Tag Archives: christianity

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Mercy and Grace

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“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

Though prayer has been a vital, integral part of my life since I became a Christian, I am always discovering new challenges and new facets of prayer. I find one of the most powerful, exciting and fulfilling privileges God has given to man to be that of prayer based on the authority of God’s Word.

Man instinctively prays, even if only to false gods built of sticks and stones. Whenever he is faced with tragedy, heartache, sorrow or danger, he prays.

There is a serious danger in this “ignorant” kind of praying, however. It is a well-established fact of philosophy and history that man always assimilates the moral character of the object he worships. People who have prayed to gods of blood, fire and war have become militaristic, ruthless and sadistic.

This same principle applies to the Christian, who can pray to the one true God. “As we behold His [Christ’s] face, we are changed into the same image from glory to glory.” This explains the scriptural emphasis of praying worshipfully to the only true, righteous, holy and loving God.

In spite of this potential metamorphosis, however, the lives of few Christians today are impotent and fruitless compared to those of the first century. This is because the average Christian spends so little time at the throne of grace, so little time beholding the face of our Lord. And, as a result, he does not really believe that mercy and grace are available to enable him to live a supernatural life.

Bible Reading: Hebrews 3:1-6

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Knowing I can come boldly to the throne of grace and receive mercy, cleansing, forgiveness and help for my every need, challenge and opportunity – from my Lord Jesus Himself, our great high priest – I will spend more time in His presence and not be satisfied with an impotent, fruitless life.

 

http://www.cru.org

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman -The Power of Obedience

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Read: Acts 14:1-10

In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed and called out, Stand up on your feet! At that, the man jumped up and began to walk. Acts 14:8-10

Notice the amazing way God began to open up this city. Paul and Barnabas had no idea what they were going to do. They did not form a committee and say, Well, let’s see if we can get the Chamber of Commerce report on the city’s population distribution. Then we could divide it into squares and evangelize in a systematic way. They had no plans other than to be there and to do what God sent them to do — to preach. So they walked right into the market place and began, trusting the Lord to have prepared certain people, to have people of his choosing ready to open the door to the city.

As they proclaimed the gospel that is what happened. As Paul was preaching — probably for several days in a row — sitting in the marketplace was a man who had been lame from his birth, who had never walked. He was evidently well-known throughout the city, having been there all his life. He heard what Paul said, and believed what Paul declared about the power of Jesus, the mighty Son of God. Paul looked at him and saw in that man’s eyes the faith to believe. Suddenly, unquestionably led of the Spirit, he said to him, Stand up on your feet. And the lame man, though he had never walked in his life, made the effort to obey. He had faith enough to try, and the moment he began to obey, the power to obey was given.

That is exactly the way the Christian life works. It does not make any difference whether the problem is physical, emotional, or spiritual; you are going to be held in its bondage until you begin to obey the Word of God about it. When you make the effort to obey, God will set you free. But he will never move until you obey. That is the way faith works. Most people are kept from seeing God at work in their lives because they keep waiting for God to do something, in order for them to believe. No, he has already done all that he is going to do in advance. When you believe what he says, then he will give you the power to be free. This miracle is a mighty parable of the many who have been spiritually lame, unable to take a step toward God, but who have been set free to do so by the gospel. It cracked the city wide open. The whole populace immediately took note of Paul and Barnabas in their midst.

Father, like the apostles, help me to trust in a living God who is changing people’s hearts and delivering their minds from the grip and power of the evil one. Help me to rejoice as I, too, see the power of obedience to the Word of God in my own life.

Life Application

Which comes first, faith or obedience? What is the significance of the order? Obedience to what? Faith in what–or whom? Does the union of obedience and trust describe our daily walk with God?

 

http://www.raystedman.org/

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Is Kind

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“That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:7)

David had just become king of Israel. He summoned a servant of Saul, the former king, and asked him, “Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him?” (2 Samuel 9:3)

The servant told the king about Mephibosheth, a grandson of Saul who was still living. Mephibosheth had fallen when he was a little boy, and his injuries had never healed correctly. Now he was lame. He could not be a great warrior for King David, and he couldn’t be of much help as a servant. If anything, he would only be a burden to the king.

