Tag Archives: christianity

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – How to Stay Young Your Entire Life

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Charles Stanley

Psalm 103:1-5

When we read “how to stay young,” most of us think in terms of the physical body. Yet a youthful heart attitude can contribute greatly to keeping us young.

What characterizes such an attitude?

1. A youthful approach to life. This includes curiosity, passion, enthusiastic responses, optimistic viewpoints, and enduring confidence. Jesus promises us a full life (John 10:10). Are you passionately pursuing the Lord and life in Him?

2. Active pursuit of learning. The young at heart are willing to embrace new ideas, make changes in their lives, and adapt to new things. For Christians, God’s Word is to be a primary source of learning (2 Tim. 3:16). What have you learned from the Bible this past week, and how has it impacted your life?

3. A hopeful outlook in the face of trials. A youthful attitude is resilient and able to find meaning and strength in adversity (Rom. 5:3-5). Ask the Lord to increase your trust in Him so that you may overflow with hope (15:13).

4. A “people” orientation. Those who are youthful in spirit willingly reach out in friendship. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, whom will you befriend?

Beware of hindrances to being young at heart. One obstacle is self-absorption, which can close us to new ideas, new people, and even to the Spirit’s call. Heed Jesus’ command to deny self (Matt. 16:34). If self-focus describes you, confess it, and seek to have a youthful heart attitude. You’ll experience the inward vitality that characterizes the young at heart (2 Cor. 4:16).

 

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Longing To Grow

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Our Daily Bread

1 Peter 1:22–2:3

As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby. —1 Peter 2:2

The 2010 documentary film Babies followed four infants who were born into very different circumstances in Namibia, Mongolia, Tokyo, and San Francisco. There is no narration or dialogue from adults in the film, only the sounds babies make as they begin to discover the world into which they have been born. They coo and laugh when they’re happy; they cry when they are hurt or hungry. And all of them like milk! The fascination of the film lies in watching them grow.

As a baby craves milk, followers of Christ are to crave the “pure milk of the Word” that leads to spiritual growth. The apostle Peter says, “Long to grow up into the fullness of your salvation; cry for this as a baby cries for his milk” (1 Peter 2:2 TLB). Peter wrote to encourage a group of Christ-followers who had been scattered by persecution. He urged them to set aside feelings of anger and jealousy toward each other, along with talking one way and living another (v.1), and “as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby” (v.2).

The Lord invites us to drink all that we need from His bountiful supply. He loves to watch His children grow! —David McCasland

Lord, I want to be more like You.

Please give me a fervent desire to drink of

Your Word. Grow me into a person who

resembles You in all I say and do.

The more we dig into God’s Word, the more we grow.

Bible in a year: Psalms 148-150; 1 Corinthians 15:29-58

Our Daily Bread

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – The One Who Suffers

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Our Daily Bread

“The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary…  The Lord has opened my ears, and I have not been rebellious; I have not drawn back” (Isaiah 50:4-5).

The text of Isaiah 50 is full of intense language of compassion and obedience, suffering and humility. Isaiah is describing a deeply mysterious and suffering servant in a confronting passage of Scripture that is hard to take in and harder to ignore. How do we respond to the descriptive words of servant-like humility that note, “I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting” (Isaiah 50:6). What are we to do with this suffering servant?

Isaiah was equipped and willing to do the work of a prophet, to stand between God and humanity with difficult words as his only buffer. His words are political, poetic, and prophetic, enduring well beyond his life, reverberating in creative ways unknown even to the one called. In this chapter, Isaiah gives us the song of a Servant. He speaks of intense faithfulness in the midst of unjust opposition and steadfast obedience to God in the midst of extreme suffering. Isaiah speaks words that Christians believe are abundantly verified in Jesus Christ.

Almost 700 years after Isaiah’s words were uttered, Jesus came with a message to sustain the weary, teaching as one with an instructed tongue, speaking as one with authority, and indeed, living as one who had set his face “like a flint” upon the will of God the Father. He suffered in utter humility; he offered mercy to his tormentors and forgiveness to those who simply looked on (Luke 4:31-36, Isaiah 50:5,7). Isaiah likely spoke well beyond his own understanding, but he nonetheless asks his hearers to decide what we will do with this suffering one.

