Tag Archives: christianity

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Inner Strengthening 

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“That out of His glorious, unlimited resources He will give you the mighty inner strengthening of His Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 3:16).

In Christ are all the attributes and characteristics promised to His children as the fruit of the Spirit. And the Holy Spirit was given to glorify Christ.

  • Do you need love?

The Lord Jesus Christ is the incarnation of love. Paul prays that our roots may “go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love; and may you be able to feel and understand, as all God’s children should, how long, how wide, how deep and how high His love really is; and to experience this love for yourselves (though it is so great that you will never see the end of it, or fully know or understand it”) (Ephesians 3:17-19).

  • Do you need peace?

Christ is the “Prince of Peace.” “I am leaving you with a gift,” said Jesus, “peace of mind and heart! And the peace I give isn’t fragile like the peace the world gives” (John 14:27).

  • Do you need joy?

Christ is joy.

  • Do you need patience?

Continue reading Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Inner Strengthening  →

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – The Need for a Standard

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Read: Leviticus 11

I am the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy. Lev 11:45

In this section we face the need for a standard, a measuring stick by which we can distinguish between good and evil. That is not easy to do. Modern philosophies tell us that there is really nothing harmful, that it is only our perverted thinking which makes things wrong, and that if we would but change our thinking then anything and everything is right. But you don’t find anything like that in Scripture. The Bible tells us that we are living in a world where truth and error are inextricably mixed and that you cannot easily tell one from the other. How do you tell the difference before it is too late, before you have to learn through sorrows and sadness?

With these Israelites, his concern was expressed on the physical level — he actually regulated their diet. In this chapter, you have dietary laws distinguishing clean animals from unclean, and various sanitary practices are included as well. Many of these practices have a commonsense basis in staying healthy. God kept his people physically whole through many of these regulations.

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Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; G.C.- Immigrant Love

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A look back into history reveals America has always been a land of immigration. From those crossing over the ice bridge connecting Asia to North America, to Europeans crossing oceans in fifteenth-century sailing vessels, to the French and Spanish settlements eventually being bumped for the English and Dutch. Just prior to the American Revolution, this great land was already a medley of those willing to risk it all to stake a claim of freedom.

That our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good.

II Thessalonians 1:11

Today, the United States remains a land filled with people from different cultures and varied backgrounds – but all have the same need. Jesus is the only One who can bring them freedom from their sin and place them on course to fulfill God’s purposes for their lives…and His will for you is to give them every opportunity to know Him.

Ask the Lord to use you, as an ambassador compelled by the exhortation of today’s verse, to share His truth with individuals and families around you of every race and creed. Pray for the nation’s leaders to know Him as well…and for the country’s future immigrants to encounter God’s people and know His love.

Recommended Reading: Matthew 25:34-40  Click to Read or Listen

http://www.presidentialprayerteam.com/index.php

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Why Jesus Came

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“I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

—John 10:10

Ever since childhood, I have always had a great admiration for the historical person known as Jesus. I had seen all of His movies. I thought very highly of Him.

As a little boy, I lived with my grandmother for a few years. I would thumb through her big family Bible and look at the pictures of Jesus. She also had a picture of Jesus hanging on the wall. I would stare at it and think, “I wish I could have known that man, Jesus.”

The one thing I didn’t like about the life of Jesus was how the story ended. I thought it should have been rewritten with a happier ending. The part about Him being crucified wrecked everything. He was on this great roll, healing people and teaching people. But then it all came to an end. Why did they have to put Him on a cross and kill Him?

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Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Is Magnified When We Serve with His Strength

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“If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 4:11)

What does it mean to “minister…as of the ability which God giveth”? It means that when we do work for the Lord, we ought to do it by His power, and not in our own strength.

Our talents and abilities all come from God. Even the time that we have to serve God is given to us by God! But sometimes believers start to forget that without Christ, they can do nothing . (See John 15:5.) They start relying and depending on their own efforts and their own ideas and their own hard work–and they forget to rely and depend on God. In fact, they forget God altogether sometimes! These believers need to be humble and remember that they need God”s strength in order to do ministry work that glorifies Him.

On the other hand, some believers are afraid to get too involved with ministry work. They think, “I am not talented enough. I am uncomfortable in situations. So-and-so is a better such-and-such than I would be. I don”t really have time. I don”t really feel ”up to” this kind of a thing.” Sometimes, believers start to forget that through Christ, they can do anything that He wants them to do. (See Philippians 4:13.) These believers need to be encouraged and remember that they have God”s strength available to them, and that it honors Him when His people use that strength for His work.

