Tag Archives: christianity

Wisdom Hunters – Love Loves the Truth

November 4, 2016 broboinhawaii 1 Comment

No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless. Revelation 14:5

Truth reveals hidden realities. Hence, the lover of truth daily discovers new opportunities to walk wisely in the ways of Christ. Because He is the Truth, a love relationship with Jesus illuminates truth by His Spirit and illustrates truth by His life. The fruit of truth grows in a life of educated faith. Those who romance truth in God’s Word grow to know Him in deeper intimacy. Just as a loving husband pursues his wife, so loving followers of Jesus seek out His truth and His life.

Is the foundation of your relationships based on honest truth or dishonest deception? If you commit to open agendas, pure motives and transparent communication, you value truth. Honesty is a tool for loving correction, not a club for angry retaliation. You speak the truth in love to one another and so bear one another’s burdens. You rejoice, as you truly do life together. Truth talking facilitates freedom to trust, as fear of a secret life fades away and is forgotten.

“Love rejoices in truth” (1 Corinthians 13:6).

Love loves truth because it knows truth sharing is caring. When we love someone enough to not leave them in their ignorance we show we care. Love takes the time to explain and instruct, not complain and erupt. Yes, you patiently instruct your child in the teachings of Christ, so they will come to know Him and grow in His grace. Under pressure it is hard not to take the easy route of resisting full disclosure, fear can cause facts to be withheld. Help your child not hide the truth.

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – Love Loves the Truth →

Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – True Religion

November 4, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

James 1:27

Joyce Meyer – Pray with Boldness and Confidence

November 4, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace…that we may receive mercy…and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it]. —Hebrews 4:16

Prayer opens the windows of heaven and touches the heart of God. It is a beautiful and powerful privilege that brings many changes in both circumstances and people. Prayer is often the difference between confusion and clarity, hurt and healing, defeat and victory, and even between life and death.

There are many ways to pray, but the best way is to pray boldly and effectually. God loves you and He doesn’t want your communication with Him to be vague and unclear. He wants you to come to Him fearlessly and confidently, being specific in your prayers.

Exercise the liberty and privilege of prayer tonight, fully expecting to receive the promised help just when you need it.

From the book Ending Your Day Right by Joyce Meyer.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Girlfriends in God

Girlfriends in God – You Really Can Do It With God

November 4, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Today’s Truth

While He was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him!’

Matthew 17:5

Friend to Friend

It looked like an impossible task – a no way, no how kind of thing. I had no time, waning skills and hardly a resource to actually make it happen.

After all, I am not a star candidate. My follow-through record is usually pretty poor, my attitude often defeated and my belief in myself is hardly at mountaintop levels. How could I actually follow through on what I knew God wanted me to do?

Everything in me wanted to tell God to check the earth for another holy roller and remind Him that He had picked the wrong gal.

And, I nearly did.

I would have if it wasn’t for the other “still small voice” (1 Kings 19:12) I couldn’t seem to shake (despite my best efforts) to ignore. The one that whispered, “With me, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). You can’t, but I can. Where there is my will, there is a way.”

His Word broke through my hard exterior, to speak life to my interior, asking: Will you choose to believe that I can do exceedingly abundantly more than you can ask, think or imagine (Ephesians 3:20) or will you believe I can’t?

Continue reading Girlfriends in God – You Really Can Do It With God →

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – The Need to be Saved

November 4, 2016 broboinhawaii 1 Comment

Read: Romans 10:1-4

Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. Romans 10:1

In Romans 10:1-4 Paul expresses his intense passion that many within the nation Israel would be saved. I do not think there is any word in the Christian vocabulary that makes people feel more uncomfortable than the word saved. People cringe when they hear it. Perhaps it conjures up visions of hot-eyed, zealous buttonholers — usually with bad breath — who walk up and grab you and say, Brother, are you saved? Or perhaps it raises visions of a tiny band of Christians at a street meeting in front of some saloon singing, Give the winds a mighty voice, Jesus saves! Jesus saves! Whatever the reason, I do know that people become bothered at this word.

I will never forget the startled look on the face of a man who came up to me in a movie theater. The seat beside me was vacant, and he said, Is this seat saved? I said, No, but I am. He found a seat across the aisle. Somehow this word threatens all our religious complacency and angers the self-confident and the self-righteous alike.