The Gospel of Luke describes a time when Jesus and the disciples go about the land teaching and preaching and ministering to the crowds, yet avoiding Jerusalem because of those who were plotting to kill him. And then almost as abruptly as their ministry began to spread, Luke recalls a deliberate change in direction. He writes that Jesus “steadfastly and determinedly set his face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51).  Knowing what waited for him there, knowing the cross in the horizon, Jesus set his face as a flint toward his own agony. Exactly as was prophesied 700 years earlier, Jesus voluntarily and determinedly gave his back to those who would beat him, his face to those who would spit and mock, and his very life to present the jarringly redemptive mercy of God.

Can we still think that God does not care for us? Can we still think that the heart of the matter is what you and I will do with God? Perhaps in the light of this mysterious Servant, the question becomes not “What will I do with Jesus Christ?” but “What will he do for us?” Or better still, What has he already done?

Jesus invites the weary and the burdened to come and receive rest from him. “Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” The one who came as a servant, and was destroyed by suffering, died that we might join him in the life-changing, life-giving presence of God. Jesus takes us as we are—broken lives, clouded visions, weary hearts—and invites us to abide in all that he is, in all that is enduring, in all that is God. He remains a mysterious, suffering, captivating servant… in whose presence we are undone.

Jill Carattini is managing editor of A Slice of Infinity at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Living As Lights

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Alistair Begg

. . . In the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.

Philippians 2:15

We use lights for display. A Christian should so shine in his life that a person could not live with him a week without knowing the Gospel. His conversation should be such that all who spend time with him would understand clearly to whom he belongs and who it is he serves and would see the image of Jesus displayed in his daily actions. Lights are intended for guidance. We are to help those around us who are in the dark. We are to declare to them the Word of life. We are to point sinners to the Savior and the weary to a divine resting-place. Sometimes men read their Bibles and fail to understand them; we should be ready, like Philip, to instruct the inquirer in the meaning of God’s Word, the way of salvation, and the life of godliness.

Lights are also used for warning. On our rocks and sandbanks a lighthouse is sure to be erected. Christians should know that there are many false lights everywhere in the world, and therefore the right light is needed. The wreckers of Satan are always abroad, tempting the ungodly to sin under the name of pleasure as they hoist the wrong light. It is our responsibility to set the true light upon every dangerous rock, to point out every sin and tell what it leads to, so that we may be clear of the blood of all men, shining as lights in the world. Lights also have a very cheering influence, and so have Christians. A Christian ought to be a comforter, with kind words on his lips and sympathy in his heart; he should carry sunshine wherever he goes and diffuse happiness around him.

Gracious Spirit dwell with me;

I myself would gracious be,

And with words that help and heal

Would Thy life in mine reveal,

And with actions bold and meek

Would for Christ my Savior speak.

 

 

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Standing Firm

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John MacArthur

“Stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (Eph. 6:11).

Every battle has an offensive and defensive strategy. Paul outlines the Christian’s offensive strategy in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5: “Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.”

Our defensive strategy is to rely on Christ’s strength and put on our spiritual armor (Eph. 6:10-11). Paul was probably chained to a Roman soldier when he wrote to the Ephesians, so he had a ready illustration of spiritual armament at hand. But unlike Roman soldiers, who removed their armor when off duty, Christians must remain fully protected at all times. That thought is captured in the Greek word translated “put on” in Ephesians 6:11, which carries the idea of permanence–putting it on once and for all.

“Stand firm” in verse 12 translates a military term that speaks of holding your ground while under attack. When properly employed, your spiritual armor serves as a lifelong companion that enables you to fight against the forces of evil and do so without retreat. Just as Jesus personally instructed the churches in Thyatira and Philadelphia to hold fast until He returns (Rev. 2:25; 3:11), so He also instructs us to stand our ground without wavering.

Similar New Testament exhortations call us to hold fast to biblical truth (1 Cor. 15:2), to that which is good (1 Thess. 5:21), to our confidence in Christ (Heb. 4:6), and to our confession of faith (Heb. 4:14). Those are marks of a strong and stable believer against whom the schemes of Satan have little effect.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Is there an area of your Christian life in which you’re not standing as firm as you should–perhaps prayer, Bible study, or personal ministry? If so, confess it to the Lord and begin to strengthen that area today. Don’t give Satan a weakness to attack.

