Tag Archives: christianity

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Our Daily Bread — I’m Sorry, Man

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Matthew 5:21-26

Be reconciled to your brother. —Matthew 5:24

When my son-in-law Ewing and I attended a sporting event, we enjoyed watching both the game and the people around us.

One of those people showed both the bad and good side of humanity. This man had apparently lost track of his seat. As he was looking for it, he stood squarely between us and the field. A man sitting in front of us also had his view blocked, so he told the guy, “Could you move? We can’t see.”

The lost man responded sarcastically, “Too bad.” A second request got a similar but more heated response. Finally the man moved on. Later came a surprise. He returned and told the man he had blocked, “Hey, I’m sorry, man. I was upset that I couldn’t find my seat.” They shook hands and the incident ended well.

That interaction made me think. As we go through life striving to find our way, situations may frustrate us and cause us to respond to others in an un-Christlike way. If so, we must ask God to give us the courage to apologize to those we have offended. Our worship, according to Jesus, depends on it (Matt. 5:23-24).

We honor God when we make reconciliation with others a priority. After we have been reconciled, we can then fully enjoy communion with our heavenly Father. —Dave Branon

It’s not easy, Lord, to swallow our pride and ask

others to forgive us. But You want us to seek

reconciliation before worship can take place.

Help us to seek forgiveness when necessary.

Confession of sin is the soil in which forgiveness flourishes.

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Joyce Meyer – Christ Is the Power

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And God also selected (deliberately chose) what in the world is lowborn and insignificant and branded and treated with contempt, . . . so that no mortal man should [have pretense for glorying and] boast in the presence of God. —1 Corinthians 1:28–29

“But to those who are called, . . . Christ [is] the Power of God and the Wisdom of God” (Corinthians 1:24). When God calls us to do something, He enables us to do it. Remember, God uses inadequate people to do important things because that way He gets the glory.

So if God calls you to do something today that seems too big for you to handle, Christ will give you the power and the wisdom that you need to do it. God has said to each of us, “My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

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Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Obedience Releases the Power

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“For the Lord says, ‘Because he loves me, I will rescue him; I will make him great because he trusts in My name. When he calls on Me I will answer, I will be with him in trouble, and rescue him and honor him'” (Psalm 91:14,15).

Pete was the playboy type. He believed that Christ was in his life and that he had eternal life and would go to heaven when he died, but he was not willing to “go all the way with the Lord.” He wanted to live the “good life,” he said. One day perhaps he would make a total commitment of his life to Christ, but not now. He had all kinds of physical and emotional problems, but somehow he was never able to make the connection that the fact that his life was miserable was because of his disobedience to God.

All of God’s supernatural resources are latent within us waiting for us, as an act of the will by faith, to release that power. This explains the difference between impotent, fruitless, defeated Christians and those who are buoyant, joyful, victorious and fruitful in magnificent ways for the glory of God. Both are indwelt by the same God and possess the same supernatural power, but one for whatever reason – lack of knowledge, lack of faith, disobedience – fails to release the power while the other – knowledgeable, dedicated, obedient, faithful – releases the power.

John 14:21 is another way of stating Psalm 91:14,15. Jesus said, “He that hath My commandments, and keep them, he it is that loveth Me and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him.”

We demonstrate that we love God when we obey Him. And when we trust and obey Him, all the supernatural resources of deity are released in our behalf. He literally heals our bodies, our minds and our spirits and enables us to live the supernatural life.

Bible Reading: Psalm 91:7-13

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will acknowledge Jesus daily as the Lord of my life and demonstrate my love by obeying His commandments. In so doing, I can be assured that He will be with me in trouble and deliver me and honor me as He promised.

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Charles Stanley – The Service of Motherhood

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Philippians 2:1-11

Children are a gift from the Lord (Ps. 127:3-5). As a result, motherhood is a great honor and privilege. Yet it is also synonymous with servanthood. Every day women are called upon to selflessly meet the needs of their families. Whether they are nursing a baby late at night, spending their time and money on less-than-grateful teenagers, or preparing meals, moms continuously put others before themselves.

