Tag Archives: christianity

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Real and Unsearchable

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Common is the sentiment among recent college graduates that they went in feeling like they knew something, and leave realizing, in fact, how little they know. I remember what this felt like, walking down the aisle to accept my diploma, wondering at the wondering at the irony. Yet as uncomfortable as that moment of recognition might be, I am convinced that the thought is an important place at which to arrive.

Ravi Zacharias tells of being a graduate student when the new encyclopedia Britannica was released in its fifteenth edition. It was a massive collection that had taken fourteen years to produce, and he remembers being fascinated by the statistics: two hundred advisors, three hundred editors, four thousand contributors, over a hundred thousand entries, thirty-four million dollars, forty-three million words. Even so, in the last pages of that work, one of the editors had the audacity to conclude: “Herein contains the entirety of human knowledge.” The number of outdated encyclopedias lying in thrift stores and recycling bins does not help their point.

In the stories of Scripture where God is encountered, we find men and women who, having come in contact God, find themselves blown away by the notion that they didn’t know all that they didn’t know. As Jacob lay dreaming, he saw God appear above a great ladder where God was introduced as the God of his ancestors. Upon waking, Jacob’s his first words were filled with astonishment: “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it.”(1) Hagar, the maidservant of Sarah, had a similar reaction after she encountered God in the desert. Having run away from Sarah’s abuse, Hagar was resting beside a spring when God spoke to her and told her to return. We read that she was amazed: “And she gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: ‘You are the God who sees me,’ for she said, ‘I have now seen the one who sees me.’”(2)

Whatever we see—in the midst of uncertainty, for the year ahead, in life, truth, faith, reality—there is almost always more. In fact, it is probably the one thing we can count on—and the one thing we do not. Christian philosopher Esther Lightcap Meek writes, “We labor under the misimpression that we see what we see, that seeing is believing, that either I see it or I don’t.”(3) Perhaps seeing is not always about 20/20, and seeing God is something else altogether.

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Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Love Out Loud

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. . . You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (intellect). This is the great (most important, principal) and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself. —Matthew 22:37-39

Loving God, yourself, and other people should be our focus in life. We should be “love-focused” individuals. Receive God’s amazing, unconditional love, then you can love yourself and live to give the love away that God has given to you. It is God’s number one priority, and it should be ours also.

This is the time of year in which we often look back and look forward. Take time to survey what your life has been like compared to what you want it to be, and work with God to make whatever changes need to be made. I urge you to end this year with a commitment to abide in love, for when we abide in love we abide in God. Jesus said, “I give you a new commandment that you should love one another, just as I have loved you, so you too should love one another. By this shall all (men) know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”

Everyone chooses to live for something! What will your choice be? I implore you not to live for yourself, but to choose to live striving to obey the the “new Commandment” that Jesus gave. Now faith, hope, and love abide, but the greatest of these is love (see 1 Corinthians 13:13).

Today and Every Day…Love God, Love Yourself, and Love Others. And don’t forget to love out loud!

From the book Love Out Loud by Joyce Meyer.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – God Is a Loving God

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“If a child asks his father for a loaf of bread, will he be given a stone instead? If he asks for fish, will he be given a poisonous snake? Of course not! And if you hardhearted, sinful men know how to give good gifts to your children, won’t your Father in heaven even more certainly give good gifts to those who ask Him for them?” (Matthew 7:9).

Roger interrupted our Bible study on this passage of Scripture to say, “I guess I have trouble believing God is a good God because my earthly father was a tyrant. He hated me, and I hated him. I do not recall a single experience in my life where he encouraged me. I want to believe that God is good, but I have difficulty. Please help me.”

Unfortunately, there are multitudes of men and women who are relatively new Christians and who have come from similar backgrounds where there was no love, no compassion, no concern, and their view of God is therefore distorted. They somehow equate the loving, forgiving God with their own tyrannical fathers. When such is the case, only the Holy Spirit can heal these deep wounds and remove these scars. So, I assigned Roger a special project. I asked him to make a list of all the attributes and qualities of God recorded from Genesis to Revelation. The project lasted several months, but in the process a transformation took place in Roger’s life.