For Further Study:

Memorize 1 John 4:4 as a reminder of God’s power in your life.

 

 

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Programming Our Minds

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Charles Stanley

Colossians 3:15-17

The mind is the control tower of life. Decisions determine actions, which in turn affect the immediate and distant future. The person each of us will be 20 years from now is impacted by how we think today. If we want our future self to be pleasing to the Lord, then we must begin at once to program our mind with godly thoughts.

In Romans 12:2 and Ephesians 4:23, Paul tells believers to reject worldly thinking and renew the mind. We have been given the capacity to think as Jesus does—if we submit to the transforming work of the Holy Spirit. The believer should seek the things of God as an act of submission. This means opening our minds only to biblically sound attitudes and philosophies. It’s important that we protect ourselves from the world’s self-serving mindset, because we are to be God’s servants.

A second way to submit is by sifting our thoughts through the Word and will of God. This is a practical step that allows us to identify wrong thinking. We must consider whether an attitude or line of reasoning is pleasing to the Lord and useful for making us into the person He has called us to be. Then, when a thought is unscriptural, we can choose to reject it (2 Cor. 10:5).

Of course, the only way to know if a thought pleases the Lord is to read and meditate upon His Word. In the Bible, God provides examples of righteous living and thinking, and He offers guidance for choosing such patterns. Scripture is the instruction manual for our control tower.

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Almost Content?

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Our Daily Bread

1 Timothy 6:6-12

Be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” —Hebrews 13:5

As I stepped into the restaurant parking lot after lunch, I saw a pickup truck speeding through the parked vehicles. While observing the driver’s reckless behavior, I noticed the words on the truck’s front license plate. It read, “Almost Content.” After thinking about that message and the sentiment it tried to communicate, I concluded that the concept “almost content” doesn’t exist. Either we are content or we are not.

Admittedly, contentment is a tough needle to thread. We live in a world that feeds our desire for more and more—until we find it almost impossible to be content with anything. But this is nothing new. The book of Hebrews addressed this issue, saying, “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (13:5). The only remedy for hearts that “want it all” is the contentment found in the presence of the living God. He is sufficient for our needs and longings, and He alone can bring us the peace and contentment we’ll never find in the pursuits of this life.

Almost content? There is no such thing. In Christ we can know true contentment. —Bill Crowder

I find contentment in His wondrous grace,

No cloud or shadow can obscure His face;

When great temptations I must bear,

I find the secret place of prayer. —Dunlop

Contentment is not getting what we want but being satisfied with what we have.

Bible in a year: Psalms 146-147; 1 Corinthians 15:1-28

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Being Consistent and Useful To God

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Alistair Begg

Woe to me, that I sojourn in Meshech, that I dwell among the tents of Kedar.

Psalms 120:5

As a Christian you have to live in the middle of an ungodly world, and it is of little use for you to cry, “Woe to me.” Jesus did not pray that you should be taken out of the world, and what He did not pray for, you need not desire. It is far better to meet the difficulty in the Lord’s strength and by doing so to glorify Him. The enemy is always watching for inconsistency in your conduct; therefore be very holy. Remember that the eyes of all are on you, and that more is expected from you than from other men. Strive to give no occasion for blame. Let your goodness be the only fault they can discover in you. Like Daniel, compel them to say of you, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.”1

Seek to be useful as well as consistent. Perhaps you think, “If I were in a more favorable position I could serve the Lord’s cause, but I cannot do any good where I am.” The worse the people are among whom you live, the more they need your exertions; if they are crooked, all the more need for you to set them straight; and if they are perverse, they need you to turn their proud hearts to the truth. Where should the doctor spend his time if not among the sick? Where is honor to be won by the soldier but in the center of the battle? And when you are weary of the strife and sin that meets you on every hand, consider that all the saints have endured the same trial. They were not carried on couches to heaven, and you should not expect to travel more easily than they. They had to risk their lives on the battlefield, and you will not be crowned until you also have endured hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Therefore, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong!

