Tag Archives: christianity

BreakPoint

BreakPoint – The Day after Election Day: Prayer, Anyone?

Leave a comment

Whoever you voted for yesterday, Chuck Colson has a few words of wisdom for you, words he spoke after the presidential election in 2008. Please listen closely:

Whether you’re recovering from your all-night celebration or drying the tears from your pillow, today’s a good day to remember the words of the apostle Paul: “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness” (1 Timothy 2:1-3).

Chuck went on to point out that the next president would face enormous challenges. First among them back in 2008 was what is now called the great recession.

Now dare I say that Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump (and as I record this I don’t know who won the election) face even greater challenges? Ninety-four million Americans are not in the workforce—more than ever before. The nation is in the grip of a heroin and painkiller epidemic that’s destroying lives across the country. To say racial tensions are high is an understatement. Domestic terrorism and cyber attacks threaten us daily.

And there’s a real effort to push religious and moral conviction out of the public square, and enshrine in law a dehumanizing vision of sexuality and identity.

Overseas, ISIS fights on. Vladimir Putin and Communist China thumb their noses at the U. S. in Eastern Europe and the South China Sea. Iran continues to violate the ill-conceived nuclear deal and openly provokes and threatens our military forces in the Persian Gulf. Waves of Muslim refugees continue to swamp Europe.

And yes, the new president and the country need our prayers.

But how have we gotten to this point? Well, once again, here’s Chuck Colson:

I can only think of what Alexandr Solzhenitsyn said about the catastrophic consequences of the Russian revolution. ‘I recall,’ he said, ‘hearing a number of older people offer the following explanation for the great disasters that had befallen Russia: Men have forgotten God; that’s why all this has happened.’

Solzhenitsyn was right. Indeed, I can’t find any better explanation for why we Americans find ourselves in the state we’re in. We have forgotten God.

Continue reading BreakPoint – The Day after Election Day: Prayer, Anyone? →

Today in the Word

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – OUR HOPE IS IN GOD, NOT WEALTH

Leave a comment

Read 1 TIMOTHY 6:17–19

A rich young man once asked Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” In the conversation that followed, it became obvious that the man valued his great wealth more than he valued God or eternal life. Jesus observed: “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! . . . It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God” (Mark 10:17–25).

Worry, anxiety, and contentment are closely related to our attitude toward money. It must not become an idol in our hearts. Our hope should be in God alone (v. 17). We are to value Him above all else! This is true whether we are rich or poor, yet being rich presents a particularly strong temptation.

Money is a means to power and comfort. Because it can seem to get us what we want, wealth tempts us to put our faith and hope in it. But that would be foolish, not least because money is temporal and uncertain. We should instead trust in God, who “richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment” (v. 17; see Acts 14:17).

The rich can resist temptation by doing good deeds, especially ones involving generosity and sharing (v. 18). If money is seen as a resource to be used for the kingdom of heaven, such actions will follow naturally for those who love God. In fact, they’ve been prepared in advance by God (Eph. 2:10). Instead of laying up treasure on earth, they will lay up treasure in heaven and show that their hearts are truly set on the things of God (v. 19; Matt. 6:19–21). Then, instead of dying and leaving behind all they’ve acquired, they will be well prepared for heaven and ready and eager to enjoy eternal life with Christ.

APPLY THE WORD

Review your budget and spending: what are your priorities? How do you “lay up treasure in heaven” in the way that you use your finances? Review your attitudes toward money: where are your anxieties? Do you place too much trust in your income or savings and refuse to share? Do you constantly pine for more rather than practice contentment?

 

http://www.todayintheword.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Donald Trump shocks the world

Leave a comment

“The most stunning political upset in American history.” That’s how ABC News commentator George Stephanopoulos described Donald Trump’s victory in last night’s election. Mr. Trump shocked the world by winning the White House as Republicans maintained control of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Early this morning I watched history being made as the president-elect accepted his decisive victory with a speech that was gracious and positive. In coming days, we will explore the meaning of his election for our culture. For now, let’s remember that Christians are called to pray for our leaders (1 Timothy 2:1–2) and to support them (Romans 13:1). Such intercession for our incoming leadership begins today.