Sometimes this constant serving can be exhausting and even discouraging— particularly for a first-time mother. But you can take real encouragement from Jesus. One of the best examples of gracious servanthood is found in John 13:3-16. By kneeling to wash His disciples’ feet, the Lord showed that the key to genuine leadership is humility. And it is humility that leads to eternal reward.

Unless you are willing to stoop down and get your hands dirty, you will miss the real riches of motherhood. By dying to your own desires and pouring your life into someone else’s, you become like Christ and create a godly legacy that will carry on for generations to come. What greater blessing could one hope for? Of course, the motivation for serving others should not be to reap benefits, but when we follow God’s plan for our life, that’s what happens.

In giving us children, God places us in a position of both leadership and service. He calls us to give up our lives for the sake of others—to abandon our own desires and put our child’s interests first. Yet according to His perfect design, it is through this selflessness that we can become truly fulfilled.

 

 

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Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Instruct, Teach, Guide

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“I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with Mine eye” (Psalm 32:8, KJV).

As an Eastern monarch, David was familiar with the thought behind this interesting expression: “guide thee with Mine eye.”

As he sat in state, David was surrounded by a number of servants who were eager to do his bidding. They constantly fixed their eyes on him, and when David wanted any service done, he rarely needed to speak. Each servant knew his post, and his eyes were dutifully fixed on his master. At a nod or a sign – a turn of the eye – he flew to complete the desired service.

How refreshing to know that our God keeps an eye on each one of us as His children. He knows the way we are going; He knows the way we should take – and with His watchful eye He promises to instruct us and to teach us.

When we become careless and stubborn, and thus are not observing the slightest indications of God’s will for us, we require the bit and bridle instead of the guiding eye. Great attentiveness and great desire are presupposed on the part of those who are led.

On some subjects, full directions and plain commands are not always given in the Word of God. In such cases, we must be especially sensitive to the guiding eye.

Similarly, we apply the truth of this passage to the truth of a particular providence. God’s guiding us with His eye often indicates to us His will by means of providential events. When we live and walk in the Spirit, by faith, we recognize His guiding eye.

Bible Reading: Proverbs 3:1-6

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will try to be more sensitive to God’s guiding eye, realizing that I will find proper direction in no other way.

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Charles Stanley – How to Love Others

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Matthew 22:35-40

Jesus told His disciples, “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you” (Matt. 7:12). Most of us refer to this code of conduct as the “Golden Rule.”

In theory, we would probably agree that this is a good foundation for a healthy relationship. Yet it’s tough to live up to such a standard. If we made a list of the ways we hope to be treated and then compared it with our own behavior, we would likely fall short.

And of course, it’s easy to love when others are treating us well. But how do we respond when their behavior is hurtful or unpleasant? The truth is, Jesus meant for us to love others all the time, not just when they are lovable. Regardless of their attitude toward us, we are to think about the relationship qualities we value—like loyalty, trust, encouragement, forgiveness, acceptance, and protection—and let these flow from us in their direction.

Unfortunately, our society encourages selfishness, greed, and pride, which are enemies of the love Jesus commanded. But when we care for others in the way the Lord prescribes, relationships can deepen and thrive.

Treating others with this kind of love isn’t natural or easy, especially when people are unkind. In fact, loving as Jesus commanded is impossible—on our own. But when we trust Christ as Savior, the Holy Spirit empowers us and lives His life through us (Gal. 2:20).

Take time to list the ways that you hope others will treat you. Now ask, Is that how I treat people? Pray for God to reveal one area where He will help you to apply the Golden Rule.

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Our Daily Bread — Always Preparing

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2 Timothy 2:19-26

If anyone cleanses himself from [dishonor], he will be a vessel for honor, . . . prepared for every good work. —2 Timothy 2:21

While my son was home for an extended visit, he knocked on my office door one morning and asked me what I was doing. “I’m preparing for Sunday school,” I told him. Then, thinking about all the time I spend in my office, I said, “It seems like I’m always preparing for something.”

