Tag Archives: christianity

Wisdom Hunters – How to Trust God with Your Future

August 30, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

As I write this, I am alone in a rented condo in northern Illinois. I decided to take a few days away from home to pray and seek the Lord. This morning, I sat in a chair next to the window and asked Him to speak to me as I read His Word. When I opened the Scripture, Matthew 6:24 caught my attention, “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

I have to confess that in recent days, an insecurity has settled into my spirit about financial provision. I am not sure if it has to do with getting older and peering into an uncertain future, or something else. But deep down I feel it has to do with fear, an ungodly emotion that has taken my heart captive while I was unaware. I am thankful that this morning the Lord showed me the condition of my heart and invited me to trust Him with my tomorrows as I read the next verses in Matthew 6:25-27; 31-32.

“Therefore, [because you can’t serve God and money] I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? . . . So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.”

It hit me. “Oh, yes. The pagans—or unbelievers—run after these things to try and protect themselves and guarantee a secure future. They run after them in fear. They run after them in pride. They run after them in anxiety—and they are tormented and exhausted. But you have called me, Lord, to life and peace. In You there is no torment. There is no worry. There is just rest.”

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – How to Trust God with Your Future →

Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – Starting Point

August 30, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Behold, God is great, and we do not know Him; nor can the number of His years be discovered.

Job 36:26

Joyce Meyer – Don’t Waste Time

August 30, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people), making the very most of the time [buying up each opportunity]…- Ephesians 5:15-16

We need to be so self-controlled that we don’t waste time. That doesn’t mean that we can never do anything fun. It doesn’t mean we can’t do things that we enjoy.

We don’t need to be rigid, stiff, or boring. But we do need to use our time wisely, choosing to give the best part of our day to spend time with God.

The Word encourages us to be prepared, saying, Hear counsel, receive instruction, and accept correction, that you may be wise in the time to come (Proverbs 19:20). Starting your day with God’s instruction will keep you walking in wisdom, making the most of your time.

From the book Starting Your Day Right by Joyce Meyer.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Girlfriends in God

Girlfriends in God – The Lonely Antelope

August 30, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Today’s Truth

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Friend to Friend

Dan and I have traveled to many foreign countries on mission trips. Our family vacations have taken us across the United States … but we had never been to Yellowstone National Park and had only driven through Montana on our way to another state. So when I booked a speaking engagement in Gardner, Montana, we decided to take a few days following the event for a mini-vacation.

It did not take us long to fall in love with Montana. We flew into Billings and made our way to Gardner where we had booked a hotel. The drive was spectacular. The hotel was rustic and quaint, and the people could not have been nicer.

But Yellowstone National Park was unlike anything we had ever seen! The magnificent mountains, the lush green landscape, the breathtaking boulders and the steaming geysers that seemed to erupt in the most random places … it was overwhelmingly beautiful!

And the animals! I had never observed such a stunning array of animals. We saw dozens of buffalo, a black bear, a grizzly bear, deer, elk, moose, and even a bald eagle. But some of the most interesting and beautiful animals we saw were the antelope.

I had only seen antelope in zoos – not meandering across the grassy plains and even strutting across the roads in front of our car. I knew virtually nothing about them, but Google came to my rescue.

Continue reading Girlfriends in God – The Lonely Antelope →

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – Defeating Worldliness

August 30, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Read: Jeremiah 46:1-28

This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations: Concerning Egypt: This is the message against the army of Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt, which was defeated at Carchemish on the Euphrates River by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah… Jeremiah 46:1-2

This takes us back to the year 605 B.C., when Nebuchadnezzar first came up against Judah. He was met by the armies of Egypt at the city of Carchemish on the Euphrates River, and there one of the great strategic battles of all history was fought. Until then, Egypt had been the most powerful nation of the day, but Babylon broke the power of Egypt at that place. In chapter 46, Jeremiah is describing that battle in advance — how long in advance we do not know. He describes in very vivid terms the advance of the Babylonian army, the clash of these conflicting forces, the terrible battle that ensued, and the final defeat of Egypt. We will not take time to cover these verses, but you can read them for yourself. The language is very beautiful.

