of God in creation and redemption. This repeated refrain anchors each verse: “His love endures forever.” This line is deeply theological. The Hebrew word translated “steadfast love” is, once again, hesed. It describes God’s covenantal loyalty, mercy, and enduring kindness toward His people.

The psalm opens with a call to thanksgiving, rooted in God’s character—“he is good” (v. 1). And He is the one true God (v. 2). No other can compare. Then the Psalmist traces God’s hesed throughout history—His acts in Creation (vv. 4–9), His deliverance of Israel from Egypt (vv. 10–16), His conquest of Canaan (vv. 17–22), and His ongoing care (vv. 23–25). God created the universe, and He sustains it. He protects and provides for His people. And in every season, the repeated refrain reminds the worshipper that these are not isolated acts. They are a collective expression of God’s unbreakable love.

Psalm 136 echoes the covenant God made with Abraham in Genesis 15, which He fulfilled when He delivered His people from Egypt and gave them the Promised Land. Every victory and every provision were not a result of Israel’s merit. It was only a result of God’s faithful commitment to His promises. The refrain emphasizes the permanence. God’s love is not fleeting; it “endures forever.”

Of course, God’s hesed did not end in the Old Testament. It was most fully realized with Christ on the cross (Rom. 5:8). The love displayed at Calvary is not fickle or fading; it is covenantal, eternal, faithful.

Go Deeper

Have you experienced God’s hesed love in your life? How can you reflect that love to someone else this week?

Pray with Us

Together with the Psalmist, we praise You today, Lord God Almighty! Indeed, Your hesed love endures forever—it’s strong, faithful, eternal. We pray that your love will draw us into closer communion with You.

Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.Psalm 136:26

 

 

https://www.moodybible.org/

Today in the Word

Today in the Word – Moody Bible Institute – Boaz Responds

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Read Ruth 3:10–15

Have you ever wanted something badly but were completely unsure how it would turn out? Achieving the goal feels impossible. For Ruth, certainly, her situation was complicated.

At Naomi’s request, Ruth had approached Boaz, asking him to be her redeemer. But another complication will come between them and the redemptive future for which they longed. The scene opens with Boaz responding to Ruth’s overture by uttering a blessing from the Lord and calling her “daughter” (v. 10). He understood her intent to be pure, and he too acted virtuously. He praised her acts of hesed, proclaiming that her gesture of hesed toward him was even greater than the hesed she had shown toward Naomi. Not only had she sacrificed her home to follow her mother-in-law, she also laid aside any preference for a younger man to pursue a marriage with Boaz.

Boaz assured Ruth that he would do as she asked, and he complimented her character (v. 11). He explained that the whole town knew of her reputation. Her uprightness was so astounding that people were talking. The reader should remember that the author said something similar about Boaz in 2:1.

Boaz acknowledged his role and responsibility as guardian-redeemer. But he then uttered an unexpected twist—a new complication (v. 12). According to the clan structure, another nearer relative (guardian) should have first rights of refusal when it came to both the land and Ruth. Boaz acted with full integrity. He would present the opportunity to the nearer guardian before making any move of his own.

Boaz cared for Ruth by reassuring her of his intent, protecting her reputation, and providing more food. The next morning, Boaz went straight to town. He took the initiative in doing the right thing.

Go Deeper

What complications are you facing now? How can you trust God, even in the midst of confusing circumstances?

Pray with Us

Who is like you, God? You love us, You watch over us and guide us. Even in the most difficult, confusing circumstances we can trust You because You have a plan for our lives, and Your plans cannot be thwarted.

What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do.Isaiah 46:11

 

 

https://www.moodybible.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – Accountability Matters

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[A person] who wrongs another . . . must confess the sin they have committed. They must make full restitution for the wrong they have done. Numbers 5:6-7

Today’s Scripture

Numbers 5:5-10

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Today’s Devotion

A judge used a unique approach to address shoplifting—sentencing offenders to wash cars in a local store’s parking lot as part of their community service. He hoped it would deter future thefts and serve as a vivid reminder of the consequences of wrongdoing. He emphasized that actions have consequences and accountability matters.