And yet, when you turn to the Scriptures you find that this is an absolutely unavoidable word. Christians have to talk about men and women being saved because the fact is that men and women are lost. There is no escaping the fact that the Bible clearly teaches that the human race into which we are born is already a lost race. This is why the good news of John 3:16 is that, God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish — not perish — but have everlasting life, (John 3:16 KJV).

Continue reading Ray Stedman – The Need to be Saved →

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – The Coming Nations

November 4, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

READ: Isaiah 2:1-5

. . . and all the nations shall flow to it. (v. 2)

A common assumption is that in the Old Testament God cares about the people of Israel, but in the New Testament he cares about all people. A second century heretic named Marcion went so far as to suggest they were two different Gods: an angry Jewish one and a loving Christian one.

A closer reading of Scripture explodes this notion once and for all. The God of the Bible is one–holy and gracious, concerned for his chosen people and for all nations. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob–and Jesus.

Isaiah foresees the day when Mount Zion will be lifted above the surrounding hills, and the nations of the world stream into Jerusalem to worship the Lord. But the emphasis falls just there–on their coming.

Jesus will turn this exactly around. He will send his disciples from Jerusalem out to the ends of the earth. In Isaiah, Jerusalem is a magnet, attracting all peoples to Israel’s God. For Jesus, Jerusalem is a launching pad, rocketing his followers out to reach the nations. We have to take our message to the nations, not wait for the nations to come to us.

That’s why Words of Hope takes the gospel to “the hard places.” Today millions of people are not Christians for the most basic reason: they’ve never heard of Jesus Christ. The God of the Bible cares about that. Shouldn’t we?

—David Bast

PRAYER:

Pray for one of the hard places.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Wanted: Disciplemakers

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Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and told them how Saul had seen the Lord on the way to Damascus and how the Lord had spoken to Saul. He also told them that Saul had preached boldly in the name of Jesus in Damascus.—Acts 9:27

Sometimes new Christians have a difficult time finding their way in their newfound faith. They need someone who will stand with them and love them.

A guy named Mark did this for me. After I came to Christ on my high school campus, no one came up to me afterward and said, “Now Greg, you are a brand-new Christian. We have this Bible here for you. You also need to start going to church.” Instead, the school bell rang, and I went back to class.

I went on with my plan for that weekend, which was to go off into the mountains and smoke dope. But as I was sitting out on a rock and getting ready to do this, I felt God was speaking to my heart and telling me I didn’t need to do that. Although I didn’t know how to pray, I asked God to make Himself real to me and to help me. And God answered that prayer.

When I returned to school on Monday, some guy named Mark, whom I had never seen before, walked up to me and introduced himself. He told me that he had seen me give my life to Christ at the Bible study on Friday. Then he invited me to church, and, in a very direct but loving way, he wouldn’t take no for an answer. So I went to church with Mark. I started hearing the Word of God, and my life started to change.

I didn’t need a Bible scholar. I didn’t need an evangelist. But I did need a friend. And that is what Mark was for me.

So here is my question for you: Can you be a friend to someone? Because our commission is not only to preach the gospel, but to make disciples.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Is There

November 4, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in [the grave], behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.” (Psalm 139:7-10 )

God is there, wherever you are. There is nowhere you could go where God would not be with you. Whether you are in a foreign country, on a boat in the middle of the sea, or in an empty old house all alone – God is there.

Maybe you feel lonely or upset and need comfort. God is there. No matter where you are, God is always with you – to guide you, to comfort you, to befriend you. He cares for you. He will lead you and hold you and carry you through difficult situations.

Maybe you are trying to hide from God. Are you committing secret sins that you think no one knows about? God is there. He sees everything you do. He even understands your thoughts. You could never get yourself out of God’s presence, even if you wanted to. God’s eyes are always upon you.

You cannot see God with your eyes, but He is there – guiding, protecting, keeping you, and watching everything you do. What a comfort to think that, even if you were to flee (run away) to the farthest part of the world, God is there.

God is always there, no matter where I go.

My Response:

» Am I forgetting that God is with me today?

» Are there ways I can show that I believe God is there, wherever I might be?

http://kids4truth.com/home.aspx

The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – Our Highest Moment

November 4, 2016 broboinhawaii 1 Comment

Today’s Scripture: Galatians 6:14

“Far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Mutua Mahiaini, leader of The Navigators ministry in Kenya, addressed eloquently the issue of performance versus God’s grace:

“In talking with many believers, I get the impression that most of us consider the on-going repentance of the saved as a not-so-glorious experience. A sort of sad necessity.