However, in the midst of this a characterization is made of Egypt. In the Scriptures Egypt is a picture of the world and its influence upon us. Egypt was a place of tyranny and bondage for the people of Israel. They were under the yoke of a wicked and severe king who enslaved them and treated them cruelly. Yet strangely enough, after they escaped, it was the place they always fondly remembered and wanted to return to. They remembered the food, the comfort, and the ease of life in Egypt. So this has always stood as a picture of the lure of the world to the believer — to think as it thinks, to react as it reacts, to seek from the world your own satisfaction and pleasure and enjoyment instead of living for the glory of God.

Continue reading Ray Stedman – Defeating Worldliness →

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Tree of Redemption

August 30, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Read: Galatians 3:1-14

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.” (v. 13)

Have you ever been in jail? To your great relief, a friend pays your bail, or gives you (in the board game Monopoly) a get-out-of-jail-free card. You are redeemed, because of someone else, and a feeling of gratitude washes over you.

In this short letter, sometimes called the magna carta of Christian freedom, the apostle Paul makes clear the centrality of grace in the work of salvation. We are saved by grace through faith. Followers of Christ are not obligated to follow the Mosaic law. As Martin Luther put it: good works are necessary, but not for salvation.

Jesus died on a tree. Thus, according to the Torah he was cursed (Deut. 21:23). But his being cursed “redeems” us, argues Paul, from the curse of the law, from our inability to keep the law. Christ did for us something we cannot do for ourselves. Christ paid our debt, bought us back from slavery to sin, freed us from captivity to our own bondage—the metaphors are thick when Paul speaks of God’s way of reconciliation. All of this our Lord Jesus accomplished by taking our place—by hanging on a tree and thus becoming a curse for us. Yet another tree—the tree of redemption.

Prayer:

God of unfathomable grace, thank you for redeeming us, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Author: Steven Bouma-Prediger

https://woh.org/

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Restore, Don’t Destroy

August 30, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. —Galatians 6:1

Not every person who quotes the Bible is necessarily a believer. Those who quote the Scriptures to condemn others often are the guiltiest of all. Those who are quick to find fault with others often have greater fault in their own lives. The people who are so quick to come down on someone else often are guilty of far worse.

This is exactly what Jesus was talking about when He said in the Sermon on the Mount, “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:3).

It’s a humorous illustration, but it makes a point. Jesus was saying, “You are so quick to focus on the minutiae in another person’s life, yet you are guilty of overt sin.”

If we know of someone who is falling into sin, our objective should be to confront and restore them, not condemn and destroy them. Galatians 6:1 says, “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.” Our objective is to restore, not destroy.

I find it interesting that this verse goes on to say, “Considering yourself lest you also be tempted.” One day it could be you. One day you could be the person who stumbles and falls. One day you could be the person who makes that mistake, who commits that sin. And hopefully someone will come along in graciousness and boldness and help you get back on your feet again.

As the old hymn says, “Prone to wander—Lord, I feel it—prone to leave the God I love.” We have to constantly keep our guard up because we all have the potential to fall.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Is the Giver of All Life

August 30, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession; that thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (I Timothy 6:11-14)

Jesse looked at his brand new little sister through the hospital’s nursery window. He could not believe that he was a big brother now. A nurse had taken a picture of him with the baby and Mom and Dad. Jesse thought Zoey was a great name, and easy to spell. She had not cried when they put her in his arms, and he held very still so she would not get upset. She was very quiet, light, and fragile – like a China doll. And she was so tiny. Her little foot could fit into the palm of his hand!

Jesse’s mom and dad had told him their reasons for choosing the name “Zoey.” They told him that God is the One Who gives life, and “Zoey” is like the Greek word for “life.” They had prayed a long time for a daughter (Jesse had been praying for a sister, too); and, since God had given her life, they wanted to name her “Zoey.”

The word “quicken” means “to give life,” or “to bring to life.” God was the One Who created Adam and Eve in the beginning, and He still gives life today. The Bible teaches that our “times” are in His hands, and that He can give or take away life. What a great God we must have! Humans do not have that kind of power. Jesse could not have snapped his fingers and gotten a little sister – he had to pray for her and wait for God to give life. God is the One Who gives all physical life.

God is the Giver of all eternal life, too. No normal human being has ever been able to raise himself from the dead like Jesus Christ did. Jesus could do that because Jesus is God. No normal human being has the power to take people to heaven, but Jesus Christ did. He even described Himself as “the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” He said that nobody could come to God the Father except through Jesus Himself, God the Son.