The judge’s sentence reflects the instruction in Numbers 5:6-7: “[One] who wrongs another . . . must confess the sin they have committed. They must make full restitution.” In these verses, we see the importance God places on acknowledging wrongdoing, confessing sin, and seeking restoration. And they underscore a profound truth: Every offense revealed disloyalty to the ideals of Israel’s society and showed that the offender was “unfaithful to the Lord” (v. 6).

Just as washing cars in public serves as a humbling consequence that encourages reflection and responsibility, God called Israel to recognize their sins honestly—confessing them and seeking forgiveness. True freedom came when they confronted their actions, made amends, and embraced His grace.

Today, let’s take a moment to reflect sincerely on our lives before God. As we seek reconciliation and restitution where necessary (see Matthew 5:23-24; Luke 19:8-10), His mercy and forgiveness will restore us to wholeness.

Reflect & Pray

How can you pursue reconciliation with someone you’ve wronged? Why is restitution so important?

Dear God, please show me where I’ve been wrong and help me pursue reconciliation and restitution.

Today’s Insights

Numbers 5 restates a law first given in Leviticus 6:1-7 that when someone harms a neighbor through deceit, theft, or fraud, they must confess and not only make full repayment but add a fifth of the value to it. They must also sacrifice a ram as a guilt offering. Numbers 5 adds a further stipulation that if restitution can’t be made directly to the person wronged, and if they have no close relative to pay restitution to, then repayment should be given to the priest—returning what they’d wrongly taken back to God (v. 8).

This highlights the truth that harming another also damages someone’s relationship with God (v. 6). Yet this provision of offering a sacrifice and making restitution to a priest also highlights God’s grace. Even when it’s impossible to correct the wrong done to another, because of Christ’s sacrifice, when we confess our sin, God still provides a way to a restored relationship with Him.

Watch more on restored relationships.

 

http://www.odb.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – In President Trump’s feud with the pope, who is right?

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Is America’s war with Iran just?

The feud between President Trump and Pope Leo XIV continued on Thursday, when the pope decried that “The world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants,” in what many took to be a thinly veiled shot at the president. Given that Pope Leo was speaking in Cameroon, where real tyrants have plunged much of Africa into a perpetual state of war, it’s possible that the pope’s comments were intended solely for his immediate context. However, few find that suggestion convincing.

After all, given the extent to which their feud has permeated the larger culture, it would be quite an oversight to say something so potentially incendiary without giving some thought to how others might perceive it. And, at least thus far in his time as pope, Leo does not seem like a man given to that level of oversight.

But how did we reach the point where the leader of the free world and the leader of the world’s largest church are publicly tearing one another down?

Continue reading Denison Forum – In President Trump’s feud with the pope, who is right? →

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – God Is Spirit

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by Henry M. Morris III, D.Min.

“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24)

Mankind has always struggled with this aspect of God. The second commandment prohibited any attempt to represent God with any physical shape (Exodus 20:4–5). The triune God cannot be contained by finite attributes.

  • “Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (1 Timothy 1:17)
  • “Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.” (1 Timothy 6:16)

Were it not for the Second Person of the Godhead, He whom the apostle John identifies as “the Word,” we would have no possibility of knowing God (John 1:1–14). Philip asked to see the Father, and the Lord Jesus replied, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (John 14:9).

But how can this be? Paul explained to the Philippian church that Jesus Christ emptied Himself, took on the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men (Philippians 2:7). Our Lord Jesus, our Redeemer and Savior, the same Creator who spoke the worlds into existence, “was made flesh” (John 1:14) in order to provide all that was necessary for the thrice-holy God to “be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Romans 3:26).

Jesus insisted “no man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him” (John 6:44). Salvation is not possible unless “he that cometh to God [believes] that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). Jesus Himself told the Samaritan woman, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” HMM III

 

 

https://www.icr.org/articles/type/6

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Get to Know People

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Be honest in your judgment and do not decide at a glance (super- ficially and by appearances); but judge fairly and righteously.

John 7:24 (AMPC)

Have you ever met someone you immediately disliked? I’m sure we all have. But how could we honestly dislike someone we barely know or perhaps don’t know at all?

I believe it’s because we have let an attitude, or a mindset, affect our feelings and opinions without ever examining where the thought came from or why we have it.