Sin grieves God. We must not down-play the seriousness of it in the life of a believer. But we must come to terms with the fact that God’s grace is greater than all our sins. Repentance is one of the Christian’s highest privileges. A repentant Christian focuses on God’s mercy and God’s grace. Any moment in our lives when we bask in God’s mercy and grace is our highest moment. Higher than when we feel smug in our decent performance and cannot think of anything we need to confess.

Whenever we fail—and fail we will—the Spirit of God will work on us and bring us to the foot of the cross where Jesus carried our failures. That is potentially a glorious moment. For we could at that moment accept God’s abundant mercy and grace and go forth with nothing to boast of except Christ himself, or else we struggle with our shame, focusing on that as well as our track record. one who draws on God’s mercy and grace is quick to repent, but also slow to sin.”

Are you and I willing to live like Mutua and the apostle Paul? Are we willing to rely on God’s grace and mercy alone instead of our performance, to boast in nothing except the cross? If so, we can bask every day in the grace of God. And in the joy and confidence of that grace we can vigorously pursue holiness.

https://www.navigators.org/Home

The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – Life Choices

November 4, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Today’s Scripture: 2 Chronicles 21-25

Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so? -Amos 3:3

In today’s Scripture passage, we watch an entire nation take a dramatic turn for the worse. This downward spiral is directly related to the marriage of the new king, Jehoram. While his father and grandfather had been godly men, 2 Chronicles 21:6 tells us that Jehoram “walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for he married a daughter of Ahab. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord.”

The Scriptures tie Jehoram’s marriage and his conduct together. The lesson is clear: The choice of a marriage partner has far-reaching effects. If you’re a young person feeling the tug of the Holy Spirit upon your life to serve the Lord, your marriage partner will either double your effectiveness for Christ or kill it. There is no in-between.

I heard of a young man whose wife is an encouragement and challenge to him. One of his unmarried friends asked him, “Where did you find a girl like that?” His answer was amazing. He said, “I asked God for a wife like that. Every day since junior high school I’ve prayed for God’s perfect choice for me. And God has answered my prayers.”

According to one recent book on marriage, the statistical improbability of a person finding the right mate is astonishing. The author based his mathematical calculations on six desirable qualities, including physical attractiveness, intelligence, and concern for others. He concluded that a person would have to meet more than fifteen thousand people before encountering one with all of the above requirements. If you consider other criteria like religion and age, the chances become even less optimistic. But we’re dealing with the faithfulness of God, not the chances of finding the right person.

Prayer

Lord, I desire Your will for my life. Keep me in the palm of Your hand. Amen.

To Ponder

Are you asking God for His direction for your life?

https://www.navigators.org/Home

BreakPoint

BreakPoint – Muslim Refugees Meet Jesus: God at Work in the Midst of Crisis

November 4, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

We’ve seen the video clips of Muslim refugees—many of them from war-torn Syria—flooding into an unprepared and overwhelmed Europe. We’ve heard accounts of some of these refugees committing ugly crimes and others demanding that the post-Christian societies that welcome them conform to the harsh demands of Islamic law. We’ve even read the stories about Islamist terror groups such as ISIS infiltrating the refugee populations in order to wreak further havoc on the West.

But chances are you don’t know, as Paul Harvey might have said, the rest of the story. It’s a story of God building His kingdom in the midst of chaos, doubt, and uncertainty. It’s a story of Muslims meeting Jesus. Take, for example, the story of Javad.

A Muslim from Iran, Javad didn’t know any Christians and didn’t own a Bible, though he had heard some Christian satellite radio. Then in 2008 he migrated to Athens, and a roommate asked him to come to an Iranian church. Javad had never heard of such a thing and, curious, he went. There, in a small, unremarkable rented room, he heard the gospel and gladly received Christ.

Now Javad is sharing the Jesus he met with other Muslim refugees in Greece. Every day he goes to a refugee center, park, or coffee shop to share the good news with Iranian and Afghan refugees. He says that he knows of two or three Muslims each day since he arrived who have trusted in Christ. Working at a refugee center that provides practical aid, Javad says more than 2,000 Muslims at the center have turned to Jesus in the last eight years.

Because many refugees remain on the move, an informal network of new churches for Muslim converts has begun spreading in Britain, The Netherlands, Germany, and elsewhere. One church in Berlin has counted 1,200 Muslims converted in just three years, most of them Afghans and Iranians. At a Persian church in Hamburg, meanwhile, more than 600 Pakistanis and Afghans lined up to be baptized during one service. According to a report in The Daily Beast, thousands—maybe tens of thousands—of Muslims have become followers of Jesus across Northern Europe.