Many Christians are asking what else we should do. To address this question, I’ve written an in-depth essay: Where do we go from here? The 2016 election and our future. The paper explores issues affected by Mr. Trump’s election, including religious liberty, the Supreme Court, and abortion. It also outlines biblical ways Christians can trust the sovereignty of God and act as salt and light in our nation. I hope you’ll download the paper here.

This is a day for renewed commitment to our Lord and our country. To that end, I’d like to share with you a declaration I hope you’ll make.

Dr. Claude Alexander is senior pastor of The Park Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. It has been my privilege to work with him as part of the global Movement Day family. Yesterday he composed a statement that fifty-nine ministry leaders across the nation have affirmed, myself included. Among our group are the president and CEO of Christianity Today, the president of the National Association of Evangelicals, and leaders of some of America’s largest churches and ministries.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Donald Trump shocks the world →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – When Anxiety Strikes

Leave a comment

 

Philippians 4:6-7

If you needed a consultant, would you hire just anyone? Of course not. You’d want to be sure your advisor had experience to back up his or her suggestions. The apostle Paul was certainly qualified to teach on the value of contentment—he wrote on the subject while under confinement by Roman authorities.

In today’s passage, Paul says that prayer safeguards the believer’s heart from anxiety. Praying appropriately will result in protection, so we are wise to follow the pattern Jesus gave us. The Lord’s Prayer underscores adoration of the Father and de-emphasizes focusing on oneself (Matt. 6:9-13). God does desire to hear our concerns (Phil. 4:6). But if problems are all that keep us on our knees, then we have missed the main point of our relationship with Him.

Why does the Lord expect us to honor Him when what we really want is immediate help for our problems? Because where the mind dwells, the heart follows. Focusing on His greatness puts our needs in perspective and encourages us to rest easy. He is in charge and at work (Rom. 8:28).

Consider Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane (Matt. 26:36-46). Even as the Lord was crying out for relief, He nevertheless submitted to the Father’s greater will (Matt. 26:39). As a result, a supernatural peace fortified the Savior and enabled Him to face His executioners.

In today’s reading, Paul offered a radical peace plan: Praise the Lord while suffering persecution; thank Him when facing trials; pray about everything. Each prayer braces your heart against anxiety. That’s solid advice from a man who practiced what he preached.

Bible in One Year: John 20-21

 

http://www.intouch.org

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — We Had No Idea

Leave a comment

Read: Galatians 6:2–10

Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 43–45; Hebrews 5

Carry each other’s burdens.—Galatians 6:2

Volunteers from a local church spent a frigid evening distributing food to people in a low-income apartment complex. One woman who received the food was overjoyed. She showed them her bare cupboard and told them they were an answer to her prayers.

As the volunteers returned to the church, one woman began to cry. “When I was a little girl,” she said, “that lady was my Sunday school teacher. She’s in church every Sunday. We had no idea she was almost starving!”

Clearly, these were caring people who were seeking ways to carry the burdens of others, as Paul suggests in Galatians 6:2. Yet somehow they hadn’t noticed the needs of this woman—someone they saw every Sunday—and she hadn’t shared her needs. This can be a gentle reminder for all of us to be more aware of those around us and, as Paul said, to “do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (6:10).

People who worship together have the privilege of assisting one another so no one in the body of Christ goes without help. As we get to know each other and care for each other, perhaps we won’t ever have to say, “We had no idea.” —Dave Branon

Dear Lord, help me to notice the needs of those around me and to do what I can to meet those needs in Your name.

Nothing costs as much as caring—except not caring.