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – The Holy Example of Christ

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Today’s Scripture: 1 Peter 2:22

“He committed no sin.”

Christ’s life is meant to be an example of holiness for us. Peter told us that Christ left an example for us to follow in his steps (1 Peter 2:21); he spoke particularly of Christ’s suffering without retaliation, but in the following verse he said also that Christ committed no sin. Paul urged us to be imitators of God (Ephesians 5:1) and also said, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1, NIV).

Clearly, the sinless, holy life of Jesus Christ is meant to be an example for us. Consider then his statement, “I always do what pleases him.” Do we dare take that as our personal goal in life? Are we truly willing to scrutinize all our activities, all our goals and plans, and all our impulsive actions in light of this statement: “I’m doing this to please God”? If we ask that honestly, we’ll begin to squirm a bit.

Continue reading The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – The Holy Example of Christ →

The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – Mourning into Gladness

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Today’s Scripture: Nehemiah 8-10

He has sent me to…provide for those who grieve in Zion–to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. – Isaiah 61:1,3

Did you know that the chemical composition of tears is affected by what makes us cry? Tears of frustration have a different composition than tears of grief or joy. And some kinds of crying are better for us than others.

In today’s passage, we have the beautiful lesson that God can turn our tears of mourning into tears of joy. When Ezra read the book of the Law, the record says the people wept. And at that point, Nehemiah moved into the picture and challenged them to receive the Word with joy.

When Nehemiah saw the people weeping, he told them to rejoice, remembering that the joy of the Lord was their strength. Then he told them to send portions of food to those for whom nothing was prepared.

Continue reading The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – Mourning into Gladness →

Moody Global Ministries

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – RAISED WITH CHRIST

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Read Colossians 3:1-17

Toddlers and preschoolers love to play dress-up as part of their expanding imaginations. “I’m an alligator! I need my alligator suit!” said one boy, demanding his plush costume. “I’m a princess—that’s why I have a crown!” said a little girl. Whether playing superheroes, princesses, or animals, young children love to dress the part.

The apostle Paul uses the metaphor of dressing up or clothing ourselves in several of his letters (see also Eph. 6:10–18). Our text today provides us with a detailed list of exactly what we should take off and put on as evidence of our true identity.

First, Paul describes the thoughts, motives, and actions that we need to abandon. It’s important to notice the exhortation here: “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature . . . rid yourselves of all such things” (vv. 5, 7). Though we now have life in Christ, we still struggle with temptations of lust and greed and anger. We have been saved but not fully perfected; we continue to battle sin. The key distinction between our status as dead to Christ and now as alive to Christ is that we no longer want to persist in sexual immorality or rage. We are continually taking off these filthy old garments.

Continue reading Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – RAISED WITH CHRIST →

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – HISTORY WILL BE MADE TONIGHT

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History is on the line this evening, for at least two reasons.

One: Kobe Bryant is retiring. The NBA’s third-leading scorer of all time will play the final game of his twenty-year career tonight. Bryant played in the All-Star Game eighteen times. He recently scored thirty-five points in a game, proving that he can still be one of the league’s most dominant players (For more, see Nick Pitts’s Resilence: The Career and Faith of Kobe Bryant).

Two: The Golden State Warriors are trying to win more games than any team in history. A victory tonight will be their seventy-third of the season, eclipsing the 1995–96 Chicago Bulls’ record that many thought would never be broken.

But be warned: If you’d like to attend either game, call your banker first.

Continue reading Denison Forum – HISTORY WILL BE MADE TONIGHT →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Judgment for Believers

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2 Corinthians 5:1-10

As believers in Christ, we are assured of our salvation. We need not fear eternity, because we know we will dwell with the heavenly Father forever in paradise. What blessed assurance!

But salvation is about more than just getting into heaven. It’s about the process of becoming increasingly like Jesus while living on earth. In fact, we’ll someday be asked to account for the way we used our opportunities, abilities, and resources.

In His parable of the talents, Jesus shared the importance of investing wisely all that our Father has bestowed on us. (See Matt. 25:14-30.) God gives His children different types and amounts of wealth, gifts, blessings, and circumstances. What matters to the Lord is the way we make use of them, not how much we have. Do we take what He has given and selfishly utilize it all for our own good and protection? Or do we generously and cheerfully use those gifts and talents to serve Jesus Christ? These are the questions that Christians will answer at the believers’ judgment.