Continue reading BreakPoint – Muslim Refugees Meet Jesus: God at Work in the Midst of Crisis →

Moody Global Ministries

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – GOD IS OUR CONSOLATION IN THE FACE OF ANXIETY

November 4, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Read PSALM 94:16–23

Victorian poet Gerard Manley Hopkins sometimes struggled with anxiety and spiritual depression. In one poem, “Carrion Comfort,” he remembered feeling that God had stomped him with a “right foot rock,” pinned him down with a “lionlimb,” and was glaring at his “bruisèd bones” with “darksome devouring eyes.” He lay in a heap, enduring storm after storm—like Jacob, “wrestling with (my God!) my God.”

Hopkins endured a dark year and learned in a deep and difficult way, as the writer of Psalm 94 had, that God is our best consolation. The psalmist was worried because he was caught in a threatening situation. The wicked appeared to be in power, able to gang up on the righteous and accomplish injustice (v. 21). His very life was at stake; he was about to slip and fall (vv. 17–18).

These very real problems naturally led to questions: Who will stand with me? Who will rescue me? How can God allow this (vv. 16, 20)? Asking such anguished questions is a perfectly legitimate spiritual thing to do. In fact, directing our questions to the Lord shows faith that He’s big enough to answer them.

Even in the midst of his worry, the psalmist knew the answer: God. The Lord is the best “consolation” in the midst of painful events (v. 19). Consolation here is not a pat on the head. The knowledge that God is a “fortress” and “rock” in whom we can “take refuge” brings joy (vv. 19, 22). Another way of rendering verse 19 is, “When worries threaten to overwhelm me, your comforts cause my soul to delight.” The psalmist knows that God is a God who saves because of His unfailing love (vv. 17–18). He is not a God who allies Himself with corruption but who guarantees justice (vv. 20, 23; Ps. 89:14).

APPLY THE WORD

God often ministers to us through His people, and we can be instruments of His consolation through kind and encouraging words. As Proverbs 12:25 says: “Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.” Pray for specific opportunities today to use words for others’ good and for the Holy Spirit’s help in saying the right thing.

http://www.todayintheword.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – How ‘Hacksaw Ridge’ helps us overcome ‘election anxiety’

November 4, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

One of the most powerful Christian witnesses of the twentieth century is coming to movie theaters today.

Desmond Doss served on Okinawa during one of the most horrific battles of World War II. His courage under fire was so astounding that he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Mel Gibson’s Hacksaw Ridge tells his amazing story. I saw the film at a private screening a few months ago and was deeply moved by Doss’s humility and sacrificial faith. In my review, I noted that the movie is rated R for very realistic war violence. However, I strongly urge you to see it. I agree with Greg Laurie: “This is the most positive portrayal of a Christian in a mainstream film that I have seen since Chariots of Fire.”

When Christians trust God with our fears, others see our courage and are drawn to the Source of our strength. Our witness is especially vital in these days of escalating vitriol as the presidential candidates warn us of nuclear war or a constitutional crisis if their opponent is elected. It’s not surprising that the latest Atlantic magazine features an in-depth article on the “election anxiety” so many are feeling in these turbulent days.

Such distress is not new news. Cultural scholar Leo Braudy notes that fear, horror, and terror are reactions to a collective uncertainty over the future and nostalgia for a (supposedly) safer past. In his new book, Haunted, Braudy reports: “Social scientists have estimated that fear is seven times more likely to spread than any other social attitude.” Fears of terrorism, epidemic disease, escalating crime, and rising immigration are abetted in our day by “an ever expanding web of communications, manipulated by politicians and newscasters, liberals and conservatives alike.”

Fear is natural and even normal in the face of threats to our well-being. It’s a good thing for us to be afraid to pick up a rattlesnake. But fearing the unknown future shows that we’re trusting in ourselves rather than the God who knows the future.

This is idolatry, the gravest sin of all.

Continue reading Denison Forum – How ‘Hacksaw Ridge’ helps us overcome ‘election anxiety’ →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Loss of Hope

November 3, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Acts 27:13-26

Life doesn’t always meet our expectations. Even when making plans according to God’s lead, we may run into something that interrupts them. Frustration over the obstacle can lead to discouragement and loss of hope. Then, if the hindrance should persist, our spirits may plummet toward despair.