INSIGHT: Paul told the church of Galatia that when they carried each other’s burdens they reflected and fulfilled the work of Christ. The Greek word translated “carry” in Galatians 6:2 appears thirteen times in the New Testament and means “to bear a heavy or burdensome object.” It is the same word used by the gospel writers in Matthew 8:17, Luke 14:27, and John 19:17. Matthew proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah who “bore our diseases.” Luke recounted Jesus telling His disciples that anyone who would not carry His cross could not be His disciple. And John described our Lord’s struggle as He carried His own cross to Calvary. Carrying one another’s burdens isn’t a kind gesture; it’s a mark of Christlikeness. Dennis Moles

 

http://www.odb.org

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – The Constancy of Change

Leave a comment

Not much is known about the pre-Socratic philosopher Heraclitus who lived in ancient Ephesus approximately five hundred years before Jesus was born. What is known about him is his belief that the fundamental essence of the universe is change. The source of change, Heraclitus believed, was that fire was the central element of the universe; fire alters everything continuously and as a result nothing is fixed or permanent in the world. The aphorism “No one steps in the same river twice” gives a concise image for his philosophical views.(1) Perhaps it might not surprise the modern reader of Heraclitus to learn that those who wrote about him characterized him as the ‘weeping philosopher.’ His contemporaries noted that he suffered such bouts with melancholy that he couldn’t finish many of his philosophical writings.(2)

While a direct intellectual link cannot be drawn from Heraclitus to the Buddha, the belief that everything is changing is also a central part of Buddhist teachings. There is no underlying substance that is not subject to the impermanent nature of existence. Instead, everything is in flux.(3) The doctrine of impermanence or anicca, applies even to human nature. Simple observation shows that the human body, for example, develops and changes from infancy to adulthood and into old age—continually changing. All living beings change as cells develop, die, and then are replaced by new cells. On a cognitive level, most humans have had the experience of fleeting mental events, or have thoughts come and go dissolving into memories that cannot easily be accessed. And all know how time seems to slip through our fingers: the future becomes the present, which becomes the past. As Nobel Laureate Bob Dylan penned over fifty years ago, “The order is rapidly fadin’ and the first one now will later be last for the times they are a-changin’.”(4)

Friedrich Nietzsche drew upon both of these traditions as he looked out onto what he considered to be a crumbling foundation of Judeo-Christianity—a foundation taken down in part by continual change. He wrote:

“The eternal and exclusive process of becoming, the utter evanescence of everything real, which keeps      acting and evolving but never is, as Heraclitus teaches us, is a terrible and stunning notion. Its impact is most closely related to the feeling of an earthquake, which makes people relinquish their faith that the earth is firmly grounded. It takes astonishing strength to transpose this reaction into its opposite, into sublime and happy astonishment.”(5)

In Nietzsche’s Buddhistic vision, change is the ground of reality. “Since man wanted power and control over the chaos that is both himself and the world,” one author notes, “he spun a web of ‘conceptual mummies.’ He used reason to posit unity, substance and duration where there is only constant flux and change; these errors helped him make his world intelligible and bearable.”(6) Buddhism becomes attractive to the West, Nietzsche argued, because it did not seek to overcome impermanence, but to offer detachment from it as the solution. For Nietzsche, the reality of change called forth the rugged individual, the ‘superman’ who could stare down these awful realities and overcome nevertheless.

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – The Constancy of Change →

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Submitting to Wisdom

Leave a comment

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments” (Psalm 111:10).

Saving faith is obedient faith.

The wisdom of God resulting from the fear of the Lord leads to obedience. When we fear the Lord, we submit to His wisdom and commit ourselves to keeping His commandments. In the New Testament Jesus said the same thing: “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). We aren’t always as obedient as we ought to be, but the pattern of our lives turns from disobedience to a submissive heart of obedience. First John 2:3 says, “By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.” A person’s claim to be a Christian is meaningless if he’s not obedient.

From a positive perspective, fearing the Lord involves obeying His commandments; from a negative perspective, it involves turning away from evil. Job 28:28 says, “The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.” Equal to wisdom is understanding, and equal to fearing the Lord is departing from evil. Proverbs 8:13 says, “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil.” Obeying the Lord’s commandments and shunning evil are dynamics that work in the soul of one who truly fears God. The fear of the Lord is not some feeling you try to generate within yourself; it’s the result of believing in the true God and living a life of love and obedience to Him. What about you? Does obedience to God’s Word characterize your life?