The day came when he exclaimed with great joy, “The Holy Spirit has illumined my mind and taught me that God is truly a loving God, worthy of my trust. Now I can believe Him for anything. I know that even if my father on earth was the best father ever, God’s love, compassion and care for me transcends anything that he could do for me. Therefore, I can ask Him for good gifts, knowing that He will hear and answer me. I want to live only for His glory for the rest of my life.”

Are you having difficulty trusting God because of an unfortunate early relationship with your father or mother? If so, I encourage you to do what Roger did. Saturate your mind with the attributes of God – His love, sovereignty, wisdom, grace, compassion, power and holiness. As you do, the Holy Spirit will use the Word of God to cleanse your mind of all the memories that weigh you down, and you will be able to say with Roger, “I can trust God for anything, because I know He is a loving God who cares for me.”

Bible Reading: 1 John 3:1-3

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will continue to meditate upon the attributes of God, knowing that the more I trust Him, the more sure I can be of His faithfulness to enable me to live a supernatural life for His glory.

 

http://www.cru.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – A Declaration of Truth

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As our high priest, Jesus offers our prayers to God. His prayers are always heard. John 16:23 says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.”

The phrase, “In Jesus’ name” is not an empty motto or talisman. It is a declaration of truth! Cancer is not in charge, Jesus is. The grumpy neighbor doesn’t rule the world— Jesus, you do! Just speak the word, Jesus!  Since God works, prayer works. Since you matter to God, your prayers matter in heaven. You are never without hope, because you’re never without prayer. And on the occasions you can’t find the words to say, pull out this pocket prayer.

Father, you are good. I need help. Heal me and forgive me.

They need help. Thank you.

In Jesus’ name, amen!

From Before Amen

 

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – The best way to have your best year

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2016 is ending as unpredictably as it began.

David Bowie died in January; Debbie Reynolds died last Wednesday, one day after her daughter, Carrie Fisher. In between, the Chicago Cubs ended their 108-year drought by winning the World Series. The Cleveland Cavaliers won their first NBA title, ending forty-five years of frustration. Brexit was the greatest geopolitical surprise of the year until Donald Trump won the presidency.

It’s not shocking that Merriam-Webster named “surreal” its word of the year.

Now the news is filled with predictions for 2017 covering everything from the Nobel Peace Prize to the closing level of the Dow Jones. Meanwhile, most of us just want to live our best lives. We know that the higher our goal, the greater our success. As Dallas Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith recently noted, “Hall of Famers think about the Hall of Fame. Pro Bowlers think of going to the Pro Bowl.” Great players make great goals for themselves.

But there’s another side to achievement—we must lose to gain. The best athletes are fanatical about what they eat and how they exercise. Tim Cook routinely emails employees at 4:30 in the morning. Mark Cuban didn’t take a vacation for seven years while starting his first business.

The same principle holds spiritually. To grow in our relationship with the Lord, we must refuse whatever keeps us from him. Scripture calls us to give up everything that does not lead to God (Titus 2:11–12).

But that’s hard to do.

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Signet Ring

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Read: Haggai 2:15–23

Bible in a Year: Zechariah 9–12; Revelation 20

“I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,” declares the Lord.—Haggai 2:23

When I first made the acquaintance of a new friend from abroad, I noticed his posh English accent and that he wore a ring on his little finger. Later I learned that this wasn’t just jewelry; it revealed his family’s history through the family crest engraved on it.

It was a bit like a signet ring—perhaps like the one in Haggai. In this short Old Testament book, the prophet Haggai calls for the people of God to restart the rebuilding of the temple. They had been exiled and had now returned to their homeland and begun rebuilding, but enemy opposition to their project had stalled them. Haggai’s message includes God’s promise to Zerubbabel, Judah’s leader, that he had been chosen and set apart as their leader, like a signet ring.

In ancient times, a signet ring was used as a means of identification. Instead of signing their name, people would press their ring into hot wax or soft clay to make their mark. As God’s children, we too make a mark on the world as we spread the gospel, share His grace through loving our neighbors, and work to end oppression.

Each of us has our own unique stamp that reveals how we’re created in God’s image and expresses our particular mix of gifts, passions, and wisdom. It’s our call and privilege to act as this signet ring in God’s world. —Amy Boucher Pye

Father God, may I know my true identity as Your heir this day. (See Luke 15.)