Oftentimes, what trips us up is the circumstance that seems impossible to overcome. Think about Paul’s voyage to Rome by sea. When a bad storm arose, the sailors worked hard to save the ship. But since they couldn’t control the weather, they gradually gave up all hope of being saved (Acts 27:20). There are times when we can’t change what has happened—whether it’s a job loss, a loved one’s death, or a devastating diagnosis. In such situations, feelings of hopelessness can overtake us.

Postponed plans can also be disheartening. Hannah is an example of someone who became dejected because of “hope deferred” (1 Sam. 1:10-11; see also Prov. 13:12). She saw other women bearing children, but her own maternal desires had not yet been fulfilled. When things do not go according to our schedule, we may experience emotions like hers.

Feeling abandoned by the Lord is another thing that can throw believers off track. I remember a season of life when I felt all alone. My mind said God was with me, but my feelings said otherwise. To counter those emotions, I pursued the Lord through prayer and meditation on Scripture.

In times of discouragement, you have a choice. Will you focus on your circumstances, or will you fix your gaze on our loving Father and trust Him?

Bible in One Year: John 8-9

http://www.intouch.org

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Leading with Love

November 3, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Read: Philemon 8–18

Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 30–31; Philemon

I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love.—Philemon 9

In his book Spiritual Leadership, J. Oswald Sanders explores the qualities and the importance of tact and diplomacy. “Combining these two words,” Sanders says, “the idea emerges of skill in reconciling opposing viewpoints without giving offense and without compromising principle.”

During Paul’s imprisonment in Rome, he became the spiritual mentor and close friend of a runaway slave named Onesimus, whose owner was Philemon. When Paul wrote to Philemon, a leader of the church in Colossae, asking him to receive Onesimus as a brother in Christ, he exemplified tact and diplomacy. “Although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. . . . [Onesimus] is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord” (Philem. 8-9, 16).

Paul, a respected leader of the early church, often gave clear commands to the followers of Jesus. In this case, though, he appealed to Philemon on the basis of equality, friendship, and love. “I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do would not seem forced but would be voluntary” (v. 14).

In all our relationships, may we seek to preserve harmony and principle in the spirit of love. —David McCasland

Father in heaven, in all our relationships, give us grace and wisdom to be wise leaders, parents, and friends.

Leaders who serve will serve as good leaders.

INSIGHT: Paul’s appeal of love to Philemon was rooted in his spiritual parenthood. In other letters, Paul spoke of himself as a father to those he brought to Christ (1 Tim. 1:2; 2 Tim. 1:2; Titus 1:4; Gal. 4:19). In this personal letter, Paul noted that Onesimus had become his spiritual son (v. 10). Then at the end of his letter, to reinforce his appeal, Paul reminded Philemon that he too was his spiritual son (v. 19). Paul used his fatherly authority to bring about reconciliation. It was the appeal of a father’s love and an appeal to family love for the reconciliation of two spiritual siblings. Sim Kay Tee

http://www.odb.org

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Behold, the Lamb

November 3, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

What are you looking at? Where are the anchors in your life? I imagine for many of us these questions are more than rhetorical or philosophical; they are truly heartfelt.

Recently I was struck by this announcement in John’s Gospel: “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’” (John 1:29). John says, “Look, the Lamb of God.” The question is posed, what are you looking at? John emphatically directs our focus: “Look at Jesus.” In fact, he makes this declaration fifteen times in his gospel. This word is translated in the King James Version as Behold. Fifteen times he exhorts his readers to look at Jesus. Will you behold? This is astonishing. This is amazing. Look at Jesus.

My favorite hymnwriter is Charles Wesley and one of my favorite of his hymns is called, “Jesus! The Name High Over All.” In the final verse of his hymn, he sings,

Happy, if with my latest breath

I may but gasp His Name,

Preach Him to all and cry in death,

“Behold, behold the Lamb!”

Now an account of John’s death tells us that that is exactly what happened. As John lay dying, he uttered those words, “Behold the Lamb,” and then took his last breath. John is telling us to look at Jesus—for our hope, for our provision, for our very lives.

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Behold, the Lamb →

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Manifesting a Wise Attitude

November 3, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom” (James 3:13).

A wise person is a gentle person.

A believer will demonstrate that he possesses the wisdom of God not only by his behavior, but also by his attitude. True wisdom is characterized by gentleness and is the opposite of self-promotion and arrogance. Gentleness is the trait that characterized our Lord. In Matthew 11:29 He says, “Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart.” It is also a trait belonging to all the members of His kingdom. In Matthew 5:5 the Lord says, “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.” “Gentleness” is also a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:23).