Suggestions for Prayer

Jesus Christ paid the price for your sin and ushered you into a relationship with God. Honor His work by obeying His Word, and ask Him to help you see evil from His perspective.

For Further Study

Read the following verses: Deuteronomy 6:1-2, 13-15, 24; 8:6; 10:12-13; 13:4; 17:19; 28:58-59; 31:12. What characterizes the life of a person who fears the Lord?

 

http://www.gty.org

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – He Will Never Leave You

Leave a comment

You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Psalm 139:3

Last summer, my sweet husband rented a condo for me a couple of hours from home in Galena, Illinois so I could spend some undistracted time with the Lord. I needed refreshment for my tired soul. As I drove to my destination, the Holy Spirit immediately began to minister to me and He continued to fill me with His peace while I was away. He ministered to me while I sat on the porch, took walks, and scribbled notes in my journal while I read my Bible. A still calm was my companion as I drove back home. I was filled with joy.

Last week as I settled into my favorite arm chair in the morning, I spoke with the Lord. “I want to always experience your peace and presence like I did when I was in Galena.” In that quiet moment, I sensed the Lord reminding me that I did not leave Him there in that condo when I packed up and locked the door. There was nothing magical about that place that caused me to experience Him more intimately.

It’s as if He was saying, “You didn’t leave me there, Shana. I am always with you. I will never leave you. I will never forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).

That simple, yet profound truth penetrated my heart.

“You will never leave me.

You will never leave me.”

Tears of gratitude flowed. My thoughts turned to those who have left me because I failed them, because they wrestled with some inner shame that caused them to run, because God took them home to heaven before I was done loving them, or just because the Lord took us on different life paths.

“But you, O Lord. You will never leave me. Ever.”

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – He Will Never Leave You →

Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – Servants, Not Kings

Leave a comment

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.

Mark 10:45

Recommended Reading

Mark 10:35-45

Entrepreneur Josh Linkner wrote a column for Forbes under the title: “Great Startup CEOs Are Servants, Not Kings.” Over the course of his investing career, he said the duds in his portfolios had been led by grandiose personalities who talked big and acted like kings. The companies that performed best, he said, were led by servants—men and women who kept their heads down, their hands to the work, and who labored for the best interests of their employers and investors.1

Servant leadership originated with Christ. While ministering on earth He provided a clear example of how to treat others. He came to serve rather than to be served.

It’s the little things—returning the shopping cart to its rack, smiling at the clerk behind the counter, picking up the phone to discuss a disagreement rather than sending an email, emptying the dishwasher, letting the other person have the last word, suppressing an exclamation of complaint—that make a difference.

Start filling your day with servant actions, and you’ll fill your life with blessings.

Being coachable and open to new ideas, with a bright outlook toward the future, will make you a servant leader.

Josh Linkner

Read-Thru-the-Bible

John 16 – 17

 

http://www.davidjeremiah.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Does Your Faith Work?

Leave a comment

[If we are] in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith activated and energized and expressed and working through love.—Galatians 5:6

Many people think great faith is the number one sign of spiritual maturity, but I believe the truest test of spiritual maturity is walking in love. Our love walk energizes our faith. We cannot have a good relationship with God without having faith in God, but love demonstrates, empowers, and expresses our faith. If we truly love God and have faith in Him, we will also love people.

Today’s verse teaches us that faith works through love; and love is not talk or theory; it’s action. In fact, the Bible says that we cannot be walking in love if we see a brother in need, have what it takes to meet his need, and will not help him (see 1 John 3:17).

Jesus also said all the law and all the prophets are summed up in love when He declared: ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all of your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 22:37-40, NKJV).

Jesus gave these words to people asking which commandment was most important. They basically said to Him: “Just give us the bottom line, Jesus.” He replied: “Okay. You want the bottom line? You want to fully obey all the law and all the prophets? Then love Me and love people.” It’s that simple.

