Tag Archives: christianity

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Presidential Prayer Team; J.K. – Steps to Walk By

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Dr. Charles Stanley’s seven steps can help you know what David knew about living God’s way and having abiding confidence in Him.

Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies. Psalm 27:11

1. Cleansing – keep short accounts. If there is something hindering your relationship with God, confess it. 2. Surrendering – come before Him with a humble heart so that He may exalt you (I Peter 5:6). 3. Asking – “You do not have, because you do not ask.” (James 4:2) Remember that your requests must be in line with what God would want.

4. Meditating – God’s promise is that His Word will be a light to your path, so the more you think on what He says, the more clear the way will become (Psalm 119:105). 5. Believing – you must believe that He will answer your prayer (Mark 11:22-24). 6. Waiting – if you run ahead or manipulate the circumstances, you will miss the good the Lord has in store for you. Choose to wait for His move (Isaiah 40:31).

7. Receiving – as you are obedient and diligent in seeking His will, He will hear and give you the wisdom you need (James 1:5). Now intercede for this nation…that its people will walk in the way of the Lord.

Recommended Reading: Psalm 1

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Charles Stanley – A God You Can Count On

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Ephesians 2:4-10

On the basis of God’s character, what assurances can we depend upon every single day?

1. God will extend His loving kindness to us. Sending His Son to die in our place proves the Father’s love for us, and His unchanging nature confirms that He will love us forever (Ps. 100:5; (1 John 4:10).

2. The Lord will help us do what He requires of us. He provides not only the spiritual wisdom to carry out our tasks but also the inner strength to complete them. We will receive from Him everything that we need. (Heb. 13:21).

3. God will limit the temptations and pressures He allows in our life. Like a master craftsman, He knows what force can be applied to shape us into Jesus’ image without breaking us (2 Cor. 4:8).

4. God will strengthen and protect us so we do not have to compromise or yield. Though we are weak, He understands how strong we can be when His divine power is working in us. And the Holy Spirit gives us the spiritual strength to say no to temptation (1 Cor. 10:13).

5. Our Father will forgive our sins. He stands ready to receive our confession, forgive us, and bring us back into fellowship with Him—every time (1 John 1:9).

In addition to these blessings for our days on earth, we also have assurances about the future. We can trust that life does not end when our earthly body dies (2 Cor. 5:8), that we will live in heaven forever, and that Jesus Christ will return someday to set all things right.

Life certainly has trials (John 16:33). But when challenges press in, think about all the reasons we can depend upon God.

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Our Daily Bread — Imaginary Friend?

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Romans 1:18-25

Abraham believed God . . . and he was called the friend of God. —James 2:23

Not long ago, I heard about this billboard along the highway: “God is an imaginary friend—choose reality. It will be better for all of us.”

Obviously, the bold statement compares Christians to children whose vivid imaginations invent a make-believe companion. But is that what God is—an imaginary friend?

Actually, the evidence favors His reality. Ponder these ideas: The creation of the world shows there is a Designer behind the universe (Rom. 1:18-20). The conscience indicates a Lawgiver behind each human’s sense of right and wrong (Rom. 2:14-15). The creativity we express in music and art reflect the same attribute that the Creator possesses (Ex. 35:31-32). Christ reveals what God is like in human form (Heb. 1:1-4). And the communion or fellowship of the Spirit in the Christian heart manifests the reality of God (Gal. 5:22-23).

The Bible tells us there will be those who deny the reality of God (2 Peter 3:4-6). But James reminds us of His reality and how an Old Testament believer befriended Him: “‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ And he was called the friend of God” (James 2:23). Have you met the redeeming God? He gave His Son to become your real, eternal Friend (John 15:15). —Dennis Fisher

I’ve found a Friend, O such a Friend!