David called Mephibosheth to his house. He told Mephibosheth that he had been good friends with his father, Jonathan. He invited the lame man to live with him in his palace, to own the land that had belonged to Saul, and to eat at the king’s table for the rest of his life. Mephibosheth hardly knew what to say. He could not imagine why the king would even think twice about a man like him, but he bowed before David and gratefully accepted his offer.

How was David’s act of kindness like the kindness of God? God had a plan to show kindness to us before we were even born. He showed us kindness through the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, who died for our sins and provided a way for us to come to God. In a way, we too were “lame.” We were completely undeserving. There was nothing that we could do to help ourselves or to earn God’s favor. We were dead in our sins. But because of God’s great mercy and love, He brought us alive at the moment of our salvation. He brought us into His family and now He provides for us everything that we need. The best news of all is that His wonderful plans of kindness are not finished yet. Ephesians tells us that He has great treasuries of grace and kindness stored up for “the ages to come,” throughout eternity!

God has shown His kindness to us in Jesus Christ, and He will continue to do so through all eternity.

My Response:

» Do I understand how undeserving I am of God’s kindness?

» Have I bowed before God today and thanked Him for His kindness to me?

 

http://kids4truth.com/home.aspx

The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – The Discipline of Mortification

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Today’s Scripture: Colossians 3:5

“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you.”

Making the right choices to obey God rather than our sinful desires necessarily involves the discipline of mortification. What is mortification? And what does it have to do with holiness?

The apostle Paul gave us the answer: “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death [mortify] the deeds of the body, you will live” (Romans 8:13). To make the right choices it’s necessary to mortify, or put to death, the misdeeds of the body—the sinful actions we commit in thought, word, or deed. Paul was more explicit about some of these in Colossians 3:5: “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”

As we look at Romans 8:13, one thing we clearly see is that mortification, or putting sin to death, is our responsibility. Paul said, “If you put to death .” It’s our responsibility, something we must do, not something we turn over to God.

We should also note that Paul said, “For if you live according to the flesh you will die.” Paul was talking about spiritual, not physical death. The opposite is also true. If we live according to the Spirit—that is, if by him we “put to death the deeds of the body”—we shall live in the spiritual sense. Once again, as he did so frequently, Paul stressed the inextricable link between justification and sanctification. Paul clearly taught that we’re saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8), but he also stressed that we’re to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12), that is, without presuming on the grace of God.

 

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – The Fruitful Branch

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Today’s Scripture: John 15:1-8

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. – Galatians 5:22-23

My dad was a gardening genius. He knew just when and how to plant to get the maximum yield. But one year he did something that astounded me, and I’ve never forgotten it. He surrounded the entire garden with nasturtiums. I wondered why he’d planted those flowers around the perimeter of the garden, and toward the end of summer I found out. A plague of millions of grasshoppers came through, demolishing gardens and crops. They gobbled up those nasturtiums that surrounded our garden and moved on to the next one, leaving our garden intact.

In John 15, we are introduced to the greatest gardener of all. Every good gardener knows you have to prune your plants and trees to get maximum yield. And so with God. Jesus said, “My father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful” (15:1-2).

Notice two things here. First, there is a severity in this picture of God. And second, there is a single-mindedness in this picture of God. As a gardener, He has one interest–that the branches bear lots of fruit. If He doesn’t find any, Jesus says He takes that branch away. And every branch that bears fruit He prunes to bring more fruit. God takes whatever action is necessary to cleanse His people so they will produce fruit for His glory. The key to it all is that the people of God must abide in–live in close, day-by-day fellowship with–Jesus Christ.

Prayer

Lord, may this connection and this dependency thrill my soul forever. Amen.

To Ponder

If God is pruning your life, you can rejoice that you’re a fruitful branch, and He wants your life to be even more fruitful for His glory.

 

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Moody Global Ministries

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – THE CALL OF NOAH: BUILD AN ARK

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Read GENESIS 6

The world’s population today stands at some seven billion people. Following God’s original command to “be fruitful and increase” (Gen. 1:28), the world is now full of human beings. But as our reading shows, humanity’s original increase suffered from the consequences of the Fall.