Jesus let people know that walking in love is the key to living a life that is pleasing to Him. Trying to walk in faith without love is like having a flashlight with no battery. We must be sure that we keep our love battery charged at all times. Otherwise our faith will not work!

God’s Word for You Today: God is love and the more we know Him, the more we will love others.

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

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Girlfriends in God

Girlfriends in God – God’s Got You

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!

2 Corinthians 1:3

Friend to Friend

Tears streamed down my face as I held our seven-year-old grandson, watching him sleep. “Mimi, please lay down with me. Let’s snuggle. I’m so cold,” he asked. I would do anything for this child. He has my heart.

The beeping machines recorded his heart rate, oxygen level … and other vital statistics that simply underscored how sick Justus was. His temperature had risen to 106 but now hovered around 104. The lymph glands in his neck continued to swell to the point that he could not turn his head or open his mouth. Test results confirmed the fact that he had a bacterial infection and a viral infection.

I heard him scream as they tried to draw blood. I held his head when he threw up after trying to take medicine he desperately needed but couldn’t swallow. Our daughter and son-in-law had been by his side day and night and were absolutely exhausted. The doctors kept running tests, trying to identify the specific bacteria causing the infection so they could target it with the right antibiotic.

He had been in the hospital for days … with no answer. The doctors said it was just a matter of time until they found that answer. I. Wanted. It. Now.

And I was angry. God and I had gone a few rounds about the whole situation.

Oh, I know and teach truly believe that trials and hard times are for our good. I am well acquainted with pain and darkness. It is one thing for me to battle the pit of depression or deal with physical pain every minute of every day, but it is a game changer to watch my seven-year-old grandson handle pain and darkness with courage and sheer grace.

I am in awe.

Continue reading Girlfriends in God – God’s Got You →

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Claiming the Promise

Leave a comment

“But when I am afraid, I will put my confidence in You. Yes, I will trust the promises of God. And since I am trusting Him, what can mere man do to me?” (Psalm 56:3,4).

Raymond and Martha were active church members and gave generously to the needs of the fellowship. But their real security, as Raymond shared, was largely in monetary holdings. After working hard for many years to build a financial empire, they had nothing to worry about. They were on “Easy Street” and could do anything for the rest of their lives, confident of being able to pass on a sizable fortune to their children and grandchildren.

But at this point, Raymond turned over the reins of his business to a trusted employee who, through mismanagement and embezzlement, coupled with a severe economic depression, was able to destroy in approximately two years what had taken Raymond more than thirty years to accumulate.

Devastated and fearful, Raymond and Martha turned to God and His Word. As they claimed God’s promises, the Savior whom they had professed to know but had not really known, became a reality in their lives. They became joyful, radiant and victorious. Though they had lost almost everything materially, they had, in the process, gained all that was really important. Now their trust was in the Lord who filled their lives with His love and grace. They passed on God’s blessing to others, including me.

Bible Reading: Psalm 25:4-10

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will not wait until personal tragedy, physical illness, financial reverses, heartache or sorrow cross my path, but will place my confidence in the Lord and in his Word and begin now to draw upon His supernatural resources to live a full and meaningful life for His glory

 

http://www.cru.org

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – Our Great and Glorious God

1 Comment

Read: Romans 11:33-36

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them? For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. Romans 11:33-36

This reminder of the strange ways God works awakens within Paul a tremendous outburst for God’s inscrutable wisdom and his ways with men. You can see certain things that have amazed the apostle: There are the deep riches, as Paul calls them, the deep riches of God’s wisdom and of his ways. They are beyond human exploration. There is no way we can finally fathom God.

There are those who struggle to put God in a box where they can get hold of him and analyze him. But if they succeed in that, they have only reduced God to the size of a man. God is greater than man. He is beyond us. Our minds cannot grasp the greatness of God! We can understand what he tells us about himself, but even beyond that, there is much more that we cannot know. There are depths of riches. That is why we are always being surprised by God if we trust him. He is always enriching us in ways that we don’t anticipate. Then Paul speaks of God’s unsearchable judgments.