1 Daniel 6:5

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – The new heart

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“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26

Suggested Further Reading: Matthew 9:10-17

The promise is that he will give us new hearts and right spirits. Human nature is too far gone ever to be mended. It is not a house that is a little out of repair, with here and there a slate blown from the roof, and here and there a piece of plaster broken down from the ceiling. No, it is rotten throughout, the very foundations have been eroded; there is not a single timber in it which has not been eaten by the worm, from its uppermost roof to its lowest foundation; there is no soundness in it; it is all rottenness and ready to fall. God does not attempt to mend; he does not shore up the walls, and repaint the door; he does not garnish and beautify, but he determines that the old house shall be entirely swept away, and that he will build a new one. It is too far gone, I say, to be mended. If it were only a little out of repair, it might be mended. If only a wheel or two of that great thing called “manhood” were out of repair, then he who made man might put the whole to rights; he might put a new cog where it had been broken off, and another wheel where it had gone to ruin and the machine might work anew. But no, the whole of it is out of repair; there is not one lever which is not broken; not one axle which is not disturbed; not one of the wheels which act upon the others. The whole head is sick, and the whole heart is faint. From the sole of the foot, to the crown of the head, it is all wounds and bruises and putrefying sores. The Lord, therefore, does not attempt the repairing of this thing.

For meditation: The only cure for man’s sinful condition is a heart transplant carried out by the Great Physician (Romans 2:28,29).

Sermon no. 212

5 September (1858)

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Overcoming Satanic Opposition

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John MacArthur

“Be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might . . . . For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:10, 12).

Through the ages Satan has accused, besieged, and battered believers in an effort to prevent them from living to the glory of God. He attempts to snatch the gospel message from a person’s heart even before salvation occurs (Matt. 13:19). He bombards believers with false doctrine, trying to confuse and distract them from biblical truth (Eph. 4:14).

Martin Luther reported that his conflict with Satan became so intense that at one point it was as if he could see him. In anger over Satan’s incessant attacks, Luther picked up his inkwell and threw it at him. It hit the wall with a resounding crash, splattering ink throughout the room. The stains remained for many years, reminding all who saw them of how vivid spiritual conflict can be.

You may not have experienced anything like the intensity of Martin Luther’s conflict, but spiritual warfare is just as real for you as it was for him. You are in mortal combat with Satan and his evil forces. That’s why Paul said, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against . . . spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12).

“Struggle” in that verse speaks of life-and-death, hand-to-hand combat–the kind Jesus Himself experienced while on earth. He met opposition and persecution at every turn. The same was true of Paul and the other apostles as they dealt with Jewish religionists, heathens, sorcerers, and demon-possessed people who tried in vain to thwart their missionary efforts.

Satan’s onslaughts may seem overwhelming at times, but don’t be discouraged. See them for what they are: a defeated foe’s last-ditch efforts to inflict damage on the conquering army. The Lord will strengthen and protect you, just as He has protected all believers before you.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Praise God for being your protector and the source of spiritual victory.

For Further Study:

Read Acts 4:1-22.

What kind of opposition did Peter and John face?

How did they respond to the Jewish Council’s order not to preach the gospel?

 

 

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – All Things New

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Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. —2 Corinthians 5:17

One of the most beautiful promises in all of Scripture is Revelation 21:4: “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

One day all pain will be gone. All sorrow will be gone. All mourning will be gone. That is the promise from God. There will be no more physical or emotional pain—no pain from a broken body or a broken heart, no more broken marriages, and no more broken lives. Why? Because God will make all things new.

But even today God can make your life new. Maybe you have made some mistakes in life and have done things you regret. Maybe you are trapped in a cycle of sin right now that you don’t feel you can ever break free from. Here is the promise of God to you: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

What old things have passed away? Your old sins. God not only forgives them, but He also forgets them. He promises in Psalm 103:12 that “as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

You change when you truly follow Jesus. Old values, ideas, plans, loves, desires, and beliefs vanish, and they are replaced by new things. You have a new desire to know God and learn more about Him and a new desire to be led by the Holy Spirit and be used by God. You have a new desire to bring glory to God—and yes, even a new desire to one day see God in heaven.