I’m grateful for the opportunities God gives me to reach out to others. There’s some stress, though, when you’re always getting something ready for somebody. It’s hard to balance priorities with the pressure to prepare a lesson, a message, or a document continually on your mind.

This idea of constant preparation intrigued me, so I checked the Bible to see if it talks about the subject. I found that we are called to always be preparing. A heart dedicated to God must be prepared to serve Him (1 Sam. 7:3). We are to be ready to do good works (2 Tim. 2:21) and to defend scriptural truth (1 Peter 3:15). And Paul reminds us that even our giving takes planning (2 Cor. 9:5).

That’s just a start. Living a life that pleases the Lord takes mental, spiritual, and physical preparation. But we don’t need to stress, because He will enable us with His power. Let’s ask God to guide us as we prepare to serve, honor, and tell others about Him. —Dave Branon

Savior, like a shepherd lead us,

Much we need Thy tender care;

In Thy pleasant pastures feed us,

For our use Thy folds prepare. —Thrupp

The best preparation for tomorrow is the right use of today.

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Alistair Begg – A New House

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We abide in him.  1 John 4:13

Do you want a house for your soul? You may ask, “How much does it cost?” Something less than proud human nature would like to pay. It is without money and without price. But you would like to pay a respectable rent! You would love to do something to win Christ? Then you cannot have the house, for it is without price.

Will you take my Master’s house on a lease for all eternity, with nothing to pay for it, nothing but the rent of loving and serving Him forever? Will you take Jesus and dwell in Him? This house is furnished with all you want; it is filled with riches more than you can spend as long as you live. In this house you can have intimate communion with Christ and feast on His love; the tables are well-stocked with food for you to live on forever; in it, when weary, you can find rest with Jesus; and from it you have a view of heaven itself.

Will you have the house? If you are homeless, you will say, “I should like to have the house; but may I have it?” Yes; the key is, “Come to Jesus.” “But,” you say, “I am too shabby for such a house.” Never mind; there are garments inside. If you feel guilty and condemned, come; and though the house is too good for you, Christ will make you good enough for the house soon enough. He will wash you and cleanse you, and you will yet be able to sing, “We dwell in Him.”

Believer, your happiness will be multiplied in having such a dwelling-place! What a privilege for you to live in such a secure dwelling–a place of safety. And dwelling in Him, you have not only a perfect and secure house, but an everlasting one. When this world shall have melted like a dream, our house shall live and stand more imperishable than marble, more solid than granite, self-existent as God, for it is God Himself–“We abide in him.”

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John MacArthur – Gaining Spiritual Stability

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The twelve apostles included “Simon, who is called Peter” (Matt. 10:2).

The first disciple Matthew’s gospel names is “Simon, who is called Peter” (Matt. 10:2). He was a fisherman by trade but Jesus called him to be a fisher of men. John 1:40-42 records their first encounter: “One of the two who heard John [the Baptist] speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He found first his own brother Simon, and . . . brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him, and said, ‘You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas’ (which translated means Peter).”

“Peter” means “stone.” “Cephas” is its Aramaic equivalent. By nature Simon tended to be impulsive and vacillating. Apparently Jesus named him Peter as a reminder of his future role in the church, which would require spiritual strength and stability. Whenever Peter acted like a man of strength, Jesus called him by his new name. When he sinned, Jesus called him by his old name (e.g., John 21:15-17). In the gospel of John, Peter is called “Simon Peter” seventeen times. Perhaps John knew Peter so well he realized he was always drifting somewhere between sinful Simon and spiritual Peter.

For the next few days we will see how Jesus worked with Peter to transform him into a true spiritual rock. It was an amazing transformation, but not unlike what He desires to do in every believer’s life.

You might not have the same personality as Peter, but the Lord wants you to be a spiritual rock just the same. Peter himself wrote, “You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 2:5). That occurs as you “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18). Make that your continual aim.

Suggestions for Prayer:

List the areas of your Christian walk that are inconsistent or vacillating. Make them a matter of earnest prayer, asking God for wisdom and grace as you begin to strengthen them.

For Further Study:

First Peter was written to Christians in danger of severe persecution. Read that epistle, noting the keys to spiritual stability that Peter gives.