For instance, it is clear from Scripture that nothing God ever planned interferes with human responsibility. We are free to make choices. We know it. We feel ourselves free to decide to do this or that, to do good or bad. And yet the amazing thing is that nothing humans ever do can frustrate God’s sovereign plan. Isn’t that amazing? No matter what we do, whether we choose this or that with the freedom of choice we have, ultimately it all works out to accomplish what God has determined shall be done. That is the kind of God we have.

Paul is not only impressed with God’s inscrutable wisdom and ways, but he contrasts it with the impotence of man. He asks three very searching questions. His first one is, Who has known the mind of the Lord? What he is asking is, Who has ever anticipated what God is going to do? Have you? Have you ever been able to figure out how God is going to handle the situations you get into? We all try, but it never turns out quite the way we think it will. There is a little twist to it that we never could have guessed.

Continue reading Ray Stedman – Our Great and Glorious God →

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Therefore, Pray

Leave a comment

Read: Matthew 9:35-38

Therefore pray . . . (v. 38)

“The harvest is plentiful,” said Jesus. There’s a tremendous opportunity. But there’s also a serious problem: “the laborers are few.” What’s to be done? “Therefore pray.”

I have often wished he had said, “Therefore give (especially to Words of Hope!)” I wonder why he didn’t say, “Therefore go” (though later he would send them out to the ends of the earth). But Jesus started with prayer. What makes prayer so important for accomplishing the mission of God?

First, because prayer reminds us that it actually is his mission, not ours. We can’t bring in the harvest, only God can; and only workers called and sent by God will be effective.

Second, because whenever we pray (and mean it) we are also offering ourselves as an answer to our prayers. A 19th century minister named Bennett Tyler wrote these powerful words on prayer: “When you pray for the poor around you, that they may be warmed and filled, in what way do you expect God will answer your prayers? Will he convert the stones into bread for their sustenance . . . while you . . . have enough and to spare? And in what way do you expect that your prayers for the conversion of the heathen will be answered? Will God rain down Bibles from heaven, and commission his angels to preach to them the gospel? No; but he will put into your hearts to do what lies in your power to send them the gospel.”

—David Bast

Prayer:

God, don’t help me in my mission, use me for yours.

 

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Empty Net Syndrome

Leave a comment

Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.” “We’ll come, too,” they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night.—John 21:3

It was déjà vu time for the disciples. They had been fishing all night on the Sea of Galilee and hadn’t caught anything. The Lord had risen and had already appeared to some of the disciples. There were no clear marching orders, so they thought they would go back to what they knew how to do: fish. Now it was early in the morning, probably still dark. They saw a figure standing on the shore. “He called out, ‘Fellows, have you caught any fish?'” (John 21:5).

Throughout the Bible, God often asked probing questions when He wanted a confession. In the same way, Jesus was asking His disciples, “Did you catch anything? Have you been successful? Have things gone the way you had hoped they would go? Are you satisfied?”

Why did Jesus want them to admit their failure? So He could bring them to the place where they needed to be. When they cast the net on the right side of the boat as Jesus told them to, their net became so heavy with fish that they couldn’t pull it in. The Lord was teaching the disciples an important lesson: Failure often can be the doorway to real success.

We need to come to that point in our lives as well. We need to come and say, “Lord, I am not satisfied with the way my life is going. I am tired of doing it my way. I want to do it Your way.” If you will come to God like that, He will extend His forgiveness to you. Then He will take your life and transform it in ways you couldn’t imagine.

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Is the Redeemer

Leave a comment

“Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.” (Isaiah 43:1b)

Christopher wanted a toy sailboat. He went to his father and asked for some money. His dad told him that yes, he could buy a sailboat, but that he would have to earn the money and buy it himself. So Christopher worked hard and bought the boat.

Christopher loved his boat. He would take it to a small river nearby his house and spend hours playing with it.

One day Christopher was playing with his boat on the water. The wind was strong, and soon – the boat drifted away. He tried to go after it, but it was too late. He watched it go downstream.

Christopher was, of course, very sad about this. He had worked very hard, and now his boat was gone.