Continue reading Charles Stanley – Judgment for Believers →

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Resisting the Trap

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Read: Genesis 4:1-8

Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 19-21; Luke 11:29-54

Sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it. —Genesis 4:7

A Venus flytrap can digest an insect in about 10 days. The process begins when an unsuspecting bug smells nectar on the leaves that form the trap. When the insect investigates, it crawls into the jaws of the plant. The leaves clamp shut within half a second and digestive juices dissolve the bug.

This meat-eating plant reminds me of the way sin can devour us if we are lured into it. Sin is hungry for us. Genesis 4:7 says, “If you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you.” God spoke these words to Cain just before he killed his brother Abel.

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Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Salt and Bread

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Every year Time magazine publishes its list of the world’s one hundred most influential people.(1) Of these “influencers” the magazine’s editorial staff groups them into categories of influence—from leaders and revolutionaries to builders and titans, from artists and entertainers to heroes and icons, scientists and thinkers. Interestingly enough, the magazine even includes those whose influence is deemed wholly negative. Past and present ‘honorees’ included Bernard Madoff, who stole a reported sixty billion dollars from investors and bankrupted many charitable organizations; Joaquin Guzman, the Mexican druglord behind the horrific violence that has claimed well-over fifteen thousand lives in his home country and abroad; and Abubakar Shekau, the leader of Boko Haram that has killed ten thousand people in Nigeria and neighboring countries.(2)

Defining influence seems a tricky business and the editors of Time admit this: “What is influence and how can we possibly compare the influence of an underworld druglord, for example, with a heroic 21 year old soldier who saved his company of Marines while he almost bled to death?”(3) The etymology of the word gives us some understanding of its use and of this kind of comparison. Originally, the word was used as an astrological term, denoting “streaming ethereal power from the stars acting upon the character or destiny of men.”(4) Ultimately, influence is a force or substance flowing from someone or something, which moves the heart or actions of someone else—whether for good or for evil.

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John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Peter’s Repentance

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“Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, ‘Before a cock crows, you will deny Me three times.’ And he went out and wept bitterly” (Matthew 26:75).

Even when a believer sins greatly, God is there to forgive and restore.

Peter’s denial of the Lord Jesus was a great tragedy. But Peter had already taken a number of steps toward denial before uttering a single word that repudiated Christ. First, he presumptuously boasted that he would never fall away (Matt. 26:33). Second, Peter was insubordinate to Jesus and blatantly refused to accept the Lord’s prediction of his disloyalty (v. 35). Third, he was prayerless in the Garden of Gethsemane (vv. 40-41). Fourth, he foolishly and unnecessarily wielded the sword to defend Jesus (vv. 51-52). Finally, Peter compromised himself and willfully went to a place (the high priest’s courtyard) of spiritual danger (v. 69), where his faith could be tested beyond its endurance.

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Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Why Desperate Leaders are Winners

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Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16

Everyone is a leader. You may not lead a company, a classroom, a boardroom, or a sports team, but you are a leader. Maybe you are a mom who leads her children, or you are a leader for the guy who sits next to you in the office just because you he looks up to you. Perhaps you lead a little league team. Everyone is a leader somehow, sometime.

It’s unfortunate, but sometimes when we start wearing the “leader” label, we also start wearing the “perfection” label. We believe that we must have it all together and be strong, because that’s what leaders are, right? We wrongly believe we always have to be postured, perfect, and never struggle. Anyone who has tried to bear this weight can testify to how heavy it is. But there is good news! God provides grace for all who lead—for all who look to Jesus.

Jesus led his disciples in many ways. In Luke 19:28, he led the disciples by walking in front of them. In John 13:3-5, He led them by demonstrating servant leadership when he washed their feet. And in Matthew 4:19 He led them by inviting them to follow Him. But most importantly, while He was leading his disciples, he was pressing into His Father out of need. When He needed to be strengthened, He spent time alone in prayer (Luke 5:16), when He grieved over Lazarus’ death He wept, He called out to God for help (John 11:1-44)  even on the cross, and cried out to His Father in His greatest time of need.

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Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – God of Second Chances

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Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea.

John 21:7

Recommended Reading

2 Samuel 12:18-25

Radio humorist Garrison Keillor is fond of saying there is nothing like a slice of rhubarb pie to wipe the taste of shame and humiliation out of one’s mouth. That is funny, but not true. Yet everyone longs for a way to have the past wiped clean; everyone longs for the innumerable second chances life seems to require. Fortunately, God is the God of second chances.