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Joyce Meyer – Be Trainable

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For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty . . . to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.    —1 Corinthians 1:26–29 NKJV

All we need to do is look at some of the disciples Jesus chose and we quickly see that God does not always or even usually call those who seem to be qualified. I can say for sure that God will prepare you in whatever way He chooses.

It may be formal training and it may not, but God will use everything in your life to train you if you are willing to be trained. It’s sad to say that many people have a great calling on their life but they are too impatient to go through the preparation that is necessary to equip them for the job.

Esther had to have a year of preparation before she was allowed to go before the king. For twelve months, she went through the purifying process, but even more than her physical beauty, her inner beauty showed through, and God used her to save her people from wicked Haman’s evil plot.

Lord, thank You for calling me to follow You. I am delighted to be one of Your disciples. Equip me for the service You have for me. Amen.

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Charles Stanley – Living By Conviction

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In Bible stories, believers often hold firmly to godly standards, despite the odds against them. The courage they displayed sometimes intimidates us. We wonder how we can faithfully follow our convictions to the same degree. But the Spirit who indwells us has the power and desire to bring about great change in our character and perspective. Only with His help can we honor the Lord with our lives.

A. The Fruit of Self-effort

As believers, we sometimes get the impression that we are responsible to live by godly values in our own strength.

According to 2 Corinthians 5:21, what is the basis of our righteousness?

In our naturalness, we cannot produce holiness, no matter how much effort we put forth. This can lead to great frustration. It is necessary to understand that when we trust Christ as Savior, His Holy Spirit takes up residence within us. As we yield to the Spirit, He produces godly fruit through us.

Note: “Flesh” refers not only to a person’s physical body but also to the part of our soul that wants to live independently of the Lord.

Describe the typical fruit of the flesh (Gal. 5:19).

When people try to be holy in their own strength, they might find partial success. However, the by-products of such effort can include pride, selfishness, legalism, exhaustion, and judgmental attitudes.

When have you realized you’ve tried to attain righteousness on your own?

What were the results of your efforts to be holy?

B. The Fruit of the Holy Spirit

Part of fallen human nature is to desire control, to do things ourselves. However, when it comes to righteousness—whether for salvation or for living—we must allow God to do the work.

Summarize what Galatians 2:20 and 3:3 say about the relationship between faith and living for God.

Faith, which is believing God will do as He promised, isn’t something we drum up inside ourselves. Our role is to go about our lives—making decisions, handling crises, raising our families, and so on—as if God will keep His word.

The story of David’s battle against Goliath is a wonderful illustration of faith. The giant had threatened the army of Israel, leaving them paralyzed with fear.

What was David’s perspective (1 Sam. 17:26, 45-47)?

Notice that David did what he knew how to do, while trusting God to handle the rest.

Think of a challenge or problem you face. What is your role?

What is God’s part?

C. Responding in Faith

David walked into the valley in response to what he believed God would do, not in reaction to his circumstances.

What previous experiences gave David confidence that God would deliver Goliath into his hands (1 Sam. 17:37)?

People either react to temptation or respond to it, based on God’s truth.

When you are face to face with a “giant,” such as lust or jealousy, do you find yourself thinking something like this: Oh, God, I know walking away is the right thing to do. But I’m not sure I can do it?

If so, you may be trying to rely on your own ability to become righteous.

The answer is to pray something like this: Oh, God, this is too big for me to handle, but I trust You to help me respond properly.  Faith is a signal for the Holy Spirit to go into action.

The time for deciding how to handle temptation is before we face it. Then we are more likely to stick to our convictions. No, we can’t predict every challenge. But most of us fight the same battles day after day, week after week.

What are the temptations you face on a daily or weekly basis?

Take time to plan how you can do your part to resist every choice that compromises biblical values.