He loved me ere I knew Him;

He drew me with the cords of love,

And thus He bound me to Him. —Small

The dearest friend on earth is but a mere shadow compared to Jesus. —Chambers

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Charles Spurgeon – Israel in Egypt

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“And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.” Revelation 15:3

Suggested Further Reading: Exodus 15:1-18

One part of the song of Moses consisted in praising the ease with which God destroyed his enemies. “Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them; they sank as lead in the mighty waters.” If we had gone to work to destroy the hosts of Pharaoh, what a multitude of engines of death should we have required. If the work had been committed to us, to cut off the hosts, what marvellous preparations, what thunder, what noise, what great activity there would have been. But mark the grandeur of the expression. God did not even lift himself from his throne to do it: he saw Pharaoh coming; he seemed to look upon him with a placid smile; he did just blow with his lips, and the sea covered them. You and I will marvel at the last how easy it has been to overthrow the enemies of the Lord. We have been tugging and toiling all our lifetime to be the means of overthrowing systems of error: it will astonish the church when her Master shall come to see how, as the ice dissolveth before the fire, all error and sin shall be utterly destroyed in the coming of the most High. We must have our societies and our machinery, our preachers and our gatherings, and rightly too; but God will not require them at the last. The destruction of his enemies shall be as easy to him as the making of a world. In passive silence unmoved he sat; and he did but break the silence with “Let there be light” and light was. So shall he at the last, when his enemies are raging furiously, blow with his winds, and they shall be scattered.

For meditation: Creation took God a matter of a few days; the destruction of a great power will take him only a fraction of the time (Revelation 18:8,10,17,19).

Sermon no. 136

14 June (1857)

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Max Lucado – Sheep Can’t Sleep

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Millions of Americans have trouble sleeping!  You may be one of them. Only one other living creature has as much trouble resting as we do.  They are woolly, simpleminded, and slow…sheep. Sheep can’t sleep!  For sheep to sleep, everything must be just right. No predators. No tension in the flock.  Sheep need help.  They need a shepherd to “lead them” and help them “lie down in green pastures.” Without a shepherd, they can’t rest.

Without a shepherd, neither can we!  Psalm 23:2 says, “He, (the Shepherd) makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.”  Who’s the active one?  Who’s in charge? The Shepherd!  With our eyes on the Shepherd, we’ll get some sleep. Isaiah 26:3 reminds us of the promise,  “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You.”

 

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Charles Spurgeon – The wicked man’s life, funeral, and epitaph

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“And so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done: this also is vanity.” Ecclesiastes 8:10

Suggested Further Reading: Luke 16:19-23

Go into Bunhill Fields, and stand by the memorial of John Bunyan, and you will say, “Ah! There lies the head that contained the brain which thought out that wondrous dream of the Pilgrim’s Progress from the City of Destruction to the Better Land. There lies the finger that wrote those wondrous lines which depict the story of him who came at last to the land Beulah, and waded through the flood, and entered into the celestial city. And there are the eyelids which he once spoke of, when he said, “If I lie in prison until the moss grows on my eyelids, I will never make a promise to withhold from preaching.” And there is that bold eye that penetrated the judge, when he said, “If you will let me out of prison today, I will preach again tomorrow, by the help of God.” And there lies that loving hand that was ever ready to receive into communion all them that loved the Lord Jesus Christ: I love the hand that wrote the book, “Water Baptism no bar to Christian Communion.” I love him for that sake alone, and if he had written nothing else but that, I would say, “John Bunyan, be honoured for ever.” And there lies the foot that carried him up Snow Hill to go and make peace between a father and a son, in that cold day, which cost him his life. Peace to his ashes! Wait, O John Bunyan, till thy Master sends his angel to blow the trumpet; and methinks, when the archangel sounds it, he will almost think of thee, and this shall be a part of his joy, that honest John Bunyan, the greatest of all Englishmen, shall rise from his tomb at the blowing of that great trump. You cannot say so of the wicked.

For meditation: In Heaven the saved are still known by name—Abraham, Lazarus; in hell the lost are at best known only by a description—Dives is just the Latin for “a rich man”. See the contrast in Proverbs 10:7. Are the names and burial-places of John Bunyan’s enemies well known even on earth?

Sermon no. 200

13 June (1858)

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Joyce Meyer – Well-Aimed Stones

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And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us. —John 1:14

Jesus is the Word made flesh who came to dwell among men. Scripture also refers to Jesus as “the Rock,” or a stone, as in Luke 20:17, where He is called the chief Cornerstone. If Jesus is the Word made flesh, and if He is the Rock, then each portion of the Word is like a stone.