Whatever the enigmatic references to “sons of God” and the Nephilim might be (and scholars do not all agree), the underlying point remains clear: with the increase of humanity came an increase in depravity. Scripture explains the extent of human sin: God saw “how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time” (v. 5). Later, God described the earth as corrupted by the people and “filled with violence” (vv. 12–13). As a result, God “regretted” (literally “was grieved about”) the state in which humanity now lived (v. 6). The joy of God’s creation had now become His sorrow.

In response, God determined to put an end to humanity’s destructive violence with a violent judgment. But notice His underlying mercy and grace, even in judgment. Rather than leave humanity to its destructive end, God would not abandon His original purposes for them to be in a life-giving relationship with Himself. The flood was a means of re- creation, with Noah and the ark being His instruments of that merciful restart.

And so God called Noah, a “righteous man” who “walked faithfully with God” (v. 9), to build an ark of rescue. God made a covenant with Noah, a call of relationship and salvation, for this is God’s way throughout Genesis and throughout the Bible. Despite human sin, God does not abandon us; rather, through His grace and mercy, He calls us into a covenantal, saving relationship.

APPLY THE WORD

Isaiah 49:15–16 aptly summarizes God’s tireless love for us, His unwillingness to give up on us despite our sin. Look up that passage today and copy it on a notecard. Then put it in a prominent place at work, school, or home to remind you throughout the coming week that God’s love and compassion for us are never ending.

 

http://www.todayintheword.org

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – God Is Our Keeper

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Psalm 121:3-8

We learned yesterday that God is our protector. David’s song in Psalm 121 also portrays the Lord as our keeper.

  • “He who keeps you will not slumber” (Ps. 121:3). Many young children are fearful in the dark. If they awaken when everyone else is sleeping, little ones often feel alone and scared. Adults also experience fear, but thankfully, our Caretaker needs no sleep. He is always alert and attentive to our cries, even when our feelings may tell us otherwise.
  • “The Lord is your keeper … He will keep your soul” (Ps. 121:5, Ps. 121:7). When parents have to leave their children, they put a trusted person in charge. We often say that this individual is “keeping” the kids. The babysitter is expected to protect and provide for the children. How much more invested and capable is our heavenly Father! Besides preserving us physically and spiritually, He restrains us from any wrong thoughts, harmful words, and inappropriate actions. His Holy Spirit gives warnings to keep us from evil, and He also provides guidance so we’ll grow in a godly direction.
  • “The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever” (Ps. 121:8). God is sovereign. He is with us always—protecting, pointing the way, and teaching. He accompanies and leads, even in the small tasks that seem insignificant.

When we grow up, many of us feel sadness and a little fear as we leave the safety of our parents’ home. But we never leave the precious love and watchful eye of our heavenly Father. God is our keeper, and He cares for us better than any earthly mom or dad ever could.

Bible in a Year: Psalms 103-106

 

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Called by Name

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Read: John 10:1–11 | Bible in a Year: Job 17–19; Acts 10:1–23

He calls his own sheep by name. John 10:3

When I first meet a new group of students in the college composition class I teach, I already know their names. I take the time to familiarize myself with their names and photos on my student roster, so when they walk into my classroom I can say, “Hello, Jessica,” or “Welcome, Trevor.” I do this because I know how meaningful it is when someone knows and calls us by name.

Yet to truly know someone, we need to know more than that person’s name. In John 10, we can sense the warmth and care Jesus, the Good Shepherd, has for us when we read that He “calls his own sheep by name” (v. 3). He knows even more than our name. He knows our thoughts, longings, fears, wrongs, and deepest needs. Because He knows our deepest needs, He has given us our very life—our eternal life—at the cost of His own. As He says in verse 11, He “lays down his life for the sheep.”

Give thanks to Jesus! He knows your name and your needs.

Continue reading Our Daily Bread — Called by Name →

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Starting With a Question

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Starting with a question seems like a good idea to most people: it helps to bring a sharper focus, it’s conversational, it reveals gaps in knowledge, and it’s quite natural.(1) Kids seem to use questions instinctively to find out about the world. Of course, there are lazy questions and there are thoughtful questions. The difference is hard to explain, but anyone who has ever heard or asked a great question, asked at the right time, will immediately know why good, careful, thoughtful questions are always worth asking.