Closing: To experience success over the specific giants in your life, start by declaring victory over them each morning. Think through the pressures you are likely to feel. Item by item, thank God for the victory (see the prayer below). In doing so, you activate your faith and avoid pursuing righteousness in your own power. Remember, Christ died not only to pay your sin-debt, but also to enable your success. With His help, you can become a believer who faithfully lives according to biblical principles.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I ask You to make me into a Christian who demonstrates godly values in every situation. I trust You to produce self-control in me. I cannot handle the challenges to come, but You can. When the pressure comes, remind me that the battle is Yours. Amen.

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Our Daily Bread — Digesting The Word

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Jeremiah 15:15-21

Your Word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart. —Jeremiah 15:16

King James is famous for the Bible translation that bears his name. But around the same time as the printing of the Bible, he also commissioned The Book of Common Prayer. Still used today, this guide to intercession and worship contains a marvelous prayer for internalizing the Bible: “Blessed Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning; grant that we may . . . hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience, and comfort of [Your] holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life.”

Many centuries earlier, Jeremiah the prophet expressed a similar way of letting the Scriptures nourish our hearts: “Your words were found, and I ate them; and Your Word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart: for I am called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts” (Jer. 15:16). We internalize the Word as we “read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest” a passage of Scripture through prayerful meditation.

Ask the Lord to help you apply the Bible to your heart today. Take time to ponder the meat and milk of the Word (Heb. 5:12). As you quiet your heart, God will teach you about Himself through His Book. —Dennis Fisher

Lord, I meditate on Your precepts and contemplate

Your ways. I delight myself in Your statutes;

I will not forget Your Word. Open my eyes that

I may see wondrous things from Your law.

Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested. —Bacon

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Alistair Begg – “My People”

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I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 2 Corinthians 6:16

What a sweet title: “my people”! What a cheering revelation: “their God”! What a wealth of meaning is couched in those two words, “my people!”

Here is speciality. The whole world is God’s; the heaven, even the heaven of heavens, is the Lord’s, and He reigns among the children of men. But of those whom He has chosen, whom He has purchased to Himself, He says what He says not of others–“my people.”

In this word there is the idea of proprietorship. In a special manner “the LORD’s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted heritage.”1 All the nations upon earth are His; the whole world is in His power. But His people, His chosen, are more especially His possession, for He has done more for them than for others. He has bought them with His blood; He has brought them to Himself; He has set His great heart upon them; He has loved them with an everlasting love, a love that many waters cannot quench and that the revolutions of time will never in the least degree diminish.

Dear friends, can you by faith see yourselves in that number? Can you look up to heaven and say, “My Lord and my God: mine by that sweet relationship that entitles me to call You Father; mine by that hallowed fellowship that I rejoice to enjoy with You when You are pleased to show Yourself to me as You do not to the world”? Can you read the Bible and find there the guarantee of your salvation? Can you read your title written in precious blood? Can you, by humble faith, lay hold of Jesus’ garments and say, “My Christ”?

If you can, then God says of you, and of others like you, “My people;” for if God be your God and Christ your Christ, the Lord has a special interest in you; you are the object of His choice, accepted in His beloved Son.

1-Dueteronomy 32:9

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Charles Stanley – The Alternatives to Patience

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Galatians 6:7-9

Have you ever felt the Lord calling you to something really big—maybe some task that seemed impossible or a goal that would no doubt take years to achieve? Most likely, some aspiration or God-given promise just came to mind. As you think about it, let’s consider three common courses of action.

First, we can take a shortcut. After all, if the Lord makes a promise or gives us a goal, wouldn’t He want us to attain it as quickly as possible? The answer is, Not necessarily. God often gives a pledge years before He brings it to pass. When we try to manipulate circumstances and “help” the Lord fulfill His promise, we’ll surely get in the way of the good things He has in mind for us. We should remember that part of the blessing will be the trust and wisdom that we gain while we are waiting.

Second, we can simply quit. We might tell ourselves, Who wants to wait ten years for anything? That is simply too long. I’d rather move on to something else. So we just walk away, forget that the opportunity ever came up, and try not to think about it anymore. But what a tragedy it is to say no to a promise of God and to miss out on the blessing He has planned for us.

Third, we can wait patiently and trust the Lord to bless us. This is clearly the best option, but sadly the one too many of us tend to avoid.

