Tag Archives: christianity

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — All Through This Hour

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Our Daily Bread

Psalm 25:1-11

Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day. —Psalm 25:5

The majestic chime of London’s Great Clock of Westminster, commonly known as Big Ben, is familiar to many. In fact, some of us may have clocks in our homes that sound the same hourly chime. It is traditionally thought that the melody was taken from Handel’s Messiah. And the lyrics inscribed in the Big Ben clock room have a time significance:

All through this hour,

Lord, be my guide;

And by Thy power,

No foot shall slide.

These lyrics are a good reminder of our constant need for God’s guidance. King David recognized that he needed guidance all through the day as he faced the challenges of life. In Psalm 25 he says: “Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day” (v.5). Wanting to be a teachable follower of God, David looked to his Redeemer for direction. His heart’s desire was to wait on God with dependent faith throughout the entire day.

May this be our desire as well. Our requests for God’s help often begin the day, but then competing distractions can pull our attention away from Him. Lord, remind us to pray: “All through this hour, Lord, be my guide.” —Dennis Fisher

There’s never a day nor a season

That prayer may not bless every hour,

And never a prayer need be helpless

When linked with God’s infinite power. —Morton

Let Christ be first in your thoughts in the morning, and last in your thoughts at night.

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

 

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – The death of the Christian

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CharlesSpurgeon

“Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in his season.” Job 5:26

Suggested Further Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:1-8

Wait a little, beloved. In a few more years you and I shall be carried through the heavens on the wings of angels. When I die, the angels approach. I am on the wings of cherubs. Oh, how they bear me up—how swiftly and yet how softly. I have left mortality with all its pains. Oh, how rapid is my flight! Just now I passed the morning star. Far behind me now the planets shine. Oh, how swiftly do I fly, and how sweetly! Cherubs! What sweet flight is yours, and what kind arms are these I lean upon. And on my way you kiss me with the kisses of love and affection.You call me brother. Cherubs; am I your brother? I who just now was captive in a tenement of clay—am I your brother? “Yes!” they say. Oh, hark, I hear music strangely harmonious! What sweet sounds come to my ears! I am nearing Paradise. Do not spirits approach with songs of joy? “Yes!” they say. And before they can answer, behold they come—a glorious convoy! I catch a sight of them as they are holding a great review at the gates of Paradise. And there is the golden gate. I enter in; and I see my blessed Lord. I can tell you no more. All else were things unlawful for flesh to utter. My Lord! I am with thee—plunged into thee—lost in thee just as a drop is swallowed in the ocean—as one single tint is lost in the glorious rainbow! Am I lost in thee, thou glorious Jesus? And is my bliss consummated? Is the wedding-day come at last? Have I really put on the marriage garments? And am I thine? Yes! I am.

For meditation: Are you looking forward to this time (Philippians 1:23)? You can if you are a Christian.The unbeliever has another prospect ahead (Hebrews 10:27). See the contrast in Luke 16:22,23.

Sermon no. 43

9 September (1855)

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – The Blessings of Meditation

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Joyce meyer

And the Lord your God will make you abundantly prosperous in every work of your hand…. If you obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this Book of the Law, and if you turn to the Lord your God with all your [mind and] heart and with all your being. For this commandment which I command you this day is not too difficult for you, nor is it far off…. But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your mind and in your heart, so that you can do it.—Deuteronomy 30:9–11, 14

Please make everything easy and simple for me, dear God. I don’t like to struggle, and I want constant victory without exerting any effort. Let me go on my way as I let You do everything to keep me secure.

I’ve never heard anyone pray those words, but I have heard people pray in such a way that they were asking for an easy time in life. Too many people want victory without battle, triumph without effort, and ease without labor. God’s world simply doesn’t function that way.

“It’s just too hard.” I wonder how many times I’ve heard people talk that way. I wonder how many times Joyce Meyer has talked that way. And I did. There was a time when I’d make a firm stand for following the Lord, but in my heart (and often in my mouth) were the words that “it was just so hard.”

God convicted me of negative thinking. He taught me that if I would stop looking at the hardships and obey Him, He would make a way for me. The previous verses tell us that God wants to bless us and prosper the work of our hands, but we must obey His commandments. And in verse 11, He assures us that we can do it: “For this commandment which I command you this day is not too difficult for you, nor is it far off.”

Because we spend so much time listening to the negatives and figuring out what can go wrong, too often we forget the promise that His will is not too difficult for us. Instead, it may help if you think of the obvious difficulties as blessings from God.

For instance, take encouragement from Joseph. After he spent years in Egypt and saved the lives of his family in Canaan, his brothers were afraid of him. They had hated him, plotted to kill him, and sold him into slavery. After their father, Jacob, died, they expected Joseph to punish them. He could have done that and groaned about his hard life—and his life had not been easy. Not only was he sold as a slave by his brothers, but he had been wrongly imprisoned and could have been put to death if God hadn’t been with him.

Instead of saying, “Life is so hard,” Joseph said, “As for you, you thought evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring about that many people should be kept alive, as they are this day” (Genesis 50:20). He understood how God works in human lives. Joseph didn’t look at the hardships; he looked at the opportunities. Joseph didn’t listen to the whispering campaign of his enemy; he turned his ears to the encouraging words of his God. In no place do we read of him complaining. He saw everything that happened to him as God’s loving hand upon him.

I wrote the words loving hand even though it may not always seem that way. And that’s where the devil sometimes creeps in to say, “If God loves you so much, why are you in this mess?”