We are God’s heirs and ambassadors, sharing His love in the world.

INSIGHT: Just as Zerubbabel is likened to a signet ring, each Christian is marked by God’s authorized acceptance in Christ (Eph. 1:4-5, 11). As such, we are identified as Christians (Acts 11:26; 1 Pet. 4:14-16) and authorized as envoys or carriers of the most important information in the entire world (Matt. 28:18-20). How can we be more effective disseminators of that truth this week? How could we have a more valuable New Year’s resolution than to act like God’s signet rings in this upcoming year? Jim Townsend

 

http://www.odb.org

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Christianity Without Christ?

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Paul Tillich, the noted existentialist theologian, traveled to Asia to hold conferences with various Buddhist thinkers. He was studying the significance of religious leaders to the movements they had engendered. Tillich asked a simple question. “What if by some fluke, the Buddha had never lived and turned out to be some sort of fabrication? What would be the implications for Buddhism?” Mind you, Tillich was concerned with the indispensability of the Buddha—not his authenticity.

The scholars did not hesitate to answer. If the Buddha was a myth, they said, it did not matter at all. Why? Because Buddhism should be judged as an abstract philosophy—as a system of living. Whether its concepts originated with the Buddha is irrelevant. As an aside, I think the Buddha himself would have concurred. Knowing that his death was imminent, he beseeched his followers not to focus on him but to remember his teachings. Not his life but his way of life was to be attended to and propagated.

So, what of other world religions? Hinduism, as a conglomeration of thinkers and philosophies and gods, can certainly do without many of its deities. Some other major religions face the same predicament.

Is Christianity similar? Could God the Father have sent another instead of Jesus? May I say to you, and please hear me, that the answer is most categorically No. Jesus did not merely claim to be a prophet in a continuum of prophets. He is the unique and human Son of God, part of the very godhead that Christianity calls the Trinity. The apostle Paul says it this way:

“[Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible… He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together… For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.”(1)

Moreover, Jesus himself prayed, “[Father] you have given [me] authority over all people to give eternal life to all whom you have given [me]. And this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”(2)

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Christianity Without Christ? →

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Celebrate the Positive

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For we all often stumble and fall and offend in many things. And if anyone does not offend in speech [never says the wrong things], he is a fully developed character and a perfect man, able to control his whole body and to curb his entire nature. —James 3:2

Our thoughts and words about ourselves are tremendously important. In order to overcome the negative thinking and speaking that have been such a natural part of our lifestyle for so long, we must make a conscious effort to meditate on and speak positive things about ourselves. We need to get our mouth in line with what the Word of God says about us.

Positive confession of the Word of God should be an ingrained habit of every believer. If you have not yet begun to develop this important habit, start today. Begin thinking and saying good things about yourself: “I am the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ. I prosper in everything I lay my hand to. I have gifts and talents, and God is using me. I operate in the fruit of the Spirit. I walk in love. Joy flows through me.”

We can appropriate the blessings of God in our lives if we will continually and purposefully speak about ourselves what the Word of God says about us. We will receive positive results.

Lord, I will make the positive confession of Your Word an ingrained habit of my life. Help me to get my mouth in line with the truth of what You have done for me. Amen.

From the book The Confident Woman Devotional: 365 Daily Devotions by Joyce Meyer.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Tempted Like We Are

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“For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15, KJV).

“In your opinion, who is the greatest person who ever lived, and who has done more good for mankind than anyone else who ever lived?” I asked a student who was both an atheist and a card-carrying Communist.

There was an awkward silence. Then finally came this reluctant reply, “I guess I would have to say Jesus of Nazareth.”

How could an atheist and a Communist, who had been reared in another religion, give such an answer?

Jesus has done more good for mankind than anyone else who has ever lived. He is the greatest person of the centuries, because it is a fact. Compare Jesus, even as a man, with any other person – Muhammad, Buddha, Confucius, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, anyone else in any country at any time in history – and it would be like comparing a giant with a midget.

Though he lived 2,000 years ago and changed the course of history, though He was the greatest leader, the greatest teacher, the greatest example the world has ever known, He is infinitely more than these. He is God.