If someone were to say to you, “Ten years from today, I’m going to give you ten million dollars,” what would you say? Most likely, you would not respond, “No, thanks. I want it now or not at all.” Why then, do so many Christians say that to God? He has tremendous blessings in store for you—if you’re willing to wait.

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Our Daily Bread — Songs Born Out Of Struggle

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Psalm 31:9-20

Have mercy on me, O LORD . . . ; my eye wastes away with grief, yes, my soul and my body! —Psalm 31:9

In a documentary film about three legendary guitarists, Jack White described the first essential for writing a song: “If you don’t have a struggle already inside of you or around you, you have to make one up.”

The songs that mean the most to us give expression to our deepest feelings. Many of the Psalms, often called “the Bible’s songbook,” were born out of struggle. They capture our disappointments and fears, yet they always point us toward the faithful love of God.

In Psalm 31, David wrote: “Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am in trouble; my eye wastes away with grief, yes, my soul and my body!” (v.9). He speaks of a trap set for him (v.4), his own sin (v.10), abandonment by friends (vv.11-12), and plots against his life (v.13).

Yet, David’s hope was not in his own strength, but in God. “I trust in You, O LORD; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in Your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me” (vv.14-15).

The Psalms invite us to pour out our hearts to God, because He has stored up His goodness for those who trust in Him (v.19). —David McCasland

God gives to His servants this promise:

You’ll not have to face life alone;

For when you grow weak in your struggle,

His strength will prevail—not your own. —Hess

When in your deepest need, find God’s comfort in the Psalms.

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Alistair Begg – Tempted by Idols?

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Can man make for himself gods? Such are not gods!  Jeremiah 16:20

One great besetting sin of ancient Israel was idolatry, and the church is vexed with a tendency to the same folly. The ancient gods of man’s invention have mostly disappeared, but the shrines of pride are not forsaken, and the golden calf still stands. Self makes an empty display, and the flesh sets up its altars wherever it can find space for them. Favorite children are often the cause of much sin in believers; the Lord is grieved when He sees us doting upon them beyond measure; they will live to be as great a curse to us as Absalom was to David, or they will be taken from us to leave our homes desolate. If Christians desire to grow thorns with which to stuff their sleepless pillows, let them dote on their children.

It is accurate to say that “such are not gods,” for the objects of our foolish love are very doubtful blessings, the solace that they yield us now is dangerous, and the help that they can give us in the hour of trouble is small indeed. Why, then, are we so bewitched with vanities? We pity the poor heathen who worships a god of stone, and yet we worship a god of gold. Where is the vast superiority between a god of flesh and one of wood? The principle, the sin, the folly is the same in either case; the only difference is that our crime is more aggravated because we have more light, and sin in the face of it. The heathen bows to a false deity, but the true God he has never known; we commit two evils, inasmuch as we forsake the living God and turn to idols. May the Lord purge us all from this grievous iniquity!

The dearest idol I have known,

Whate’er that idol be;

Help me to tear it from Thy throne,

And worship only Thee.

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Joyce Meyer – Love Aggressively

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This is My commandment: that you love one another [just] as I have loved you. No one has greater love [no one has shown stronger affection] than to lay down (give up) his own life for his friends. —John 15:12-13

As the children of God, we must love others as God loves us. And that means aggressively—and sacrificially.

Love is an effort. We will never love anybody if we are not willing to pay the price. One time I gave a woman a nice pair of earrings. My flesh wanted to keep them for myself, but my spirit said to be obedient to the Lord and give them away.

Later that woman stood up in a meeting and told how she had been given the earrings she was wearing as “a free gift.”

The Lord spoke to me and said, “Yes, it was a free gift to her, but it cost you, just as salvation is a free gift to you but it cost Jesus His life.”

Love is the greatest gift of all. When you show forth the love of God, do it freely, sacrificially—and aggressively!

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John MacArthur – Overcoming Spiritual Inadequacies

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“Having summoned His twelve disciples” (Matt. 10:1).