Instructions were given to the Israelites concerning how to handle their enemy in Deuteronomy 13:10, “And you shall stone him to death with stones, because he has tried to draw you away from the Lord your God.” Remember that David defeated Goliath with a well-aimed stone.

You too can “stone” your enemy, Satan, in accordance with Deuteronomy 30:14, “But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your mind and in your heart.” Learn the Word and allow the Holy Spirit to teach you how to speak it effectively.

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Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Produce Lovely Fruit

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“You didn’t choose Me! I chose you! I appointed you to go and produce lovely fruit always, so that no matter what you ask for from the Father, using My name, He will give it to you” (John 15:16).

Some time ago I asked a leading theologian and dean of faculty of a renowned theological seminary if he felt that one could be a Spirit-filled person without sharing Christ as a way of life.

His answer was an emphatic, “No!” On what basis could he make such a strong statement? The answer is obvious. Our Savior came to “seek and to save the lost” and He has “chosen and ordained” us to share the good news of His love and forgiveness with everyone, everywhere.

To be unwilling to witness for Christ with our lips is to disobey this command just as much as to be unwilling to witness for Him by living holy lives is to disobey His command. In neither case can the disobedient Christian expect God to control and empower his life.

There are those who say, “I witness for Christ by living a good life.” But it is not enough to live a good life. Many non-Christians live fine, moral, ethical lives.

According to the Lord Jesus, the only way we can demonstrate that we are truly following Him is to produce fruit, which includes introducing others to our Savior as well as living holy lives. And the only way we can produce fruit is through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Bible Reading: John 15:7-15

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: My part of the “bargain” is to share the good news which will produce lovely fruit; God’s part is to provide the wisdom, love and power, through the enabling of the Holy Spirit, to be a fruitful witness. “Lord help me to be faithful in my part, knowing You will be faithful in Yours.”

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Our Daily Bread — Unfinished Business

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Luke 23:32-43

Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom. —Luke 23:42

At age 99, Leo Plass received his college diploma from Eastern Oregon University. He had stopped working on his teaching degree during the 1930s when he left college to earn an income in the logging industry. Seventy-nine years later, he completed the three credits necessary to graduate and resolve this important unfinished business in his life.

Many of us can relate to Leo. Our unfinished business may include apologies left unsaid or, even more important, unfinished spiritual decisions. One of the criminals who was crucified with Jesus needed desperately to make such a decision. Just a few breaths away from eternity, he realized who Jesus was and wanted to be with Him in heaven. He recognized his sin and Jesus’ innocence, and said, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom” (Luke 23:42). Jesus replied, “Assuredly, . . . today you will be with Me in Paradise” (v.43).

God does not want anyone to perish (2 Peter 3:9). His offer of salvation is open to anyone, regardless of age, health, or stage in life. His offer is open to you. Don’t delay receiving Jesus as Savior (2 Cor. 6:2). Resolve this important, unfinished business, and you’ll look forward to eternity with Him. —Jennifer Benson Schuldt

Time after time, He has waited before,

And now He is waiting again

To see if you’re willing to open the door;

Oh, how He wants to come in!

—Ralph C. Carmichael. © 1958 SpiritQuest Music.

To be saved here means to be safe hereafter.

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John MacArthur – Persevering in the Word

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“One who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does” (James 1:25).

The phrase “and abides by it” in James 1:25 demands our close attention. “Abide” translates a Greek word that means “to stay beside,” “remain,” or “continue.” The idea is that a doer of the Word continually and habitually gazes into God’s perfect law. In other words, he is a persevering learner.

When you have that level of commitment to the Word, you will be an effectual doer–one who is in union with God’s will and seeks to obey it above all else. As you do, God will bless you. That doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be successful in the eyes of the world, but your priorities and perspectives will be right and the Lord will honor what you do.