The omnipotent Creator God visited this little planet earth and became a man, the God-man, Jesus of Nazareth. He was perfect God and perfect man, and as perfect man He understands our weaknesses, since He had the same temptations we do – though He never once gave way to them and sinned.

Do you believe that Jesus ever had the temptation to lie, to lust, to steal or to be immoral? Make a list of your temptations, all your weaknesses, all your failures, and then, as suggested in the verse following our reference, “Let us come boldly to the very throne of God and stay there to receive His mercy and to find grace to help us in our times of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

Bible Reading: Hebrews 2:14-18

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Since Jesus is my high priest and knows everything about me, having been tempted as I am and yet without sin, I will come boldly into His presence today and every day. I will come to receive His mercy and grace to live a supernatural life, which will enable me to live victoriously and to be fruitful for the glory and praise of His matchless name.

 

http://www.cru.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – A Hope-Filled Heart

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You and I live in a trashy world. Unwanted garbage comes our way on a regular basis. Haven’t you been handed a trash sack of mishaps and heartaches? Sure you have. May I ask, what are you going to do with it? You could hide it; pretend it isn’t there. But sooner or later it will start to stink. So what will you do?

If you follow the example of Christ, you will learn to see tough times differently. He wants you to have a hope-filled heart…just like Jesus.  Wouldn’t you want that? Jesus saw his Father’s presence in the problem. Sure, Max, but Jesus was God. I can’t see the way he saw. Not yet, maybe. But don’t underestimate God’s  power. He can change the way you look at life.

From Lucado Inspirational Reader

 

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Cowboys in Super Bowl? Predictions are not promises

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There’s good news in the news. Forbes predicts that the economy will be better in 2017 than it was in 2016. Fortune tells us that artificial intelligence will power medical research, driverless cars, and our daily interaction with technology. And Dallas Cowboys fans take note: Troy Aikman predicts that our team will play in the Super Bowl next February.

I could go on. But as Janet Denison notes in her latest blog, predictions aren’t promises. The best way to face the future is to depend not on what might happen but on what will. So here’s a promise for the new year: God is “able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20).

However, if you’re like me, you’re wondering in the silence of your heart: Why would the King of the universe care about me? He knows my sins and failures better than anyone else does. Why would he love me so?

Abraham Kuyper, the great Dutch statesman and theologian, noted that God loves us because he made us. That’s a familiar thought, of course, but consider how Kuyper explains it: “There is subtle charm about the thing that we have made, and this is by no means always because of its intrinsic value, but rather because we have made it ourselves.”

Kuyper illustrates by describing a writer who values his article over others published in the same periodical, a florist who values the bouquet gathered from her garden over those available in the store, and a mother who revels in her child in a way no one else can. This is how our Father feels about every one of us.

Is this how you feel about yourself? Do you seek God’s best for your life, or are you settling for what our culture offers?

Continue reading Denison Forum – Cowboys in Super Bowl? Predictions are not promises →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley –Eternally Secure in Christ

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Colossians 2:13-14

As Christians, many of us know we’re saved yet still wonder about eternal security. Does our behavior play a role in keeping our salvation? Examining what happened when we trusted Jesus as Savior will bring reassurance of how secure we are in Him.

Prior to salvation, we had a spiritual problem. We were born with a nature inclined to rebel against God. Our inner self consistently rejected His rule and took charge. Because of our sinful state, we were spiritually dead (Eph. 2:1), under God’s judgment, and destined for eternal separation from Him. No amount of good works, repentance, or improved behavior could have changed our sinful condition. Our problem required a divine solution. Knowing this, God the Father provided what we needed through His Son Jesus (Heb. 9:11-14).

The day we trusted in Christ, our condition was changed from condemnation and death to forgiveness and life (Heb. 5:24). We received a new nature—one that wants to please God—and were adopted into His family (2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 1:5). His gift of salvation delivered us from eternal death, made us spiritually alive, and gave us eternal life. We cannot return to our dead, unforgiven state. Our new status as God’s children is permanent because it is based on what Jesus has done.

While our behavior may not always reflect our new nature, any mistakes we make do not jeopardize our salvation. Remember, it’s not our actions but Christ’s work on the cross that changed everything. And nothing can undo a spiritual rebirth that came about through faith in Jesus (John 6:37).