Continue reading Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – God of Second Chances →

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – High Praises of God

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Let the saints be joyful in the glory and beauty [which God confers upon them]; let them sing for joy upon their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their throats and a two-edged sword in their hands.—Psalm 149:5-6

We should form a habit of thanking and praising God as soon as we wake up each morning. While we are still lying in bed, let’s give thanks and fill our minds with Scripture.

Praise defeats the devil quicker than any other battle plan. Praise is an invisible garment that we put on and it protects us from defeat and negativity in our minds. But it must be genuine, heartfelt praise, not just lip service or a method being tried to see if it works. We praise God for the promises in His Word and for His goodness.

Worship is a battle position! As we worship God for Who He is and for His attributes, for His ability and might, we draw closer to Him and the enemy is defeated.

We can never be too thankful! Thank God all day long and remember the many things He has done for you.

God never loses a battle. He has a definite battle plan, and when we follow Him, we will always win.

From the book Closer to God Each Day by Joyce Meyer.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Girlfriends in God

Girlfriends in God – How to Find Your Missing Peace

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I’m sure you have heard about the Good News for the people of Israel – that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.

Acts 10:36

Friend to Friend

I love the story of the little girl who was working very hard on her homework one night. As the hours went by, her parents became very curious and asked her what she was doing. “I’m writing a report on the condition of the world and how to bring peace,” she replied. Her parents were impressed! “Isn’t that a big assignment for just one person?” her dad asked. With complete confidence the little girl responded, “Don’t worry, Dad. There are three of us in the class working on it.” Wouldn’t it be wonderful if finding and experiencing peace was that easy?

We work hard at peace – in our world, in our homes, in our relationships, and in our hearts. Yet, so many of us struggle to actually experience or even understand true peace. It occurs to me that in order to understand what peace is, we must first understand what it is not.

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Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Without Me – Nothing 

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“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing” (John 15:4,5, KJV).

As a young man in college and later in business, I used to be very self-sufficient – proud of what I could do on my own. I believed that a man could do just about anything he wanted to do through his own effort, if he were willing to pay the price of hard word and sacrifice, and I experienced some considerable degree of success.

Then, when I became a Christian, the Bible introduced me to a whole new and different philosophy of life – a life of trusting God for His promises. It took me a while to see the fallacy and inadequacy of trying to serve God in my own strength and ability, but that new life of faith in God finally replaced my old life of self-sufficiency.

Continue reading Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Without Me – Nothing  →

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – The Intent of the Law

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Read: Leviticus 10:11-20

Aaron replied to Moses, Today they sacrificed their sin offering and their burnt offering before the Lord, but such things as this have happened to me. Would the Lord have been pleased if I had eaten the sin offering today? When Moses heard this, he was satisfied. Lev 10:19-20

Do you see the problem here? There were two kinds of sin offering, as explained in the law of the sin offering in Chapter 6. In one the blood was to be carried into the inner sanctuary, into the holy place, and there it was to be sprinkled on the horns of the golden altar of fragrant incense. That was required as a picture of the depravity of man’s evil. And because of that depravity no part of the animal was to be eaten but it was all to be taken outside the camp and burned.

But there was another kind of sin offering in which the blood was sprinkled on the horns of the brazen altar in the outer court. There the flesh of the animal was to be eaten by the priests as a picture of their understanding of the nature of their evil and as a token of their acceptance of the forgiveness of God.

Continue reading Ray Stedman – The Intent of the Law →

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Two Entries

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Read: Mark 11:1-19

As it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve. (v. 11)

Palm Sunday was celebrated a few weeks ago. But in Mark’s telling of that event, Jesus did not stay in Jerusalem after he rode the donkey to shouts of “Hosanna!” He left. And when he came back the next day, it was very different. If the first entry seemed “triumphal,” the second entry was angry, and it upset a whole lot of folks!

Jesus tore into the temple and began shaking up everything. He saw how little room there was left for outsiders to come for prayer. He saw how people who lived pretty rotten lives would come to the temple and pretend as though just being there meant they were still in good with God. So he cleared space for all people to pray and condemned those who treated the temple like a hideout for robbers.

The first entry was about what people wanted to see: an earthly king who would do nice things for them. The second entry was about Jesus’ true mission: to seek the lost and lonely, to bring all people to God, to provide forgiveness through his shed blood. It is fine to get caught up in the palm-waving excitement of Palm Sunday but for that celebration to have any meaning, we have to reenter the city with Jesus the next day, too, and understand the depths of what he really came to do.

Prayer:

Help us to follow you, O Christ, not just when it’s convenient but when you confront us with the truth.

Author: Scott Hoezee

https://woh.org/