This verse is a call to carefully examine yourself in light of God’s standards. That’s not a popular thing in our society because many people have an aversion to serious spiritual thought and self-examination. I believe that’s why Christian television, music, and other forms of entertainment are so popular. Escaping reality through entertainment is far more appealing to most people than gazing into the mirror of God’s Word and having their spiritual flaws and blemishes exposed. But if you desire to be like Christ, you must see yourself for what you are and make any needed corrections. To do that, you must continually examine your life in the light of Scripture.

Can you imagine what the church would be if every Christian did that? Can you imagine the changes in your own life if you did it more consistently? Only the Holy Spirit can enable you to be a doer of the Word. So yield to His leading through prayer and confession as you continue to study and apply God’s Word.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Whenever you study Scripture, ask the Spirit to illuminate your mind and heart, and to use the Word to transform you more and more into the image of Christ.

For Further Study:

Read Colossians 3:16-17, noting what Paul says about responding to the Word.

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Alistair Begg – The Origin

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There is no light in the planet but that which proceeds from the sun; and there is no true love for Jesus in the heart but that which comes from the Lord Jesus Himself. From this overflowing fountain of the infinite love of God, all our love to God must spring.

This truth is foundational, that we love Him for no other reason than because He first loved us. Our love for Him is the result of His love for us. When studying the works of God, anyone may respond with cold admiration, but the warmth of love can only be kindled in the heart by God’s Spirit.

What a wonder that any of us, knowing what we’re like, should ever have been brought to love Jesus at all! How marvelous that when we had rebelled against Him, He should, by a display of such amazing love, seek to draw us back. We would never have had a grain of love toward God unless it had been sown in us by the sweet seed of His love for us.

Love, then, has for its parent the love of God shed abroad in the heart: But after it is divinely born, it must be divinely nourished. It is not like a plant, which will flourish naturally in human soil–it must be watered from above. Love for Jesus is a flower of a delicate nature, and if it received no nourishment but that which could be drawn from the rock of our hearts, it would soon wither. As love comes from heaven, so it must feed on heavenly bread. It cannot exist in the wilderness unless it be fed by manna from on high. Love must feed on love. The very soul and life of our love for God is His love for us.

I love Thee, Lord, but with no love of mine,

For I have none to give;

I love Thee, Lord; but all the love is Thine,

For by Thy love I live.

I am as nothing, and rejoice to be

Emptied, and lost, and swallowed up in Thee.

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Joyce Meyer – Make Mercy a Way of Life

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It is because of the Lord’s mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His [tender] compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great and abundant is Your stability and faithfulness. —Lamentations 3:22-23

Aren’t you thankful for God’s abundant mercy? It is new every morning. Surely we would all live miserable, defeated lives if it were not for His compassion and willingness to forgive us.

When we meditate on God’s mercy and truly realize how much He willingly forgives us, we can much more easily show mercy to others. Good relationships are impossible unless we are generous with mercy and forgiveness. Being merciful simply means forgiving others even though their actions would warrant our anger.

Jesus said that we are to forgive our enemies and be kind. In this way we show ourselves to be like our Father in heaven, for He is merciful and kind.

God’s mercy is new every morning, and I am glad—because I am sure I use my allotted portion every day. I am grateful for a new, fresh start each day. When we make mistakes, He does not want us to try to sacrifice to make up for them. When others hurt or offend us, He wants us to extend mercy to them.

Learn to give and receive mercy regularly; and let mercy become a way of life for you.

Love Others Today: God’s mercies are new for you right now! Receive the mercy He has for you and extend mercy to everyone around you.

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Charles Stanley – Serving God in Ways That Honor Him

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2 Timothy 2:4, 16-25

In Paul’s second letter to Timothy, he shared helpful instructions, which apply to all Christians. That epistle is a rich compendium of life lessons he’d learned in full-time service to the Lord.

The apostle knew that while certain people were serving God out of love, others were “preaching Christ even from envy and strife” and out of “selfish ambition, rather than from pure motives” (Phil. 1:15, 17). As for himself, Paul said that from the beginning of his Christian walk, he had been serving God with a clear conscience (2 Tim. 1:3).

Then, to introduce some guidelines for godly service, he gave Timothy this word picture: “No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier” (2:4).