There are lots of reasons why we might not like someone, but none of them are valid reasons to judge them. Perhaps they have a personality type that we don’t enjoy, or they may have a personality that reminds us of someone who has hurt us in the past. An insecure woman could meet a very beautiful woman and feel a dislike for her simply because she feels threatened by her good looks. It took me a few years to realize that I rejected people who reminded me of my father. He was gruff, negative, and generally unfriendly, so I preferred people who had none of those traits, even though I was that way myself.

It is important that we get to the root of these problems, because God’s Word teaches us not to judge at a glance or superficially. And if we take time to get to know people a little more intimately, we may even like them more.

It is wise to always treat others the same way we want them to treat us.

Prayer of the Day: God, I want to see people the way You see them. Give me Your eyes and Your heart. Let me give people a chance, and not judge superficially, amen.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – April Showers of Blessings: Requested

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NEW!Listen Now

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
1 John 5:14

Recommended Reading: 1 John 5:14-15

Guess how long it takes a raindrop to reach the ground? The height at which the drops fall from clouds varies, but the drops fall at an average speed of 14 miles per hour. So if the cloud is hovering at 2,500 feet above earth, it would take a raindrop about 2 minutes to hit you on the nose.1

How long does it take for God to send down the answers to our prayers? He hears us instantly, and sometimes He answers even before we’ve asked (Isaiah 65:24). Sometimes He answers instantly (2 Kings 20:1-6), and on other occasions we wait for His timing to coordinate all that is necessary to send down His showers of blessings (Psalm 27:14).

Enoch Edwin Byrum wrote, “There are many who occasionally receive blessings, and whose faith is honored by God, but they are living so far below the standard of truth that their showers of blessings are not very frequent.”2 Let’s pray consistently, continuously, and confidently. Ask God to meet your need today, and He will send His answers to you like rain from the sky.

The greatest tragedy of life is not unanswered prayer, but unoffered prayer.
F. B. Meyer

  1. Brian Donegan, “7 Facts About Rain,” Fox Weather.
  2. E. E. Byrum, The Secret of Prayer (Anderson, IN: Revell, 1912), 95.

 

 

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – The Ends of the Earth

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You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses . . . to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8

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Today’s Devotion

Kiribati, an island country in the Pacific Ocean, is the only nation in the world that exists in all four hemispheres of the globe. The thirty-three islands of Kiribati straddle both the equator and the 180th meridian. It’s also one of the most remote nations in the world.

We serve a God who cares about these remote places. As Jesus prepared His disciples for His return to heaven, He told them, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). “To the ends of the earth” is a call to take the message of the gospel to the world’s most isolated spots. But the call wasn’t limited to remote places only. It included their current location of Jerusalem and the nearby regions of Judea and Samaria.

After Jesus gave these parting words to His disciples, “He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight” (v. 9). Two angels appeared and said, “This same Jesus . . . will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven” (v. 11).

The gospel of Jesus Christ is the most important news anyone can ever hear. The challenge for us as His ambassadors is to share that news. With the Holy Spirit’s help, we can see that everyone—near and far—gets a chance to hear.

Reflect & Pray

What does it mean to be Jesus’ witnesses “to the ends of the earth”? How does His command inspire you to share His love with others?

Dear Father, please give me a heart for those who don’t know You.

Today’s Insights

The plan that Jesus gave His disciples in Acts 1:8 unfolds throughout the book of Acts. In the very next chapter, the power that Christ promised would come to all the disciples who were gathered in the upper room (2:1-12). Immediately after this event, Peter proclaimed to thousands of listening ears in Jerusalem the story of Jesus and the promise of salvation through Him (vv. 14-39). Over the next several chapters, Peter would go to the believing Samaritans who’d heard Philip’s preaching, and they too would receive the power of the Holy Spirit (8:4-17). Finally, the gentile centurion Cornelius and his family would respond to the gospel and, through Peter’s preaching, they and all who heard the message and believed in Christ—both Jews and gentiles—were marked with the Spirit (ch. 10). When we embrace His call and follow His plan, we can carry the message of the gospel wherever we go in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Discover more about evangelism and reaching out through relationships.

 

http://www.odb.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales resign from Congress

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Four ways to strive for justice

Tony Gonzales is a US Navy veteran and, as of Tuesday, April 14th, a former member of the US House of Representatives. He resigned. As of Tuesday, Eric Swalwell is also a former member of the US House of Representatives. He also stepped down.