Bible in One Year: Revelation 5-8

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Locked Into Love

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Read: Romans 8:31–39

Bible in a Year: Zechariah 5–8; Revelation 19

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.—Psalm 106:1

In June 2015, the city of Paris removed forty-five tons of padlocks from the railings of the Pont des Arts pedestrian bridge. As a romantic gesture, couples would etch their initials onto a lock, attach it to the railing, click it shut, and throw the key into the River Seine.

After this ritual was repeated thousands of times, the bridge could no longer bear the weight of so much “love.” Eventually the city, fearing for the integrity of the bridge, removed the “love locks.”

The locks were meant to symbolize everlasting love, but human love does not always last. The closest of friends may offend each other and never resolve their differences. Family members may argue and refuse to forgive. A husband and wife may drift so far apart that they can’t remember why they once decided to marry. Human love can be fickle.

But there is one constant and enduring love—the love of God. “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever,” proclaims Psalm 106:1. The promises of the unfailing and everlasting nature of God’s love are found throughout Scripture. And the greatest proof of this love is the death of His Son so that those who put their faith in Him can live eternally. And nothing will ever separate us from His love (Rom. 8:38-39).

Fellow believers, we are locked into God’s love forever. —Cindy Hess Kasper

I’m grateful for Your unending love, Father. I’m locked into Your love by the Holy Spirit who is living in me.

Christ’s death and resurrection are the measure of God’s love for me.

INSIGHT: Christ’s work on the cross to secure our salvation has been completed. With a triumphant proclamation, Jesus said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). Forty days after His resurrection, Jesus returned to the Father. Now seated at God’s right hand, the exalted Christ continues His redemptive and sanctifying work as our eternal High Priest (Heb. 4:14-16). He is our “Advocate with the Father” (1 John 2:1-2; 1 Tim. 2:5), always defending and interceding for us (Heb. 7:24-25; 9:24). Paul confidently writes, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1). No one can successfully bring a charge of condemnation against those who are in Christ (vv. 33-34). Sim Kay Tee

 

http://www.odb.org

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Songs for the Night

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I think I might have been deflated at the word of no vacancy in the inn. Mary was told by the angel who called her favored that God was with her and that she was part of a plan that would be for all people. In labor in a city that was not home, without the simple comfort of a bed, I wonder if she felt God had let her down that night or that God had somehow forgotten her in the midst of darkness. The text makes it seems unlikely that Mary felt this way. Even with only a manger for a baby bed and shepherds as visitors, Mary is said to have “treasured up” all these things and pondered them in her heart.(1)

I doubt I would have been so forgiving. Time marked with unfavorable conditions often feels like time marked with God’s absence. The psalmist writes of one such experience: “I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me. When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands and my soul refused to be comforted. I remembered you, O God, and I groaned; I mused, and my spirit grew faint.”(2) It is hard to know what God is doing in the dark. The Incarnation boldly reminds us that God is near though we labor in darkness; but this doesn’t mean the night can’t still be lonely.

Thrown in prison for his complicity in the plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler, Dietrich Bonhoeffer struggled between postures of faith and despair, such that he began to wonder what his true position was. To a lifelong friend, he admitted the struggle between knowing that God was there and grieving the uncertainty of what God was doing. “And finally, I must begin to tell you that, despite all I have written in my letters, it is disgusting here. My gruesome experiences often follow me into the darkness of the night, and I can only combat them by repeating innumerable hymns… You write to encourage and say that I ‘bear it all so well.’ I ask myself often who I really am. Am I the man who squirms under these ghastly conditions and cries out with complaints or am I the man who disciplines himself to appear outwardly unaffected by these things? And perhaps persuades himself that he is at peace, content, and in control of himself. Is he playing a part as in a stage play, or not? What does this ‘posture’ really mean?”(3)

For most of us, it is unnatural to respond to the dark with confidence, even if we believe we hold the light of life. Rejection at the inn or a sudden call in the middle of the night can bring into crisis our entire theology. Yet even through this doubt or darkness, God may well be at work teaching us again his songs for the night. Weeks after he described his questioning soul, Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote to his fiancé, “Your prayers and kind thoughts, passages from the Bible, long forgotten conversations, pieces of music, books—all are invested with life and reality as never before. I live in a great unseen realm of whose real existence I’m in no doubt.”(4) Not long after these words, Dietrich Bonhoeffer went to his execution, where his last words would be uttered: “This is the end—for me the beginning of life.”