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – God Is the Giver of All Life →

The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – The Flesh

August 30, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Today’s Scripture: Hebrews 4:14-16

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. – 1 Corinthians 10:13

There isn’t a person on earth who doesn’t experience temptation with fleshly lust at some time during life.

I recall being on a panel to discuss this in a high school class at a local church. The man who spoke before me was a local pastor, and since I was fairly new in my ministry with The Navigators, I was looking forward to what he would say. But when he began to speak, I couldn’t believe my ears. He told these kids, “Sure, it’s okay to park in a car on a dark, deserted country road. Just make sure you stay within the bounds of proper behavior.” Then it was my turn.

“Okay,” I said, “if you follow this man’s advice, make sure that when you park that car and turn off the lights on that dark, deserted country road that you both get out of the car, kneel down, and earnestly plead with the Lord in prayer that He will give you the strength and wisdom to stay within the bounds of proper behavior.”

The Bible tells the story of Achan, who stole something that didn’t belong to him. Listen to his explanation: “When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath” (Joshua 7:21).

Notice the progression. He saw it, he lusted after it, he took it, and then he tried to cover up his sin. Friend, is there a temptation you’re flirting with today that looks innocent on the surface? Yield yourself immediately in prayer to the power of Christ.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for Your victory over sin and Your saving power in my life. Amen.

To Ponder

God’s Word says that we are not controlled by the sinful nature (see Romans 8:9). How does that truth come into play when we are tempted?

https://www.navigators.org/Home

BreakPoint

BreakPoint – LGBT Rights Vs. Religious Freedom: No Middle Ground?

August 30, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Last week a thought occurred to me. I wanted to tweet it out but wondered whether it would be too incendiary. The thought was this: “It seems odd how confident we are that folks can lose their unwanted sexual parts, but can’t lose their unwanted sexual attractions.”

And then I thought of the stunning article by Christian ethicist David Gushee. And if you follow me on Twitter, you know what I did next. I hit “Tweet.”

In his article at Religion News Service, Gushee fired a warning shot across the bow of conservative evangelicals and religious traditionalists. He writes, “[y]ou are either for full and unequivocal social and legal equality for LGBT people, or you are against it. . . neutrality is not an option. Neither is polite half-acceptance . . . Hide as you might, the issue will come and find you.”

Now, there have been honest attempts by people on both sides of these issues to offer third-way sensible solutions, even compromises, that accommodate religious freedom and LGBT rights. Still, I think Gushee is right when he said these solutions will largely be rejected, shouted down by demands of a full embrace of the LGBT agenda.

What bothered me, however, deeply about Gushee’s piece, was how he framed the struggle of those who hold strongly to the historic Christian vision of sex and marriage. Conservative religious holdouts, Gushee writes, “are organizing legal defense efforts under the guise of religious liberty, and interpreting their plight as religious persecution.”

Jake Meador, writing at Mere Orthodoxy, was bothered too, using much stronger words than I am today. We’ve seen time and again, and Jake lists them, how federal, state, and local governments are forcing people to choose between their livelihoods and their faith. Meador goes on to point out what is really going on here—a clash of worldviews. And one side, at least, sees it as a total war.

And that side, as I tweeted, sees biological physical reality as fully optional and malleable to our surgical and chemical demands, while at the same time seeing emotional inclinations and sexual attraction as fixed and permanent. This is nothing but pagan Gnosticism on steroids. Gnosticism, over which Christianity triumphed 17 or 18 hundred years ago, held that the body was at best inconsequential, at worst, outright evil. Physical, biological reality is no reality at all.

Continue reading BreakPoint – LGBT Rights Vs. Religious Freedom: No Middle Ground? →

Moody Global Ministries

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – THE TRINITY AND THE WORK OF SALVATION

August 30, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Read 1 PETER 1:1–5

Scottish theologian and pastor Sinclair Ferguson said, “Woven into the warp and woof of the New Testament’s exposition of what it means for us to be holy is the great groundwork that the self-existent, thrice holy, triune God has—in Himself, by Himself and for Himself—committed Himself and all three Persons of His being to bringing about the holiness of His own people. This is the Father’s purpose, the Son’s purchase and the Spirit’s ministry.”

Today’s reading again confirms that the entire Trinity is involved in the ongoing work of salvation. First, we as “God’s elect” have been “chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father” (vv. 1–2). He predestined us for salvation, thus to be made holy, and thus to be adopted as His children. “He has given us new birth into a living hope” and an eternal inheritance (vv. 3–4). His merciful choice and plan existed from eternity past, a reassuring truth. Our salvation in no way depends on us, but entirely on our perfect and faithful Father (v. 5).