When it comes to questions about faith, Christians have often pointed to the example of God asking Adam and Eve, ‘Where are you?’ (Genesis 3:9), and the way in which Jesus interacts with people in the New Testament. Here are just a few of the questions of Jesus:

What are you looking for? What do you want me to do for you? Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me? If you love only those who love you, what credit is that to you? Do you want to be well? Do you see this woman? What good is it to gain the whole world but forfeit your soul? Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Who is greater, the one seated at the table, or the one who serves? Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? Which of you would hand his son a stone when he asks for a loaf of bread, or a snake when he asks for a fish? How can you believe, when you accept praise from one another and do not seek the praise that comes from the only God? Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God? Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ but do not do what I command? Why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For which of these good works are you trying to stone me? Do you think that I cannot call upon my Father and he will not provide me at this moment with more than twelve legions of angels? Would you like some breakfast? Have you come to believe because you have seen me? I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this? Do you love me?

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Starting With a Question →

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Integrity Brings True Success

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“So this Daniel enjoyed success in the reign of Darius [even] in the reign of Cyrus the Persian” (Daniel 6:28).

True success is more a matter of character than of circumstances.

By anyone’s standards Daniel was a remarkably successful man. After entering Babylon as one of King Nebuchadnezzar’s young Hebrew hostages, he quickly distinguished himself as a person of unusual character, wisdom, and devotion to his God. Within a few years Nebuchadnezzar had made him ruler over the province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men. Many years later Nebuchadnezzar’s son, Belshazzar, promoted him to third ruler in his kingdom, and later King Darius made him prime minister over the entire Medo-Persian Empire.

As successful as Daniel was, being successful in the world’s eyes was never his goal. He wanted only to be faithful to God. And because he was faithful, God honored and exalted him in Babylon. But God’s plans for Daniel extended far beyond Babylon. Daniel’s presence in Babylon opened the door for the Hebrew people to return to Jerusalem (Ezra 1:1-3), and it also paved the way for the Magi’s visit to Bethlehem centuries later (Matt. 2:1-12). Those wise men heard of the Jewish Messiah through Daniel’s prophecies (Daniel 9).

God used Daniel in marvelous ways, but Daniel was just one part of a much bigger picture. Similarly, God will use you and every faithful believer in marvelous ways as He continues to paint the picture of His redemptive grace. As He does, He may exalt you in ways unimaginable, or He may use you in humble ways. In either case, you are truly successful if you remain faithful to Him and use every opportunity to its fullest for His glory.

Continue reading John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Integrity Brings True Success →

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – What to do When You Can’t Find God 

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If I go forward, he is not there; or backward, I cannot perceive him; on the left he hides, and I cannot behold him; I turn to the right, but I cannot see him. Job 23:8-9

In Job 23 we find some of the most honest and transparent words in the entire Bible. Rather than a song of praise celebrating the nearness of God, this is the lament of a broken man who is struggling to find God in the midst of his pain. Job simply cannot pretend all is well. He can’t find the strength to put on a happy face. He cries out from a place of desperation, sorrow, and fear. Yet in the two verses that follow, Job teaches us two profound truths about following God even when it is hard and he feels distant: we are never abandoned and we must seek to live faithfully even in the midst of our trials.

“But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I shall come out like gold” (Job 23:10).

Even when Job can’t sense God’s nearness, he rests in the confidence that he is never abandoned or forgotten. Though we may struggle at times to sense God’s direction and presence, he never struggles to find us or care for us. It is in him that we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28), and this is true whether we sense it or not.

Our emotions can be tricky and misleading. They want to tell us things that feel right, but may not actually be true! When you are struggling in your faith, tell yourself things that you know to be true, even if you don’t feel like doing it. Remind yourself that God is with you (Isaiah 41:10), that he will never leave or forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6), and that he loves you, even to the point of death (Romans 5:8).

“My foot has held fast to his steps; I have kept his way and have not turned aside” (Job 23:11).