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Songs for the Night →

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Prove Your Love

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So when He had finished washing their feet and had put on His garments and had sat down again, He said to them, do you understand what I have done to you?—John 13:12

I believe that only secure people can be true servants. Jesus was able to put on a servant’s towel and wash the feet of His disciples because He knew Who He was, where He came from, and where He was going. He had no fear and nothing to prove, so He was free to serve. Many people in our society need a high position to make them feel that they have worth and value. Being a servant is often looked on as a low job, but in God’s mind it is the highest position that exists. Being a true servant begins with a humble heart, and that is a heart and spirit that is acceptable to God. No matter what our natural employment may be, our call from God is to serve Him and others.

In washing the disciples’ feet, Jesus gave them an example of how they should live, and told them that if they would serve others, they would be blessed and happy to such a degree that they would be envied (see John 13:17). When we serve one another, we become part of one another. We experience the true meaning of love. Jesus was the highest of all, yet He humbled Himself and became a servant. Are you willing to follow His example?

From the book Hearing from God Each Morning: 365 Daily Devotions by Joyce Meyer

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Praying for Results

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“Ask and you will be given what you ask for. Seek, and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks, receives. Anyone who seeks, finds. If only you will knock, the door will be open” (Matthew 7:7,8).

We were conducting a Bible study on the subject of prayer when Amy, a professing Christian most of her life, said, “God never answers my prayers. In fact, I cannot recall a single prayer of mine that God has answered specifically.”

Several others in the group chimed in and said, “Neither can I.” So we turned to this passage and discussed it together. Would God lie to us? Is His Word trustworthy? Or is prayer an exercise in futility? Are we simply talking to ourselves and each other, or is there a God who hears and answers? If so, why have these not had their prayers answered?

First of all, we had to review the qualifications for prayer. Jesus said, “If you abide in Me and My Word abides in you, ask what you will and it shall be done unto you.” The Scripture also says, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” So if we expect to have our prayers answered, Jesus Christ must be the Lord of our lives. There must be no unconfessed sin in our lives and we must be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Further, 1 John 5:14,15 reminds us: “If we ask anything according to God’s will, He hears us and answers,” so we must be sure that we are praying according to the Word of God. As we pray, the Spirit of God impresses upon us certain things for which to pray specifically, such as the salvation of a friend, the healing of a body or a financial need. If the prayer is offered with a pure motive and according to God’s will, we can expect an answer to it.

And we cannot pray casually. We must enter into an expectant spirit of prayer, knowing that, when we meet His conditions, God will hear and answer us.

Within a matter of weeks everyone in that Bible study, especially Amy, was inspired by the exciting challenge of prayer. God had truly heard, and again and again, they were able to point to specific answers.

Bible Reading: Luke 11:5-13

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I shall review my spiritual walk to be sure I am meeting God’s conditions: (1) Christ is Lord of my life. (2) I am filled with the Holy Spirit. (3) There is no unconfessed sin in my life. (4) I am praying according to God’s Word. And (5) I am praying specifically. As a result, I expect my prayers to be answered because God promises they will be.

 

http://www.cru.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Imagine a Perfect World

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Try this. Imagine a perfect world. Whatever that means to you…imagine it. Does that mean peace? Then envision absolute tranquility. Does a perfect world imply joy? Then create your highest happiness. Will a perfect world have love? Ponder a place where love has no bounds. Whatever heaven means to you, imagine it.

Get it firmly fixed in your mind. Delight in it. Dream about it. Long for it. And then smile as the Father reminds you from the apostle Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 2:9, “No one has ever imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” No one has come close. No one. Think of all the songs about heaven. All the artists’ portrayals. All the lessons preached, poems written and chapters drafted. When it comes to describing heaven, we are all happy failures!

From Lucado Inspirational Reader

 

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Denison Forum – What Princess Leia says about us

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Carrie Fisher’s death shocked the world yesterday. After she died, I spent some time learning about her life. What I found surprised me.