One is a Republican, the other is a Democrat. But the reason why each of them stepped down transcends political parties or policy, and that’s my point today. We should not choose representatives as though they were robots, selecting or deselecting policies, but as moral agents and models—people we believe exemplify the character of a good American citizen.

Politicians don’t need to be perfect. The ballots would be blank if they did. Nevertheless, given the heated, divisive political climate of the states, I’ll argue character is even more important, not less.

Tony Gonzales’ adultery 

Let’s cover the fallout of Gonzales’ failings first. He represented Texas’s 23rd congressional district for five years and has a family with six kids. Gonzales committed adultery with a political aide named Regina Santos-Aviles. Her life fell apart when her husband found out.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales resign from Congress →

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – The Pursuit of Happiness

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 Many people say, ‘Who will show us better times?’ Let your face smile on us, LORD. You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine. In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O LORD, will keep me safe. 

—Psalm 4:6–8

Scripture:

Dissatisfaction is the last of life’s headwinds that we’ll be talking about this week. It’s also one of the most common. Even those of us who like to think of ourselves as low-maintenance and unassuming harbor certain hopes and expectations for this life. We want meaning and purpose, among other things. When life fails to deliver, we’re left feeling disappointed, dissatisfied, and maybe even a little cheated.

Only humans have a longing for meaning in life. I can assure you that my dog doesn’t sit around pondering the reason for his existence. He won’t be looking back on his life and saying, “You know, I tried it all as a dog. I chased cats. I drank toilet water. I tried bones. But deep inside of me, there was a void.” Dogs don’t think that way. They mainly think, “Food . . . sleep.”

Dogs, you see, aren’t made in the image of God. You and I are. We are living souls, designed to know God and to experience something more than a mundane, directionless existence.

From the time of our birth, we’ve been on a quest to discover that “something more.” And we keep searching until we discover that the answer to all our questions is found in a relationship with our Creator. God can give us a sense of joy and fulfillment that far surpasses the puny, fleeting pleasures this world offers. Even better, there’s no hangover in the morning. There’s no guilt or shame that accompanies it.

The psalmists understood this. Psalm 4:6–8 says, “Many people say, ‘Who will show us better times?’ Let your face smile on us, LORD. You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine. In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O LORD, will keep me safe” (NLT).

And Psalm 16:11 says, “You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever” (NLT). There’s pleasure in knowing God, not in chasing after happiness.

In fact, we’ll never find happiness by chasing it. But what we will find is that as we chase God—as we pursue and walk with Him—then one day we will realize that we’ve become happy people. Happiness doesn’t come through actively seeking it but by getting our lives into proper balance, by aligning ourselves with God and His will for our lives. Happiness and joy are the byproducts of that balance and alignment.

Jesus said, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need” (Matthew 6:33 NLT). In other words, if you seek God and His plan first, everything else in life, including happiness and peace, will fall into place.

Reflection Question: What would seeking God and His plan first look like in your life? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

 

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – The First Day of the Week

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by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.

“And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.” (Acts 20:7)

Given the fact that everything about God’s Word was specifically inspired by its Author, it is appropriate that this important phrase, “the first day of the week,” occurs exactly eight times in the Bible. The first six of these (Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:2, 9; Luke 24:1; John 20:1, 19) all stress the fact that it was on this day that the greatest event in history (since the creation) had taken place. The creation of the universe had taken place on the first day of the week, and its Creator conquered sin and death itself on that day. In the Bible, of course, the number seven represents completeness, so eight represents a new beginning—a new creation, a resurrection.

The last two references tell us just how the early Christians remembered this day. Our text verse tells us this was a day on which the disciples assembled together, had a preaching service, and then broke bread. This was not a special assembly called just for Paul, for he had already been waiting there six days (see the previous verse). This was about 25 years after the resurrection itself, and the Jewish believers were evidently still observing the seventh day as a rest day, but then they also observed the first day of the week as the time to commemorate the Lord’s death in breaking bread to celebrate His resurrection and especially to hear the preaching of His Word. The final reference tells us one other vital thing they did: “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him” (1 Corinthians 16:2). The first day of the week should always be a time of remembering Him in these joyful ways, for He is our living Lord and Savior. HMM

 

 

https://www.icr.org/articles/type/6

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Bear One Another’s Burdens

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Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Galatians 6:2 (ESV)

If you have ever had a heavy burden to carry in life, you know what a blessing it is to feel that someone cares about you and is willing to help you bear it.