Second, God’s choice was implemented “through the sanctifying work of the Spirit” (v. 2). The term sanctification refers to God’s ongoing work of making us holy and Christlike. This work is being done by His Spirit. Through faith in Him, we are already counted righteous in Christ, and the Spirit works in our lives to reduce sin and to increase holiness.

Finally, God chose us “to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood” (v. 2). This sprinkling refers to Old Testament sacrifices, an image of atonement and cleansing (see Heb. 9:14). Jesus’ blood has freed us from sin to obedience. We eagerly await the “salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time,” that is, His Second Coming (v. 5).

APPLY THE WORD

Throughout our study, we’ve seen links between the Trinity and the command to praise God, as in verse 3 of our reading today. Praise includes both specific activities such as proclaiming the goodness of God through word or song and a general disposition oriented toward pleasing God in our thoughts, words, and deeds. Praise Him today!

http://www.todayintheword.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – 2 REASONS WHY I DISAGREE WITH COLIN KAEPERNICK

August 30, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is generating headlines with his refusal to stand during the national anthem at football games. He explained his decision to reporters: “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.”

He later added: “This is because I’m seeing things happen to people that don’t have a voice, people that don’t have a platform to talk and have their voices heard and effect change. So I’m in the position where I can do that and I’m going to do that for people that can’t.” Response from NFL players and fans has been as varied as you’d expect, some voicing support for his position and others protesting vehemently.

Let’s begin with the obvious: Kaepernick has the right to stand or sit when the national anthem is played. He also has the right to express his views on our national challenges regarding racism, violence, and poverty. And it’s tragically clear that America has not yet achieved the racial and economic equality we should all seek for our country.

However, I disagree with the way Kaepernick has expressed his convictions, for two reasons.

One: He is wrong to redefine the meaning of the flag.

Kaepernick claims that the American flag represents justice and that so long as oppression remains, he will sit while the flag is honored. That may be what it means to him, but it’s not what the flag means to the vast majority of Americans.

To most of us, our flag represents freedom and those who have died in its defense. While Kaepernick has expressed his gratitude for the military, he should know that many see his actions as disrespecting the people who have died for our country. The anthem Kaepernick refuses to honor calls America “the land of the free and the home of the brave.” This is the land of the free precisely because it is the home of the brave.

Continue reading Denison Forum – 2 REASONS WHY I DISAGREE WITH COLIN KAEPERNICK →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Trials of Life

August 29, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

1 Peter 1:6-7

Most likely, you’ve heard the age-old question, “If God is good, how can He let bad things happen?” Since the fall of man, life has always included hardship. Though trials are painful, understanding the Lord’s purpose can bring joy and hope.

The Word of God is clear that suffering is purposeful. Primarily, the Lord is conforming His children to be like Jesus (2 Cor. 3:18). When a person is newly saved, he or she still has many “rough edges.” Sanctification, which takes place from that point on, is the process of becoming holy—and few things build character like sorrow. Unfortunately, people rarely mature during pleasant times. Instead, pain brings impurities to the surface and forces people to see the reality of their life.

Another reason the Father allows trials is to test the faith of His children. Of course, He doesn’t need this for His own information—it is the believers who benefit. Tested faith is stronger and more reliable than untried faith.

Furthermore, God allows hardship in order to reveal His character, love, and power. During life’s storms, people who cling to their heavenly Father will find Him trustworthy and real. When the next difficulty arises, they’ll remember His faithfulness during the previous trial and will rest confidently in Him.

While no one wants to suffer, experience and sorrow will mature the believer. We can learn certain things from books and other people’s stories, but most growth occurs during trials. So, when problems occur and sorrow seems piercing, thank God for His purpose in your suffering.

Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 7-9

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — The Ultimate Road Trip

August 29, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

The Ultimate Road Trip

Read: Isaiah 40:1–11 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 126–128; 1 Corinthians 10:19–33

In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Isaiah 40:3

Madagascar’s National Road 5 offers the beauty of a white sand coastline, palm forests, and the Indian Ocean. Its 125 miles of two-track road, bare rock, sand, and mud, however, have given it a reputation for being one of the worst roads in the world. Tourists looking for breathtaking views are advised to have a four-wheel-drive vehicle, an experienced driver, and an onboard mechanic.