There are undoubtedly hundreds of ways to become “entangled,” but Paul gave one specific example—in verse 14, he cautioned against quarreling about words, since that can lead to ruin. He also warned Timothy to avoid “worldly and empty chatter” (v. 16), and urged him to “refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels” (v. 23). Paul summarized the idea in the next verse by saying that “the Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome,” but instead ought to be “kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged.”

How quickly our service to God can degenerate into an angry debate. We at times think the only way to deal with error is by strong argument, but there are often opportunities to correct opponents with gentleness (v. 25).

 

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Alistair Begg – Love the Lord, Hate Evil

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O you who love the Lord, hate evil!

Psalm 97:10

You have good reason to “hate evil,” for just consider what harm it has already caused you. What a world of mischief sin has brought into your heart! Sin blinded you so that you could not see the beauty of the Savior; it made you deaf so that you could not hear the Redeemer’s tender invitations. Sin turned your feet into the way of death and poured poison into the very fountain of your being; it tainted your heart and made it “deceitful above all things, and desperately sick.”1

What a creature you were when evil had done its utmost with you, before divine grace intervened! You were an heir of wrath just like others; you ran with the crowd to do evil. We were all like this, but Paul reminds us, “but you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”2

We have good reason, indeed, for hating evil when we look back and trace its deadly workings. We were in such a sorry state that our souls would have been lost if omnipotent love had not intervened to redeem us. Even now it is an active enemy, always looking for ways to harm us and to drag us to perdition.

Therefore “hate evil,” Christian, unless you desire trouble. If you want to cover your path with thorns and plant nettles in your pillow, then fail to “hate evil”; but if you would live a happy life and die a peaceful death, then walk in all the ways of holiness, hating evil right to the end. If you truly love your Savior and want to honor Him, then “hate evil.” We know of no cure for the love of evil in a Christian like daily communion with the Lord Jesus. Be often with Him, and it is impossible for you to be at peace with sin.

Order my footsteps by Thy Word,

And make my heart sincere;

Let sin have no dominion, Lord,

But keep my conscience clear.

1 – Jeremiah 17:9

2 – 1 Corinthians 6:11

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Charles Spurgeon – Presumptuous sins

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“Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins.” Psalm 19:13

Suggested Further Reading: 2 Samuel 11

This prayer was the prayer of a saint, the prayer of a holy man of God. Did David need to pray thus? Did the “man after God’s own heart” need to cry, “Keep back thy servant”? Yes, he did. And note the beauty of the prayer. If I might translate it into more metaphorical style, it is like this: “Curb thy servant from presumptuous sins.” “Keep him back, or he will wander to the edge of the precipice of sin. Hold him in, Lord; he is apt to run away; curb him; put the bridle on him; do not let him do it; let thine overpowering grace keep him holy; when he would do evil, then do thou draw him to good, and when his evil propensities would lead him astray, then do thou check him.” “Keep back thy servant from presumptuous sins.” What, then? Is it true that the best of men may sin presumptuously? Ah! It is true. It is a solemn thing to find the apostle Paul warning saints against the most loathsome of sins. He says, “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth, fornication, uncleanness, idolatry, inordinate affection,” and such like. What! Do saints want warning against such sins as these? Yes, they do. The highest saints may sin the lowest sins, unless kept by divine grace. You old experienced Christians, boast not in your experience; you may yet trip up unless you cry, “Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe.” You whose love is fervent, whose faith is constant, whose hopes are bright, say not, “I shall never sin,” but rather cry out, “Lord, lead me not into temptation, and when there leave me not there; for unless thou hold me fast I feel I must, I shall decline, and prove an apostate after all.”