When your soul is wounded, the enemy takes advantage of it in all kinds of ways, one of which is to try to get you overly self-focused. He wants you to think about all the things that are wrong with you and everything that is bad in your life. He will try to fill your mind with only three words: me, myself, and I.

One of the ways God heals the soul is by helping us get our minds off ourselves and onto what we can do for other people. In fact, thinking of others, helping and supporting them, are keys to healing and wholeness. We might say that helping others is the best way to help ourselves.

When we read the words bear one another’s burdens, it can seem like a difficult and weighty thing to do. But if we ask God to lead us, He will help us realize there are many ways to help people who are carrying heavy loads in life and that helping bear their burdens does not have to become burdensome to us. For example:

  • Do you know a single mother who struggles financially? Maybe you could give her a gift card to a restaurant, so she could take her children out to eat. Or maybe she would like a gift card for a massage or a manicure while you watch her children or pay a trustworthy babysitter.
  • Do you know someone who is caring for an elderly parent, day in and day out? Maybe you could give that person a break by offering to stay with the parent for several hours a week or by running errands. Perhaps the caregiver would also enjoy a free afternoon to just sit and read or have some quiet time to spend with God.
  • Do you have a friend struggling with illness or recovering from a major operation? He or she might need transportation to doctors’ visits, treatments, or therapy. Some people who are unable to participate in daily life due to health problems also appreciate visits from people who can let them know what is going on at church, at the office, or in the community. Asking people what they need and what they would like to talk about can be a great blessing.

Other simple ways to bear someone’s burden include taking time for a cup of coffee and offering a listening ear, praying for people, sharing encouraging truths from God’s Word, and other acts of kindness and thoughtfulness. Even one sentence such as, “I’m believing for God’s best for you!” can be very encouraging.

As you trust God to heal your soul, I hope you will also do whatever you can do to help others bear their burdens, and remember, “Every time you help someone else, you help yourself.”

Prayer of the Day: Lord, heal my heart and turn my focus outward. Show me how to serve, comfort, and support others, trusting that as I give love, You bring wholeness to my soul, amen.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Today in the Word

Today in the Word – Moody Bible Institute – Seeking Refuge

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Read Ruth 3:6–9

In a story, when a character makes a bold and risky move, the reader wonders what the outcome will be. The suspense keeps us engaged! In the book of Ruth, we see this kind of suspense. After Naomi laid out her plan for Ruth to visit Boaz by night (vv. 1–5), Ruth went to the threshing floor and put the plan into action. The author emphasizes her complete obedience: “[She] did everything her mother-in-law told her to do” (v. 6).

Ruth remained hidden until Boaz finished eating and drinking. As he crossed to the far end of the grain pile—a more private location—he was “in good spirits” (v. 7). Literally, this phrase can be translated as “his heart was good,” implying being favorably disposed to do the right thing. He would be receptive to Ruth’s approach. After Boaz had fallen asleep, Ruth approached him, uncovered his legs, and lay down at his feet. This situation creates suspense. Will Boaz see her? How will he respond? Boaz was startled awake, and the narration changes to his point of view—putting us in Boaz’s shoes to discover a woman lying near him. His surprise was expressed in his incredulous question: “Who are you?” (v. 9). Ruth chose her response carefully. Perhaps Naomi had coached her on what to say. She identified herself and called herself his “servant,” using the word amah. This word communicated a slave’s vulnerability and need for protection, while still giving appropriate respect.

Ruth then made her bold request. She asked Boaz to spread the corner of his garment (kanaph) over her, using Boaz’s position as guardian-redeemer (go’el) as her justification. The term kanaph can refer to his clothing, but it can also be a general plea for protection. Boaz used kanaph in 2:12 for “wings.” It can also symbolically allude to marriage. Ruth’s intentions are clear. How will Boaz respond?

Go Deeper

Have you ever approached someone with a bold God-sized request? Did you see God work in the response?

Pray with Us

Lord, thank You for the wonderful picture of Your protection, revealed in the tender relationship between Ruth and Boaz. May we live without fear, with a knowledge of Your “wings” of mercy over us.

I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”Psalm 91:2

 

 

https://www.moodybible.org/