The Christian life is often spoken of as a journey of faith. At times this journey brings great joy and delight, yet at times we are crippled with grief, sorrow, and doubt. In these moments Job reminds us that even when life is hard and painful we must continue on the journey!

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – What to do When You Can’t Find God  →

Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – A Sleepless Night

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Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 5:20, ESV

Recommended Reading

2 Corinthians 9:6-15

Despite the twenty mattresses, she could not forget the single pea causing her discomfort. It kept her awake throughout the night. She barely noticed the luxury of her surroundings. The Princess and the Pea fairy tale reminds us that even very small things can steal our attention.

In our world of social media, pictures, and email, it sometimes feels as though we are being bombarded with peas. They try to demand our attention and tempt us to compare our lives to others. When we build a wish list based on what others have or who they are, it leads to discontent. We feel stuck in our own lives, longing to live the life of another.

Comparison leads to overlooking and wastefulness. We squander our time and gifts by treating them with disdain. Jesus came to free us from the poison of comparison. As we release our concerns and worries to Christ, we create space to receive His gifts. Gratitude can fortify our souls and root us in the reality of what is. What will you thank Him for today?

The Christian who walks with the Lord and keeps constant communion with Him will see many reasons for rejoicing and thanksgiving all day long.

Warren W. Wiersbe

Read-Thru-the-Bible

Proverbs 1 – 3

 

http://www.davidjeremiah.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – God’s Righteous Friend

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For our sake He made Christ [virtually] to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become [endued with, viewed as being in, and examples of] the righteousness of God [what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by his goodness].—2 Corinthians 5:21

I cannot think of anything more awesome than being a friend of God. There is nothing I would rather hear God say than, “Joyce Meyer is My friend.” I do not want Him to say, “Joyce Meyer—knows all the prayer principles; she can quote dozens of Bible verses; she sounds very eloquent when she prays; but she really doesn’t know Me at all and we are not really friends.” I want to know that God thinks of me as His friend, and I believe you long for Him to think of you that way, too. Through Jesus Christ, we have a right to be comfortable with God, to hear His voice, and to go boldly to the throne of grace to get the help we need in plenty of time to meet our needs and the needs of others (see Hebrews 4:16).

One of the best things you can ever do is to develop your friendship with God. Jesus has made you righteous through the blood He shed at the cross, so there is no reason you cannot approach God as boldly and as naturally as you would your best friend on Earth. Remember, friendship with God takes an investment of time and energy to develop. But also remember that as your friendship deepens, your ability to hear God’s voice increases. A growing, vibrant, increasingly intimate friendship with God will naturally lead to increasingly effective communication with Him.

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

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Girlfriends in God

Girlfriends in God – Learn How to Sit Down

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But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to Him and asked, ‘Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.’ But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.’

Luke 10:40-42

Friend to Friend

I had a list of things to get done. Yes, my back was killing me. I was tired, but that list kept me hurrying around the house like the proverbial Energizer Bunny. When my husband walked in from work, I gave him a quick hug and resumed my almost frantic pace.

“What are you doing, honey?” Dan asked. With one of my famous sighs, I responded, “I just need to get a few things done.” “How is your back?” Dan persisted. With growing irritation, I answered, “It hurts!” Dan watched me for a few minutes and then calmly stated, “You don’t know how to sit down, do you?” My first response was irritation, which quickly escalated into anger – until I heard the unmistakable prompting of the Holy Spirit affirming the truth Dan had spoken. I needed to learn how to stop and sit down – and rest. But that list held me captive to unrealistic expectations in a ridiculous effort to prove my worth through what I did. It is an ongoing battle in my life. And I am not alone

We all struggle with balance and the stress that struggle creates. When we refuse to balance the demands of work, home, family, friends, and personal growth, stress happens. What we really need is a holy balance only God can bring. The story of Mary and Martha, two very different women, offers valuable truths about balance.

A balanced life is focused on right things. Focus is always found at the feet of Jesus. Mary lived out this truth. In fact, Mary, more than any other person in the New Testament, is associated with sitting at the feet of Jesus.