For meditation: Five ways to lay hold of the power of God against temptation:

Pray (Luke 22:40)

Obey (Psalm 17:5)

Watch (1 Corinthians 16:13)

Exhort (Hebrews 3:13)

Read (Psalm 119:11)

Sermon no. 135

7 June (1857)

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Charles Spurgeon – Constraining love

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“Oh love the Lord, all ye his saints.” Psalm 31:23

Suggested Further Reading: 1 John 4:7-12

Christ’s love to us we sometimes guess at, but, ah, it is so far beyond our thoughts, our reasonings, our praises, and our apprehension too, in the sweetest moments of our most spiritual ecstasy,—who can tell it? “Oh, how he loved us!” When Jesus wept at the grave of Lazarus, the Jews exclaimed with surprise—“Behold how he loved him.” Verily, you might say the like with deeper emphasis. There was nothing in you to make him love you, but he left heaven’s throne for you. As he came down the celestial hills, methinks the angels said “Oh, how he loved them.” When he lay in the manger an infant, they gathered round and said, “Oh how he loves.” But when they saw him sweating in the garden, when he was put into the crucible, and began to be melted in the furnace, then indeed, the spirits above began to know how much he loved us. Oh Jesus! When I see thee mocked and spat upon—when I see thy dear cheeks become a reservoir for all the filth and spittle of unholy mouths—when I see thy back rent with knotted whips—when I behold thy honour and thy life both trailing in the dust—when I see thee charged with madness, with treason, with blasphemy—when I behold thy hands and feet pierced, thy body stripped naked and exposed—when I see thee hanging on the cross between heaven and earth, in torments dire and excruciating—when I hear thee cry “I thirst,” and see the vinegar thrust to thy lips—when I hear thy direful cry, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me,” my spirit is compelled to say, “Oh how he loves!”

For meditation: How cold and hardhearted we must be to ever question the Lord’s love towards us (Malachi 1:2).

Sermon no. 325

4 June (Preached 3 June 1860)

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John MacArthur – Be Slow to Speak

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“Let everyone be . . . slow to speak” (James 1:19).

It is reported that when the Scottish Reformer John Knox was called to preach, he shed many tears and withdrew himself to the privacy of his room. He was grieved and greatly troubled at the prospect of such an awesome responsibility. Only the compelling grace of the Holy Spirit Himself enabled Knox to fulfill his calling.

John Knox understood the importance of being slow to speak. He knew that God holds teachers of the Word accountable for what they say, and will dispense a stricter judgment to them if they violate their ministry (James 3:1- 2).

In one sense, God holds everyone accountable for what they say. You are to “let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear” (Eph. 4:29). But being slow to speak doesn’t refer to vocabulary or opinions. It refers to teaching the Word. You are to pursue every opportunity to hear God’s Word, but exercise reluctance in assuming the role of a teacher. Why? Because the tongue reveals the subtle sins of one’s heart and easily offends others (James 2:2).

Does that mean you should never teach the Bible? No, because God commands every believer to “make disciples . . . teaching them to observe all” that Jesus taught (Matt. 28:19-20, emphasis added). And the Spirit gifts many believers to be preachers and teachers of the Word. Paul said, “I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel” (1 Cor. 9:16).

You must take every opportunity to share the gospel with others, and if God has called and gifted you to teach the Word, be faithful to do so. But remember, those are serious and sacred responsibilities. Be sure your motives are pure and your teaching accurate. If someone is offended, let it be by the convicting power of the Word, not by something you said at an unguarded moment.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Ask the Lord to teach you to guard your tongue and to speak only what is edifying to others.

For Further Study:

Read Proverbs 10:19, 13:3, 17:28, and 29:20, noting what each teaches about wise speech.

 

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Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Praise Brings Results

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“And at the moment they began to sing and to praise, the Lord caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to begin fighting among themselves, and they destroyed each other!” (2 Chronicles 20:22).

The armies of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir had declared war on King Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah. So Jehoshaphat called the people together and prayed, “Oh, our God. Won’t you stop them. We have no way to protect ourselves against this mighty army. We don’t know what to do but we are looking to You.”

Then the Lord instructed the people, “Don’t be afraid, don’t be paralyzed by this mighty army for the battle is not yours, but God’s! Tomorrow, go down and attack them!…But you will not need to fight. Take your places; stand quietly and see the incredible rescue operation God will perform for you” (2 Chronicles 20:15-17).

After consultation with the leaders of the people, Jehoshaphat determined that there should be a choir, clothed in sanctified garments and singing the song, “His Loving kindness Is Forever,” leading the march. As they walked along praising and thanking the Lord, He released His mighty power in their behalf.