Weeks passed, and then one morning, Christopher went to town with his father. There in the window of the toy store was his boat! Someone had found it and put it up for sale. Christopher went right in to the store to get his boat back. The store owner told him he could have it, but for a price. He would first need to work and buy it back. So that’s exactly what Christopher did. He worked and bought the boat again. He redeemed (bought again) the boat!

And that’s exactly what God did for you. God made you, which means He “owns” you, fair and square. You are His because He created you. You don’t belong to anyone – not even to yourself! – like you belong to God. But if you are a believer, God owns you “times two.” After you sinned and lost fellowship with Him, He “bought you back again.” Jesus Christ is the One about Whom Paul is writing in Ephesians 1:7. Paul is talking about Jesus Christ when he says, “In whom we have redemption through his blood.” Redemption is what it is to be bought back, to be bought a second time.

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – God Is the Redeemer →

The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – Saint or Sinner?

Leave a comment

Today’s Scripture: Philippians 1:1

“To all the saints in Christ Jesus .”

As Christians, should we view ourselves as saints or sinners? My answer is both. Paul often referred to believers as saints (Ephesians 1:1; Philippians 1:1), and we really are—not only in our standing before God but in our essential persons as well. We really are new creations in Christ. A fundamental change has occurred in the depths of our being. The Holy Spirit has come to dwell within us, and we’ve been freed from sin’s dominion. But despite this we still sin every day, many times a day. And in that sense we’re sinners.

We should always view ourselves both in terms of what we are in Christ (saints) and what we are in ourselves (sinners). To help us understand this twofold view of ourselves, consider Jesus as an analogy. In his own person he was sinless, but as our representative he assumed our guilt. However, he never had any of the personal feelings associated with guilt. He was fully conscious of his own sinless-ness even when bearing our sins and the curse of our sins in our place.

Just as Christ could maintain a separate sense of his personal sinless-ness and his official bearing of our sin, so we must distinguish between the righteousness we have in him and the sinfulness we see in ourselves. We should always rejoice in the righteousness we have in Christ and never cease to feel deeply our own sinfulness and consequent unworthiness.

If we refuse to identify ourselves as sinners as well as saints, we risk the danger of deceiving ourselves about our sin and becoming self-righteous. Our hearts are deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9), and we all have moral “blind spots.” We have a difficult enough time seeing our sin without someone insisting that we no longer consider ourselves as “sinners.”

 

https://www.navigators.org/Home

The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – The Creation of Man

Leave a comment

Today’s Scripture: Genesis 1:26-31

For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. – Colossians 1:16

Why does the theory of evolution get such a grip on people? I believe it’s because all people realize that if there is a God, and He made us and gave us life, we are accountable to Him for our actions.

If He has revealed His will to us; if He has given us the Ten Commandments; if He has given us the prophets and apostles, and even His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to teach us what is right and wrong; and if we don’t want to live the way He teaches and believe what He teaches, the simplest thing to do is deny that any of it is true. There is no God, the Bible is a bunch of fairy tales, and we owe our existence to a theory that tells us somehow, somewhere, at some time there came into existence a living cell, and from this cell man evolved by a process of natural selection.

In contrast to this theory, we have the record of the Bible, which tells us that man is a created being. Genesis 1:27 simply and eloquently says, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” You would think man would be honored by such a statement. A college founded by Thomas Jefferson would be a mark of prestige. A house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright is a mark of honor. But somehow man would rather have crawled out of the slime onto the muddy bank and eventually up into the trees with the monkeys.

Scripture is clear. We owe our life to God. And may our lives be lived in such a way as to please Him.

Prayer

Lord, Master Potter, Your mark is indelibly fixed in the clay that is me, and I rejoice in being created by You. Amen.

To Ponder

It is an awesome thing to contemplate being part of the family of God and to say by the Spirit, “Abba Father.”

 

https://www.navigators.org/Home

BreakPoint

BreakPoint – Election Day 2016: Time to Vote

Leave a comment

Chuck Colson was a man of great passion. And long-time BreakPoint listeners heard him and read him at his most passionate when he talked about the importance of voting.