John the Baptist came to announce the good news of the coming Messiah to those traveling on rough roads and through barren landscape. Repeating the words of the prophet Isaiah written centuries earlier, he urged curious crowds to “prepare the way for the Lord” and to “make straight paths for him” (Luke 3:4–5; Isa. 40:3)

God, we need You to do in us what we cannot do for ourselves.

John knew that if the people of Jerusalem were going to be ready to welcome their long-awaited Messiah their hearts needed to change. Mountains of religious pride would need to come down. Those in the valley of despair because of their broken lives would need to be lifted up.

Neither could be done by human effort alone. Those who refused to respond to the Spirit of God by accepting John’s baptism of repentance failed to recognize their Messiah when He came (Luke 7:29–30). Yet those who saw their need for change discovered in Jesus the goodness and wonder of God.

Father in heaven, we need You to do in us what we cannot do for ourselves. Please remove any mountain of pride or valley of despair that would keep us from welcoming You into our lives.

Repentance clears the way for our walk with God.

INSIGHT:

This passage is not a message of hope only for exiled Jews. It is for us all. Isaiah is proclaiming a universal truth: “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” For Jesus’s followers, trouble, sorrow, and exile last only for a season. The hope of the Lord lasts forever.

http://www.odb.org

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – The End of Hope

August 29, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

In John Bunyan’s abiding allegory, Pilgrim’s Progress, hope is personified in two ways. Hopeful is the traveling companion of Christian, the story’s protagonist, along the winding journey toward the Celestial City. Hopeful was born in the town of Vanity and grew up with great expectations of the things of the fair; honor and title, ownership and ease were his great hopes. But he had suffered bitter disappointment in these pursuits and found only shipwrecks of his own optimism. In this valley of emptiness, Hopeful was able to recognize the full and solid quest of Christian. And thus, Hopeful’s drastic conversion of hope begins with pilgrimage and community.

The other character marked by hope in Bunyan’s tale is encountered near the river one must cross on foot in order to enter the Celestial City. Vain-Hope is a ferryman, who offers to ferry travelers across the River of Death so that they don’t have to cross on their own. Yet as one man discovers, it is a promise that gets him across the river, but destroys all hope of staying there. In the end, Vain-Hope is a deadly end.

With these two lucid pictures, Bunyan divides hope in two, possibly simple, but maybe wise, categories: the life-giving and the destructive. Considering all the ways in which we use the word, it seems easily an oversimplification. In the painting above, for instance, artist George Frederic Watts shows a female allegorical figure of Hope, for which the painting is titled, sitting on a globe in a hunched position, blindfolded, clutching a wooden lyre with only one string left intact. According to Watts, “Hope need not mean expectancy. It suggests here rather the music which can come from the remaining chord.”(1) G. K. Chesterton, who was far from alone in his criticism of Watt’s image, suggested that a better title for this work would be Despair. Chesterton describes the lone string of Hope’s lyre as “a string which is always stretched to snapping and yet never snaps. . . the queerest and most delicate thing in us, the most fragile, the most fantastic, is in truth the backbone and indestructible. . . Faith is always at a disadvantage; it is a perpetually defeated thing which survives all its conquerors.”(2)

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – The End of Hope →

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Our All-Knowing God

August 29, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“‘Do not be anxious then, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “With what shall we clothe ourselves?” For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things’” (Matthew 6:31-32).

To worry is to be like an unbeliever.

For us as believers, worry is needless because of God’s bounty, senseless because of God’s promise to provide, useless because of our inability to do anything, and faithless because by doing so we put ourselves in the same category as an unbeliever. In Matthew 6:32 the Greek term translated “Gentiles” can also be translated “pagans” or “heathen” and speaks of people without God and Christ. The Gentiles are consumed with seeking material gratification because they are ignorant of God’s supply and can’t claim His promise to provide. Instead of looking to God, they anxiously try to meet their needs on their own. But for a Christian to be preoccupied with material possessions and worry about the basics of life is a serious sin and uncharacteristic of his Christian faith.

The Christian faith says that God will supply all your needs and that you can trust Him (cf. Phil. 4:19). To worry about your food or your physical welfare or your clothing is to have a worldly mind. What about you? Do you face life like a Christian or an unbeliever? When things are difficult or the future is insecure, how do you react? Does your Christian faith affect your view of life? You should place everything in your life in the context of your faith—every trial, every anticipation of the future, and every present reality.