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — A Special Day

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Our Daily Bread

Luke 11:1-4

This is the day the LORD has made. —Psalm 118:24

What’s special about September 4? Perhaps it’s your birthday or anniversary. That would make it special. Or maybe you could celebrate the historic events of this day. For instance, in 1781, the city of Los Angeles, California, was founded. Or this: In 1993, Jim Abbott, a pitcher for the New York Yankees, didn’t let anyone get a hit off his pitches—and he was born without a right hand. Or if you’re a TV fan: In 1951, the first live US coast-to-coast television broadcast was aired from San Francisco.

But what if none of these events and facts seem to make your September 4 special? Try these ideas:

Today God gives you a new opportunity to praise Him. Psalm 118:24 says, “This is the day the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

Today God provides for you and wants your trust. “Give us day by day our daily bread” (Luke 11:3).

Today God wants to speak to you through His Word. The believers at Berea “searched the Scriptures daily” (Acts 17:11).

Today God desires to renew your inner person. “The inward man is being renewed day by day” (2 Cor. 4:16).

With God as your guide, September 4—and every day—can be special. —Dave Branon

This is the day the Lord hath made,

He calls the hours His own;

Let heaven rejoice, let earth be glad,

And praise surround the throne. —Watts

Each new day gives us new reasons to praise the Lord.

Bible in a year: Psalms 143-145; 1 Corinthians 14:21-40

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; C.P. – Common to Holy

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ppt_seal01

In this chapter of Leviticus, Aaron’s sons had just offered an unacceptable sacrifice to God and were consumed by fire. Now their brothers had taken their place. God told Aaron (and his sons), “You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean…” (Leviticus 10:10)

Take the grain offering that is left of the Lord‘s food offerings, and eat it unleavened beside the altar, for it is most holy.  Leviticus 10:12

This is the inherent problem of a loving, holy God. He loves people, but He is Holy, and cannot look on sin. Mercifully and graciously, God the Father provided the answer in God the Son by the power of God the Holy Spirit through a common woman, Mary.

By faith, sinful people become holy through Jesus. The apostle Paul talks about how faith makes humans holy: “Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.” (Romans 14:18) Because of Jesus, the Holy Spirit now comes alongside common people to pray to the Father and receive uncommon answers.

Come before the Lord in faith, believing He hears and answers your prayers for your loved ones and your nation. He’ll be pleased with your sacrifice of intercession.

Recommended Reading: Romans 12:9-21

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Your Resources in Christ

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John MacArthur

“Be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (Eph. 6:10-11).

Satan opposes God and wants to prevent believers from glorifying Him. One way he does that is by convincing them that he is either so formidable they could never defeat him, or so weak they can fight him on their own strength.

Second Corinthians 10:4 says, “The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.” Human resources alone can never defeat a spiritual enemy, but divine resources can. That’s why it’s crucial to understand the resources you have in Christ that insure spiritual victory.

In Ephesians 1:3 Paul says you have received all the blessings of heaven through Christ. That includes being forgiven and redeemed (vv. 6-7), and receiving knowledge, understanding, and wisdom (vv. 17-18). Within you resides the Holy Spirit (v. 13), who strengthens you and accomplishes more than you can ask or think (3:16, 20).

Believers represent the awesome power of God in this world–the same power that raised Christ from the dead, seated Him at the right hand of the Father, and subjected all things under His feet (Eph. 1:19-22). He is the Sovereign Lord against whom no one can successfully stand. That’s why Paul exhorted us to “be strong in Him, and in the strength of His might” (Eph. 6:10, emphasis added). We find this strength by putting on the armor He has supplied: truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, the Word, and prayer. Then, no matter what direction the enemy approaches from, or how subtle his attacks may be, we’ll be able to stand firm.

Satan’s attacks are complex and subtle. His ways of working in this world are cunning and deceitful. Since it’s impossible to analyze and anticipate his every offense, focus on strengthening your defenses by understanding your spiritual resources and using them each day.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Ask God to increase your understanding of spiritual warfare.

Seek wisdom in applying your resources in the most effective ways.