Yes, Chuck was a political animal. You don’t become the President’s special counsel if you’re not. But Chuck was also a man who believed in Christian responsibility. And for him, voting was a duty for Christians as citizens.

Back in 2010, Chuck recorded what was to be his last commentary on the need for Christians to vote. I want to play it for you now. If you’re seriously considering not voting—please, hear what Chuck has to say.

Today is Election Day. What will the outcome be? Well, thankfully, because we live in a free society, it all depends on you and me. So, have you voted yet? If so, well done. If not, as soon as this broadcast is over—or as soon as you’re off work—I want you to go and fulfill your Christian duty to be a good citizen and go vote.

And while you’re at it, call a few of your Christian friends. Find out if they’ve voted yet. If not, tell them you’re going, and you’ll be glad to stop by and pick them up.

Now is not the time to buy into the lie that your vote doesn’t really matter. As a result of my Watergate felony conviction, I lost the right to vote for 28 years. When my right was restored, I was able to vote in the 2000 presidential election. That year, the national election—the presidency—was determined by just 500 votes in Florida. Mine was one of those votes. So your vote does matter.

And let me say this. The next time you hear someone tell you that Christians ought to take a vacation from politics, tell them to go fly a kite.  Listen, it’s our duty as citizens of the kingdom of God to be the best citizens of the society we live in.

If your pastor no longer has the energy or courage to motivate his flock to speak out on public issues, maybe you can lovingly “buck him up.” Remind him—or her—that God’s people are to love their neighbors, to desire the best for them, to pursue the common good. And we can’t do that on the political sidelines.

When a rabid secularist tells you to stop forcing your religion down his throat—simply correct him. You might say, “Excuse me, but who is suing the government to remove crosses from cemeteries? Who has filed lawsuits to remove ‘under God’ from the Pledge of Allegiance? Who’s trying to tell doctors and nurses and pharmacists that they have to participate in medical procedures that violate their religious conscience? Who’s banning Bibles from schools?

Continue reading BreakPoint – Election Day 2016: Time to Vote →

Moody Global Ministries, Today in the Word

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – LOVE OF MONEY DESTROYS GODLY CONTENTMENT

Leave a comment

Read 1 TIMOTHY 6:3–10

John the Baptist preached a message of repentance in preparation for the coming of God’s kingdom and Messiah. He clearly called people to repent from the sins of greed or the love of money. For example, he told tax collectors not to use their positions of power for personal gain. And soldiers were told not to extort money but instead to be content with their pay (Luke 3:7–14).

The truth is that the love of money destroys godly contentment. It is the ally of worry and anxiety, turning it into a habit or lifestyle. People can be governed by the love of money at any financial level when they are consumed by what they own or don’t own and obsessed with what they want.

This describes the false teachers in today’s reading (vv. 3–5). Their aim was “financial gain” (cf. 2 Cor. 2:17). They were also marked by pride, a tendency toward quarrels and controversies, and a lack of faithfulness to Christ’s and the apostles’ teaching.

By contrast, godly contentment is rooted in a proper balancing of the temporal and material with the eternal and spiritual (vv. 6–8). As they say, you can’t take it with you—therefore, all we should need for contentment is to have our basic material needs met. In light of what we’ve already studied this month, this is clearly a call to faith in God as our Provider.

Paul’s warning here is a strong one (vv. 9–10; cf. Luke 16:13). The desire to get rich is a temptation and a trap. The inevitable result is spiritual destruction; such people wander from the faith. As we’ve seen, the “love of money is a root of all kinds of evil,” a doorway to many other sins (v. 10). It is the enemy not only of contentment but also of righteousness and fruitfulness.

APPLY THE WORD

On this Election Day, let’s pray for our nation! Remember state and local elections as well as the national one. Prayer is a far better option than worry or anxiety, for it acknowledges God as the Sovereign of the universe and Lord over all human leaders, including the new president of the United States (Prov. 21:1)!

 

http://www.todayintheword.org