The best answer I can give is to repeat the words of Paul the great apostle: “Let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance. And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character (approved faith and tried integrity). And character [of this sort] produces [the habit of] joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation. Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us, for God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us” (Romans 5:3–5).

God never promises an easy life, but He does promise a blessed life.

God of love and compassion, please forgive me for complaining about life being too hard. Forgive me for wanting things to be easy. Lead me wherever You want me to go and, in the name of Jesus, I plead that You will help me rejoice all the way—even in the midst of the problems, because You will be there to help me solve them. Amen.

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – The question of fear and the answer of faith

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CharlesSpurgeon

“Will he plead against me with his great power? No; but he would put strength in me.” Job 23:6

Suggested Further Reading: 2 Corinthians 2:14-3: 5

Didst thou ever stand and take a view of heaven? Hast thou discerned the hills which lie between your soul and paradise? Hast thou counted the lions thou hast to fight, the giants to be slain, and the rivers to be crossed? Didst thou ever notice the many temptations with which thou art beset, the trials thou hast to endure, the difficulties thou hast to overcome, the dangers thou hast to avoid? Didst thou ever take a bird’s eye view of heaven, and all the dangers which are strewn thickly along the path thither? And didst thou ever ask thyself this question, “How shall I, a poor feeble worm, ever get there?” Didst thou ever say within thyself, “I am not a match for all my foes, how shall I arrive at paradise?” If thou hast ever asked this question, I will tell thee what is the only answer for it: thou must be girded with almighty strength, or else thou wilt never gain the victory. Easy thy path may be, but it is too hard for thy infantile strength, without the almighty power. Thy path may be one of little temptation, and of shallow trial; but thou wilt be drowned in the floods yet, unless almighty power preserve thee. Mark me! However smooth thy way, there is nothing short of the bare arm of deity that can land any one of you in heaven. We must have divine strength, or else we shall never get there. And there is an illustration of these words: “No, but he will put his strength in me.” “And shall I hold on to the end?” says the believer. Yes, thou wilt, for God’s strength in is thee. “Shall I be able to bear such-and-such a trial?” Yes, thou wilt. Cannot omnipotence stem the torrent? And omnipotence is in thee; for, like Ignatius of old, thou art a God-bearer; thou bearest God about with thee. Thy heart is a temple of the Holy Spirit, and thou shalt yet overcome.

For meditation: For meditation: Without Christ we can do nothing (John 15:5)—we have no reason for self-confidence. In Christ we can do all things (Philippians 4:13)—there is no need for despair. Do you regard yourself as self-sufficient or as Christ-sufficient? See 2 Corinthians 12:9.

Sermon no. 108

8 September (Preached 31 August 1856)

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Face the Truth and Find Freedom

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Joyce meyer

But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth.—John 16:13

Facing the truth about yourself is a vital key to experiencing a breakthrough to victory. If you want to continually live in new levels of victory, you must remain open and receptive to the truth about yourself. This is not just a superficial acknowledgment of wrong thinking and behavior—it is an open and honest recognition of your sin before God that brings an attitude of repentance, which is a willingness to go in the right direction.

It can be painful, but facing the truth about your mindsets, motives, and methods of doing things enables you to move beyond your despair and experience a wonderful fellowship with God.

The truth about yourself often brings great hurt, but the truth of God’s Word brings great healing. As you continue in His Word, the truth will set you free (see John 8:32).

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – Lovest thou me?

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CharlesSpurgeon

“So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. John 21:15-17

Suggested Further Reading: 1 Corinthians 13

He did not say, “Simon, son of Jonas, fearest thou me.” He did not say, “Dost thou admire me? Dost thou adore me?” Nor was it even a question concerning his faith. He did not say, “Simon, son of Jonas, believest thou in me?” but he asked him another question, “Lovest thou me?” I take it, that is because love is the very best evidence of godliness. Love is the brightest of all the graces; and hence it becomes the best evidence. I do not believe love to be superior to faith; I believe faith to be the groundwork of our salvation; I think faith to be the mother grace, and love springs from it; faith I believe to be the root grace, and love grows from it. But then, faith is not an evidence for brightness equal to love. Faith, if we have it, is a sure and certain sign that we are God’s children; and so is every other grace a sure and certain one, but many of them cannot be seen by others. Love is a more sparkling one than any other. If I have a true fear of God in my heart, then I am God’s child; but since fear is a grace that is more dim and has not that halo of glory over it that love has, love becomes one of the very best evidences and one of the easiest signs of discerning whether we are alive to the Saviour. He that lacks love, must lack also every other grace in the proportion in which he lacks love. If love be little, I believe it is a sign that faith is little; for he that believes much loves much. If love be little, fear will be little, and courage for God will be little.

For meditation: The commandments of God can be headed and summarised by one word—love (Matthew 22:36-40; Romans 13:8-10).

Sermon no. 117

7 September (1856)

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Ask for Help

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Joyce meyer

Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].  —James 5:16

Addictions, habits, or negative attitudes can wear you out. If you need deliverance from some wrong behavior, the Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit is your Helper (See John 14:6). Confess your need to God, and ask Him to deliver you.

He may lead you to confess your faults to other believers whom you can trust to pray for you. The Word says that we are to confess our faults to one other so that we may be healed and restored. If you are out of control in some area, be honest about it. Today can be your day of deliverance.

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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CharlesSpurgeon

“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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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