When you face spiritual battles, confide in a Christian friend who will pray with you and encourage you.

For Further Study:

According to Matthew 4:1-11, how did Jesus deal with Satan’s attacks?

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Everything We Need

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“Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give you into our hands.” —1 Samuel 17:47

When David faced Goliath, he knew the battle belonged to the Lord. He told the giant Philistine, “The battle is the LORD’s, and He will give you into our hands” (1 Samuel 17:47).

Giants defeat us again and again because we face them in our own strength. We can’t overcome our giants in our own ability. We need help. The battle belongs to the Lord.

This is why, before the apostle Paul mentioned a single piece of spiritual armor, he said, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” (Ephesians 6:10). We recognize we are weak, but at the same time, we acknowledge that God is great, that God is powerful. Jesus said, “Without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

We need to know about our incredible resources that God has made available to us as Christians. Paul prayed that the believers in Ephesus would discover what God had done for them, asking that “the eyes of [their] understanding [be] enlightened; that [they] may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints” (Ephesians 1:18).

In the same epistle Paul goes on to say, “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:4–6).

As believers, we positionally share in the power that Jesus has given to us. Therefore, we don’t fight for victory; we fight from it. We have everything we need to prevail against the giants in our lives.

Presidential Prayer Team; J.R. – Not Helpless

The scene Jacob came upon, described in Genesis 29, was common in ancient times. The sheep were thirsty, and they knew where to find the water…but they were completely incapable of getting it on their own. Only the shepherd could move the stone and draw water from the well. Until then, the sheep could only lie beside it and wait, utterly helpless.

As he looked, he saw a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep lying beside it. Genesis 29:2

In America, water is so plentiful it’s almost impossible not to take it for granted. This is not the case in the Middle East – not now, and not when Genesis was written. But imagine your world today without access to clean water. All of a sudden, every other pursuit or pleasure would be rendered pointless.

That, in reality, is the situation facing your friends, coworkers and loved ones who don’t have a relationship with Christ. As you pray for America’s leaders today, ask God to come beside you and give you wisdom and discernment in showing others how they might find the shepherd of their souls. Whether they live in the White House or in your neighborhood, pray they will not be left helpless without Him.

Recommended Reading: Isaiah 44:1-8

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Eternal Life: Adjust Your Focus

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Charles Stanley

Romans 8:6

Many believers can almost instinctively complete this statement: “For the wages of sin is_____.” Reading that sentence, perhaps you even filled in the blank out loud: death. We all know what that means, right? Verse 23 of Romans 6 proclaims it’s what we deserve for our sin. This is how we view ourselves from time to time—dirty sinners who have narrowly escaped a horrible death.

The problem here is that too many believers remember just the first half of the verse—the part that deals with our sin. If we focus on the sin rather than God’s plan for restoration, then our entire spiritual perspective gets off balance. Emphasizing the sin directs all the attention to self—what I have done, how I have acted, where I have been. This self-centeredness will never lead to the peaceful assurance of salvation that the Lord has provided. When we focus on ourselves, we leave little room for God.

Romans 8:6 is a good companion verse to the one we’ve been looking at, because the Lord would have us focus not on our problem, but on His solution. You see, Romans 6:23 is not simply a condemnation for sin; it is a proclamation of salvation! The apostle Paul boldly declares that God saw our dire situation and acted on His own initiative to rescue us.

The heavenly Father graciously handed salvation over to us as a free gift. And when the Lord gives a gift, there is no one who can ever steal it away and nothing that can interfere with its permanence (Rom. 8:35-39). That’s the assurance our God wants us to have.

 

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — The Real Deal

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Our Daily Bread

1 Corinthians 15:1-21

[Christ] rose again the third day . . . [and] was seen by over five hundred brethren. —1 Corinthians 15:4-6

Sometimes cleaning out Grandpa’s attic pays off. For an Ohio man, it paid off in the discovery of a more than 100-year-old set of mint-condition baseball cards. Appraisers placed the cards’ value at $3 million.

One key to the high value of those cards was the fact that they were well-preserved. But beyond that, the true worth of the cards rested in the fact that they were authentic. If they had been fakes or counterfeits—no matter how good they looked—they wouldn’t have been worth the cardboard they were printed on.