The Christian faith also says that “your heavenly Father knows” your needs (Matt. 6:32). If He knows your life and your needs, all you need to know is that He cares. And if He knows and cares, there’s no need for you to worry about anything. Your Heavenly Father has all the resources and love to provide for you.

Suggestions for Prayer

Praise your Father for knowing, caring, and providing for you.

For Further Study

Read and meditate on Psalm 145. Notice especially what God does in verses 14-16.

http://www.gty.org

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – How to Deal with Disappointment

August 29, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Revelation 5:4

Everyone deals with disappointment—some more than others. These let downs vary in scope: another year of no raises at work, a friend’s forgetfulness, a lost opportunity, a teenager’s poor choices, a missed deadline, a relative’s financial woes, a boss’s oversight, an injured body or unexpected dental work. In this world troubles abound, but in Christ peace is profound. Yes, disappointment is a fact that forces us to make appointments with Jesus. He doesn’t disappoint.

John wept over the the inaccessibility of God’s Word. In his vision of coming events in heaven, the apostle experienced the disappointment of finding someone worthy of unleashing the scroll of Scripture. But immediately the prophet was reassured by a wise elder to trust the Lion of the tribe of Judah—Jesus Christ—as worthy to uncage the truth. An explosion of worship echoed in unison throughout heaven, “Worthy is the Lamb!” In Christ we are worthy to access His Word.

“God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith” (2 Thessalonians 1:11).

Disappointment left unattended leads to disobedience. The hole in our heart is meant to grow our dependency on God. He brings wholeness and holiness to a lacerated soul. The Lord heals hurt feelings when we offer forgiveness. Disappointment feeds selfishness when we don’t get our way. So be wise, if your frustration replaces your faith you can lose patience and respect. Allow your trust in Jesus to trump testy relationships. Adjust your expectations to His concerns.

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – How to Deal with Disappointment →

Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – Why We Work

August 29, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9

Joyce Meyer – Set Your Mind and Keep it Set

August 29, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

And set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth.- Colossians 3:2

The Bible says we are to set our minds on things above, not on things on the earth. Having been addicted to approval, I know how difficult it is not to think about it when we feel someone is not pleased with us. Thoughts of that person’s anger and rejection seem to fill our every waking moment. Instead of trying not to think wrong thoughts, choose right ones. Fill your mind with positive thoughts. Meditate on God’s Word and His will for you. Then wrong thoughts will find no place of entry.

We have all had the experience of being terribly worried about something, of having our minds rotating around and around a problem endlessly. If we get involved in something else that interests us, we stop worrying for a period of time. When it is quiet and we are alone, or when we have nothing else to do, we begin to worry again.

I have found that one of the best allies against wrong thinking is to stay busy doing something for someone else. I don’t have time to think about “me” when I am occupied with someone else’s need. In this way I set my mind on what is above, not on earthly things. I set my mind on God’s instruction to me to walk in love (see Ephesians 5:2).

From the book New Day, New You by Joyce Meyer.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Girlfriends in God

Girlfriends in God – Who Are You Asking?

August 29, 2016 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Today’s Truth

Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.

Isaiah 55:6

Friend to Friend

Four years ago we installed a new bathroom sink in our downstairs powder room. While I love the way it looks, I have not loved the way it has worked – because the water pressure has been a dreary drizzle.

I asked my husband Brad if he could fix the water pressure a few times. Let me say this: my man is awesome at a million and one things – he’s super smart and awesome around the house – but he has no plumbing experience. Being the great guy he is, he dutifully checked what he knew to check on the faucet, but had no success.

Recently, we had a plumber come to our house to install a new kitchen sink. While he worked, he and my husband chatted away. Eventually Brad casually mentioned that we had an issue with the water pressure in our downstairs powder room.

Once the kitchen sink was fully installed, the plumber asked to see the bathroom sink. Within 30 seconds he not only identified our four-year-old problem, but he fixed it!

In 30 seconds!

It was a simple filter problem. Our filter had been clogged. For four years.

Get. Out. Of. Here.

He unscrewed the tip of our faucet and rinsed out the filter, then put it back in place. Problem solved. The water flows perfectly now.

The sink is the same sink, the faucet is the same faucet, but now it works great because we finally asked the right person about our problem! The plumber knows all about sinks and he knew just what needed to be done.

Hello!

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