The word translated “gentleness” is from the Greek word praus, which can also be translated “meek” or “tender.” Praus is often used of a gentle voice, a gentle breeze, or a gentle animal. It was also used of a horse that was broken. The Greeks characterized meekness as power under control; in the believer’s case, that means being under the control of God. It’s a freedom from malice, bitterness, or any desire for revenge. The only way to truly define meekness is in the context of relationships because it refers to how we treat others. It should characterize our relationship with both man and God.

How about your attitude? Is it characterized by meekness, humility, gentleness, and mildness, or do you tend to display an arrogant, selfish attitude toward others?

Suggestions for Prayer

Christ is the perfect example of gentleness. Thank Him for this attribute, and ask Him to help you be like Him.

For Further Study

In 1 Thessalonians 2:7 what analogy does Paul use to characterize his ministry?
Also read 2 Timothy 2:24 and Titus 3:2. To whom should we be gentle?

http://www.gty.org

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Don’t Be Afraid

November 3, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?” Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” Mark 5:35-36

Of all the things that burden us and weigh on our souls, sickness and suffering in the lives of those we love is likely at the top of the list. Is there any greater trial than to observe a loved one in pain and yet be entirely helpless to bring them relief and rest? Though we do all that we can to comfort and console, we reach a point of exhaustion, desperation, and helplessness. This is exactly the sort of person Jesus encounters in Mark 5.

Jairus, we are told in verse 22, was “one of the rulers of the synagogue,” clearly a man of personal means and great influence. When his daughter fell gravely ill, he certainly would have secured for her the best care in the entire region, sparing no expense. Yet in spite of this, we find him begging and pleading with the Lord Jesus for his daughter to be made well. He was, as we say, at the end of his rope. Or so he thought.

As our story unfolds, we see the situation go from bad to worse as the last light of hope goes out, with word reaching the man that his daughter had already died. In light of this tragic news, as the messengers say, “why bother the teacher anymore?” When all hope is lost, why continue to pursue Jesus? Jesus’ response to this question invites us deeper into the mystery of God’s love, nature, and power.

To follow Jesus is to believe that there is never a time, moment, or situation in which all hope is lost.

Even when staring death in the face, we must learn to hear the words of Jesus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” We must remember that we serve a God who is Lord of heaven and earth, in whose hand “is the life of every living thing.” (Job 12:10) We must believe that the God who defeated death on the cross is powerful enough to bring hope and healing to the darkest and most painful moments of life, even when all hope seems to be lost.

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – Don’t Be Afraid →

Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – The Multifaceted Spirit

November 3, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever.

John 14:16

Joyce Meyer – Keep Balanced

November 3, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

For we who have believed (adhered to and trusted in and relied on God) do enter that rest. —Hebrews 4:3

It is easy to get overcommitted, burned out, bummed out, worn out, and stressed out if you are trying to keep up with too many commitments. It is out of balance to try to do everything. If you are happy doing what you do, keep doing it. But if it wears you out and robs you of peace, don’t do it. What sense does it make to commit to something, and then murmur and complain about it while you are doing it?

Being overcommitted will frustrate you. Anxiety is usually a sign that God never told you to do what you are doing in the first place. To avoid frustration in your life, keep in balance.

From the book Ending Your Day Right by Joyce Meyer.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

DAILY DEVOTIONS, NEWS AND INFORMATION

Tag Archives: christianity

Wisdom Hunters – Love Loves the Truth

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – True Religion

Joyce Meyer – Pray with Boldness and Confidence

Girlfriends in God – You Really Can Do It With God

Ray Stedman – The Need to be Saved

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – The Coming Nations

Greg Laurie – Wanted: Disciplemakers

Kids 4 Truth International – God Is There

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – Our Highest Moment

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – Life Choices

BreakPoint – Muslim Refugees Meet Jesus: God at Work in the Midst of Crisis

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – GOD IS OUR CONSOLATION IN THE FACE OF ANXIETY

Denison Forum – How ‘Hacksaw Ridge’ helps us overcome ‘election anxiety’

Charles Stanley – The Loss of Hope

Our Daily Bread — Leading with Love

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Behold, the Lamb

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Manifesting a Wise Attitude

Wisdom Hunters – Don’t Be Afraid

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – The Multifaceted Spirit

Joyce Meyer – Keep Balanced

Scriptures, Lessons, News and Links to help you survive.