Most people think of the disciples as stained-glass saints who didn’t have to struggle with the faults and frailties of normal people. But they had inadequacies just like we all do. Seeing how Jesus dealt with them gives us hope that He can use us too.

One inadequacy common to all the disciples was their lack of understanding. For example, Luke 18 tells us Jesus gave them details about His future suffering, death, and resurrection, but they didn’t understand anything He said (vv. 31-34). Jesus overcame their lack of understanding by constantly teaching them until they got it right.

Another inadequacy was their lack of humility. More than once they argued among themselves about who would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven (e.g., Mark 9:33-37). Jesus dealt with their lack of humility by His own example. He likened Himself to a servant, and even washed their dirty feet.

In addition to their lack of understanding and humility, they also lacked faith. Jesus often said to them, “O men of little faith.” In Mark 16:14 He rebuked them for not even believing the reports of His resurrection.

They also lacked commitment. Just prior to Christ’s death Judas betrayed Him, Peter denied Him, and the others deserted Him. Jesus dealt with their lack of commitment by praying for them (e.g., John 17:15; Luke 22:31-32).

Finally, they lacked spiritual power, which Christ overcame by giving them the Holy Spirit.

Those are significant inadequacies, but despite all that, the book of Acts records that the disciples turned the world upside down with their powerful preaching and miraculous deeds. They were so much like Christ that people started calling them Christians, which means “Little Christs.”

Jesus still transforms inadequacies into victories. He does it through the Spirit, the Word, and prayer. Don’t be victimized by your inadequacies. Make those spiritual resources the continual focus of your life.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Thank the Lord for your inadequacies because they help you realize your dependence on Him.

Ask for grace always to rely on your spiritual resources rather than human abilities.

For Further Study:

Read Matthew 20:20-28.

Who spoke to Jesus on behalf of James and John?

What was His response?

How did the other disciples respond?

What was Jesus’ concluding principle?

 

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Presidential Prayer Team; J.K. Today is the Annual National Day of Prayer

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It’s Here!

“Heaven is a wonderful place / Filled with wonder and grace / I want to see my Savior’s face / Heaven is a wonderful place.” It’s a traditional chorus sometimes sung following a song called “Take the Name of Jesus with You.”

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.Matthew 6:10

The songwriter knew that the days on Earth are beset with trials and mockers of Christian values. One Bible commentator wrote that on this Earth “the wills of lost men and demons vigorously oppose God.”

But Jesus talked often of His kingdom on Earth. “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3) Once you believe, His kingdom is here on Earth because He is a part of you. Jesus reigns in your heart and manifests Himself in your actions, all to give a foretaste of resurrected life in the age to come.

On this National Day of Prayer, join believers across this nation in prayer for mercy on this country. Intercede for those who oppose God that they would accept Jesus as Savior…and find life in His name. Then their actions will be transformed to make this Earth more like Christ’s heavenly kingdom.

Recommended Reading: John 20:24-31

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Greg Laurie – Sending It Ahead

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“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” — Matthew 6:18-20

Heaven is the real deal, the eternal dwelling place. Earth is the temporary dwelling place. Heaven is the original, and Earth is the copy. Take the best things you have ever seen or felt on this earth, the best days of your life, whether it was your wedding day or the birth of a child or a special moment with someone you love, and these were simply glimpses of glory, tastes of what is to come.

C. S. Lewis wrote in Letters to Malcom, “The hills and valleys of heaven will be to those you now experience not as a copy is to an original, but as the flower to the root, or the diamond to the coal.”

The Bible tells us that one day as believers, we will stand before the judgment seat of Christ, also known as the Bema Seat, where believers will receive rewards for their faithfulness to God. Paul wrote to the churches of Galatia, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (Galatians 6:9).

And we are also reminded in 1 Corinthians 3:8, “Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.”

Yes, there is a reward. And this should cause us to want to do everything we can for God’s glory. As I have often said, we can’t take it with us, but we can send it on ahead. Every investment we make of our lives for God’s glory will result in an eternal reward: the giving of our time, the use of our gifts, the investment of our resources. By being faithful to the Lord, we are laying up treasure in heaven for ourselves.