Fisher was an unlikely candidate for Star Wars fame. She was chosen over Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, Jane Seymour, and several other famous actresses. Star Wars was her first movie; she was only twenty when it made her an international film star.

Surprisingly, she did not consider herself a good actress and hated her costumes, hair style, and dialogue in the Star Wars movies. At one point George Lucas nearly cut her from the script. She once said that she would have turned down the role of Princess Leia if she had known it would lead to such celebrity. In her memoir, Wishful Drinking, she tells her readers, “George Lucas ruined my life.”

It’s ironic that Princess Leia was so challenging to the actress who played her, yet the character became a global icon. What does her enduring popularity say about us?

We applaud self-sufficient heroes, especially when they are women. Audiences cheered when Princess Leia shot Imperial stormtroopers, stood up to Han Solo, and helped defeat the evil Empire. Think about our most popular fictional characters—how many of them overcame enormous odds to prevail against powerful foes?

In Poetics, Aristotle discusses the cathartic effect of drama, noting that when we watch a play, we feel what the actors feel. Their pain is our suffering, their victories our triumphs. When Princess Leia strangles Jabba the Hutt, we feel liberated from whatever enemy has enslaved us.

But then the movie ends, and we step from the darkened theater into the even darker world.

Continue reading Denison Forum – What Princess Leia says about us →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley –The Reasons for Rebellion

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Psalm 107:16-21

Followers of Christ can get caught in the trap of trying to justify their wrongs. But when we dispense with all the creative excuses, everything can be boiled down to four reasons for rebellion:

  • I refuse to do what God commands. There are obvious ways to ignore God’s laws, such as committing murder. But more often the subtle, private methods of disobeying become obstacles in our path. These might include harboring unforgiveness or ignoring pleas for help.
  • I pursue what is forbidden. The Lord has declared certain things off limits. (See Rom. 1:28-32; Gal. 5:19-21.) He doesn’t desire to ruin our pleasure, but He does know that some actions can have devastating consequences.
  • I pursue something God allows, but in a forbidden manner. We have a lot of freedom in the Christian life—wealth, success, and relationships are all available to us. But believers are not at liberty to achieve goals through theft, deceit, injustice, or the like.
  • I pursue what God allows, but in my own timing. Impatience is oftentimes the reason people end up in debt or bad relationships. We decide to go after something before getting clear guidance from God.

Whenever you are faced with a decision, ask yourself this question: What is the wisest thing for me to do? Then stop, ask the Lord for direction, and wait until He answers. When we are doing the will of God, we never have to make excuses.

Bible in One Year: Revelation 1-4

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread –The Power of Simple Words

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Read: 2 Peter 1:12–21

Bible in a Year: Zechariah 1–4; Revelation 18

We did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.—2 Peter 1:16

Raucous laughter marked the guests in my father’s hospital room: Two old truck drivers, one former country/western singer, one craftsman, two women from neighboring farms, and me.

“…and then he got up and busted the bottle over my head,” the craftsman said, finishing his story about a bar fight.

The room bursts into laughter at this now-humorous memory. Dad, struggling for breath as his laughing fought with his cancer for the air in his lungs, puffs out a reminder to everybody that “Randy is a preacher” so they need to watch what they say. Everything got quiet for about two seconds, then the whole room exploded as this news makes them laugh harder and louder.

Suddenly, about forty minutes into this visit, the craftsman clears his throat, turns to my dad, and gets serious. “No more drinking and bar fights for me, Howard. Those days are behind me. Now I have a different reason to live. I want to tell you about my Savior.”

He then proceeded to do just that, over my father’s surprisingly mild protests. If there’s a sweeter, gentler way to present the gospel message, I’ve never heard it.

My dad listened and watched, and some years later believed in Jesus too.

It was a simple testimony from an old friend living a simple life, reminding me again that simple isn’t naïve or stupid; it’s direct and unpretentious.

Just like Jesus. And salvation. —Randy Kilgore

Go and make disciples of all nations. Matthew 28:19

INSIGHT: Nothing hits home for people like a straightforward, unembroidered recounting of personal testimony about how Christ has changed our lives. The blind man of John 9:25 blurted out, “One thing I know. I was blind but now I see.” His healing was unarguable. There is nothing quite like the unadorned truth of testimony—“Tell it like it is.” Jim Townsend

 

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