The apostle Paul had something similar to say about Christianity. He said that our faith would be completely worthless and counterfeit if Jesus’ resurrection were not the real deal. It took bravery and confidence in God’s plan for Paul to say, “If Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty” (1 Cor. 15:14) and “If Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!” (v.17).

The Christian faith rests on the authenticity of this story: Jesus died on the cross and was raised from the dead. Praise God for the clear evidence of Jesus’ death and resurrection (vv.3-8). It’s the real deal, and we can stake our eternity and our total dependence on God on its truth. —Dave Branon

Lord, we’re eternally thankful for the truth

confirmed in Your Word and in our hearts that

You died and rose again for us. We love You, Lord,

and lift our voices in praise!

God is the only true God.

Bible in a year: Psalms 132-134; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34

 

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Rejecting the World

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John MacArthur

“Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15).

Loving the world begins with thinking that God doesn’t know what’s best for you and is trying to cheat you out of something you deserve. That thought soon blossoms into a willingness to disregard God’s warnings altogether and take whatever Satan has to offer.

Love of the world started in the Garden of Eden and continues to this day. Genesis 3:6 says, “When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.” What made them think the fruit was good for food or able to make them wise? God didn’t tell them that. In fact, He warned them that they would die if they ate the fruit (Gen. 2:17). But Eve believed the serpent’s lie and Adam followed suit.

Satan continues to propagate his lies but you needn’t fall prey to them if you love God and remember that the world is opposed to everything He stands for. It is spiritually dead; void of the Spirit (John 14:17); morally defiled; and dominated by pride, greed, and evil desires. It produces wrong opinions, selfish aims, sinful pleasures, demoralizing influences, corrupt politics, empty honors, and fickle love.

You can’t love the world and God at the same time because love knows no rivals. It gives its object first place. If you love God, He will have first place in your life. If you love the world, the love of the Father isn’t in you (1 John 2:15).

Galatians 1:3-5 explains that Jesus says that “gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us out of this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forevermore.” Christ died to deliver us from Satan’s evil system. What greater motivation could there be to reject the world and live to God’s glory?

Suggestions for Prayer:

Ask God for greater wisdom and grace to resist the world’s influences.

For Further Study:

According to Ephesians 6:10-18, how can you as a believer protect yourself against Satan’s evil system?

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Be a Doer

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Joyce meyer

But be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth].—James 1:22

Any time you see what the Word says and refuse to do it, reasoning has somehow gotten involved and deceived you into believing something other than the truth. There may be times when you don’t understand everything the Word says, but you should move ahead and do it. God wants you to obey him whether or not you feel like it, want to do it, or think it is a good idea. When God speaks, we are not to question His methods. His ways are not our own.

Proverbs 3:5 says, “Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.” In other words, don’t rely on reason or logic. When God speaks, we are to mobilize, not rationalize.

 

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Power Over Nations

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“To everyone who overcomes – who to the very end keeps on doing things that please Me – I will give power over the nations. You will rule them with a rod of iron just as My Father gave Me the authority to rule them; they will be shattered like a pot of clay that is broken into tiny pieces. And I will give you the Morning Star!” (Revelation 2:26-28).

I marvel at the numerous promises made to the overcomer, the one “who to the very end keeps on doing things that please Me.” Now we are even promised power over the nations, as we rule and reign with our heavenly Father in that coming day.

As I ponder this verse, I see in a very few words the key to the entire Christian life – the one thing alone that will keep us victorious today, tomorrow, and throughout our lives. Again, it is that significant clause: “who to the very end keeps on doing things that please Me.”

Lest you think that is an over simplification of the victorious Christian life, can you think of anything else God requires of us? And He even provides His Holy Spirit as an indwelling reminder of the daily victory He makes possible. This is the supernatural life. Earlier, we are told of a conquering Christ who will rule the nations of the earth with a rod of iron. This promise tells us that Christ will turn this power over to the conqueror – the overcomer – and his victorious companions in death.

Bible Reading: Psalm 2:1-12

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will trust the Lord to make being an overcomer a reality for me as a way of life – by the power of His indwelling Holy Spirit.