Continue reading Girlfriends in God – Learn How to Sit Down →

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Inspiration of God

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“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16, KJV).

Recently, it was my privilege to be chairman of a national congress on the Bible, which was held in San Diego, California. Thousands of Christian leaders came from across the nation and from other countries. More than fifty leading scholars addressed the various plenary and seminar sessions.

We were there to affirm our confidence that the Word of God is holy, inspired and without error. God’s Word is unlike any other book ever written. It is full of power and transforms the lives of all who read and obey its commandments. Many scholars read it without understanding, while others with little or no formal education comprehend its truths and are transformed in the process because they walk with God in humility and in the fullness and control of the Holy Spirit.

The story is told of a famous actor who attended a party one evening. A minister, who was also present, asked him if he would be kind enough to recite the 23rd Psalm. The actor, a famous and eloquent star of stage and screen, agreed on one condition – that the minister, a man in his eighties who had served God faithfully and humbly for half a century, would also recite the psalm.

The minister agreed, and the actor began. The words came like beautiful music, and everyone was enthralled at his beautiful presentation of the 23rd Psalm. A standing ovation greeted him at the finish.

Continue reading Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Inspiration of God →

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – What To Pray For

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Read: Colossians 1:9-14

…so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work… Col. 1:10

As Paul continues this prayer for the Colossians, he mentions activities that believers can deliberately choose to do. This is very instructive not only for how to pray for others, but also for how to live our own lives. First, Paul prays that you may live a life worthy of the Lord. When you understand what God has made you to be, that you are his child, cherished by him, your guilt and sin taken care of, and that God is your loving Father who protects you, guides and guards you, and when you see him in all his majesty and beauty then you will become concerned about whether your behavior reflects his beauty, and what others will think of your God when they are watching you. That is a life worthy of the Lord. In others of his letters the apostle urges Christians to walk worthy of their calling. We are to be concerned about our impact upon others, how our lives are impacting theirs, and what our actions make them think about our God.

The second activity that Paul prays for is that they might seek to please him in every way. The chief aim of every believer ought to be that he is pleasing to God; that he seeks to live in a way that delights God. What quality of life is pleasing to God? The Scripture probably puts it most effectively in a negative way. In the book of Hebrews we are told, Without faith it is impossible to please God! Faith is what pleases him. Every time Jesus approved or commended people it was because of their faith. You have great faith, he said to the woman who pled with him to heal her flow of blood. Your faith is great, he said to a centurion who asked him to heal his servant. Whenever our Lord commends people for anything it is because they believe him and act on what he says. They don’t conform to the customs of people around. Rather, they swim against the stream of life and stand firmly upon what he says, trusting him. That is what pleases God.

Continue reading Ray Stedman – What To Pray For →

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Detour Ahead

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Read: Psalm 37:1-17, 34

Trust in him, and he will act. (v. 34)

My wife and I, with our young children in the back seat, were taking a car tour of the Gettysburg battlefield listening to a provided audio. It described the sights. Audio: “On your right, you are seeing a southern soldier on his horse.” Number 1 Child: “Daddy. That looks like a cannon.” Audio: “On your left, you’ll see soldiers, with rifles raised.” Child Number 2: “That’s a barn!’’ My frustration is growing. Everyone is now offering their solutions and directions. It’s getting hot in the car. I uttered something un-preacher-like.

Silence. Then volleys of laughter erupted from the back seat. I make a U-turn, seeing another family car doing the same, as confused as we were. That helped. We went back to the starting point and realized we had made one left turn, one turn too soon. We started over. Soon the described scenes were in sync with what we were viewing! The self-inflicted detour was over!

We hate to see the sign: DETOUR AHEAD. Yet detours in life can teach us humility and perseverance. Consider: “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act” (v. 5); “Wait for the Lord and keep his way, and he will exalt you . . .” (v. 34). Detours are able to increase our hope and courage.

Foolishly we resent or rebel against painful experiences of life while knowing the strong hand of God guides our journey and will bring us home at last.

Prayer:

Lord, forgive our foolish ways, especially when we create our own detours in life.