One of the greatest lessons I have ever learned about the Christian life is the importance of praise and thanksgiving. The greater the problem, the more difficult the circumstances, the greater the crisis, the more important it is to praise God at all times, to worship Him for who He is; for His attributes of sovereignty, love, grace, power, wisdom and might; for the certainty that He will fight for us, that He will demonstrate His supernatural resources in our behalf.

As in the case of Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah when they began to praise God and He caused the three opposing armies to fight against each other and destroy one another, God will fight for us if we trust and obey Him. There is no better way to demonstrate faith and obedience than to praise Him and to thank Him, even when our world is crumbling around us and the enemy is threatening to destroy. God honors praise. Hebrews 13:15 reminds us, “With Jesus’ help, we will continually offer our sacrifice of praise to God by telling others of the glory of His name.”

Bible Reading: Psalm 136:1, 21-26

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Today I will continue to praise God and give thanks to Him for who He is. When difficulties arise, I will praise Him all the more and thank Him for His faithfulness. I will depend upon the supernatural resources of God which enable me to live the supernatural life, regardless of the circumstances.

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Greg Laurie – Start with a Step

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So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. —Matthew 14:29

Sometimes people are critical of Peter because he sank during his walk on the water to Jesus. But apart from Jesus himself, Peter is the only one to ever walk on water. And, by the way, it wasn’t a presumptuous act on Peter’s part. He did ask permission, and Jesus granted it.

I can imagine Peter swinging one leg over the side of the boat and testing his weight a little. Next, he brings the other leg around. Soon, he is standing on the water. Then he takes a step . . . then another step.

But the waves were high, the sea was rough, and Peter probably thought, What am I doing? Then he began to sink.

As he cried out to Jesus, the Lord reached down, grabbed him, and pulled him up. Then He said, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31). I find it interesting that in the original language, “little faith” is one word. There is a tenderness implied in the language, almost as though it were a nickname. Oh, Littlefaith. You were doing so well. I’m so proud of you, Peter. Jesus lifted him up, and they walked back to that boat. But Peter had taken a step of faith.

This reminds us that God can take even a little faith and turn it into big faith if we will just take a step of faith. So many times we want the detailed blueprint. But just start with a step. Just start where you are. Do what you can.

You have your world. You have your opportunities. Start with someone you can think of who needs Christ this year. Pray for him. Share with her. And remember that doors don’t necessarily stay open forever. Everything starts with a little step.

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John MacArthur – Examining Your Faith

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“Prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves” (James 1:22).

Our studies this month center on James 1:19þ2:26, which deals with the issue of true faith–a most important consideration indeed. Knowing your faith is genuine is a wonderful assurance, but thinking you’re saved when you’re not is the most frightening deception imaginable. In Matthew 7:21-23 Jesus speaks of those who call Him Lord and even do miracles in His name, but aren’t redeemed. Second Timothy 3:5 speaks of those who have a form of godliness but deny its power. They’re religious but lost. Sadly, many people today are victims of the same deception. They think they’re Christians, but they’re heading for eternal damnation unless they recognize their true condition and repent.

Deception of that magnitude is a tragedy beyond description, but you need never fall prey to it because James gives a series of tests for true faith. This month we’ll be applying one of those tests: your attitude toward God’s Word. That’s an especially crucial test because the Word is the agency of both your salvation and sanctification. The Holy Spirit empowered it to save you, and He continually works through it to conform you to the image of Christ. That’s why Peter said, “You have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and abiding word of God. . . . [Therefore] like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation” (1 Pet. 1:23þ2:2).

Jesus Himself characterized believers as those who abide in His Word and obey His commandments. They receive the Word with an attitude of submission and humility. However, unbelievers resist and disobey the Word (John 8:31, 43-45). Psalm 119:155 says, “Salvation is far from the wicked, for they do not seek Thy statutes.”

As you study this test of true faith, ask yourself, Do I pass the test? I pray that your answer will echo the words of the psalmist: “I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes always, even unto the end” (Ps. 119:112).

Suggestions for Prayer:

Ask God for clarity and confidence about your faith in Christ.

For Further Study:

Read the book of James, noting the instructions he gives regarding Christian living.