Author: Chic Broersma

 

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Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Lightweights

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“For you have proudly defied the Lord of heaven and have had these cups from his Temple brought before you. You and your nobles and your wives and concubines have been drinking wine from them while praising gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone–gods that neither see nor hear nor know anything at all. But you have not honored the God who gives you the breath of life and controls your destiny!” —Daniel 5:23

When I step onto a scale, I never like what I see. I always weigh more than I want to. In fact, I can’t think of a time recently when I weighed less than I thought I did. On our scales, we typically want to weigh less. But God’s scales are different. On God’s scales, we want to weigh more, because His scales are about the weight of a life, the depth of a life, and the substance of a life.

Daniel 5 tells the story of Belshazzar, the grandson of King Nebuchadnezzar, who went out of his way to blaspheme and insult the true and living God. As he and his friends were partying away, they suddenly saw a hand writing on the plaster of the palace wall. It was a message from God himself.

Belshazzar called for the prophet Daniel to interpret the writing, and Daniel told him, “This is what these words mean: Mene means ‘numbered’—God has numbered the days of your reign and has brought it to an end. Tekel means ‘weighed’—you have been weighed on the balances and have not measured up. Parsin means ‘divided’—your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians” (verses 26–28).

Daniel was saying to Belshazzar, “You have been put on God’s divine scales, and buddy, you’re a lightweight. There is nothing of substance in your life. And now your number is up.”

That night, the Medo-Persian forces were amassing outside under the leadership of Cyrus, and Belshazzar was killed.

God has given us warnings in the Scriptures just like He gave to Belshazzar. There is a last night for every person. There will be a last meal . . . a last statement . . . a last breath . . . and then eternity.

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God’s Works Are Wonderful

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“One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts. I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.” (Psalm 145:4-5)

Maria’s father had surprised her by taking her to visit an aquarium. Maria could hardly believe all the wonderful things she saw there. In one tank were some white fish called “flounder” that could disguise themselves. They would lie flat on the sandy bottom of the tank, blending perfectly with the white sand so that all you could see was their eyes. In another tank were some sea creatures called “cone jellies.” They floated gracefully through the water, and each one had a little light glowing inside of it. Some fish had beautiful bright colors. Some had funny long snouts. And some had feathery-looking fins that swished about them like a lady’s ruffly skirt.

“Dad,” said Maria, “How did God think up so many different kinds of fish to make?”

“It would be hard for us to think up all those fish, wouldn’t it?” said Dad. “But not for our great Creator. He never runs out of ideas for making new things.”

“Some of these fish live way down in the ocean where no one ever sees them,” said Maria.

“You’re right. Why do you think God put them there?”

Maria shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. Why?”

Dad leaned closer to a tank to watch an angelfish swimming through a little tunnel of coral. “He says in His Word that all things are created for His pleasure–and that all His works praise Him. So at least one reason He put those fish deep in the ocean is just for His own enjoyment and glory.”

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – Growing in Christlikeness

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Today’s Scripture: Hebrews 10:14

“He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.”

Sanctification is the radical change God brings about in the heart of a person who trusts Jesus Christ as savior. It’s the passing from spiritual death to spiritual life, the beginning of a new creation in Christ, and the writing of God’s law in our hearts. It means a new relationship to the law of God and a new attitude toward it. And all this is from God, a gift of his grace just as surely as is the gift of justification.

God doesn’t bring us into his kingdom, then leave us on our own to grow. He continues to work in our lives to conform us more and more to the likeness of his Son. As Paul said, “he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). This continuing work of God is called “progressive sanctification.” It differs from initial sanctification in two respects. Initial sanctification occurs instantly at the moment of salvation when we’re delivered from the kingdom of darkness and brought into the kingdom of Christ (Colossians 1:13). Progressive sanctification continues over time until we go to be with the Lord.

Initial sanctification is entirely the work of God the Holy Spirit who imparts to us the very life of Christ. Progressive sanctification is also the work of the Holy Spirit, but it involves a response on our part so that we as believers are actively involved in the process.

The progressive nature of sanctification is implied throughout the New Testament epistles in all those instances where we are exhorted to grow, to change, to put off the deeds of the old man and put on Godlike character. (Excerpt taken from Transforming Grace)

 

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