Tag Archives: christianity

Girlfriends in God

Girlfriends in God – Is Your Past Still Tripping You Up?

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Today’s Truth

But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.

Philippians 3:13

Friend to Friend

It spoke to me as I strolled down the check out aisle of Marshalls that day. The wall art that was featured on an impulse-buy rack.

Amen! I thought.

The message? Simple: “Don’t Stumble On Things That Are Behind You.”

My mind reeled, and I thought hard about this seemingly simple directive that points to a habit that trips so many of us up: looking back. Allowing the past to deter and diminish our future.

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Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – God’s Home Is Holy

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“Don’t you realize that all of you together are the house of God, and that the Spirit of God lives among you in His house? If anyone defiles and spoils God’s home, God will destroy him. For God’s home is holy and clean, and you are that home” (1 Corinthians 3:16,17).

At this writing, I am with the staff at our annual training on the campus of Colorado State University. In addition to the 3,000 United States and Canadian field staff of Campus Crusade for Christ who are here, thousands more are attending music workshops, summer school, numerous conferences and meetings on this campus. Also, the entire Denver Broncos professional football team is here for training.

Throughout the day, from early morning till late at night, the campus is alive with people jogging, roller-skating, playing tennis, walking and other physical activities. These people are disciplining their bodies, keeping them in good physical tone.

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Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – The Need for a Priest

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Read: Leviticus 8:1-9

The Lord said to Moses, Bring Aaron and his sons, their garments, the anointing oil, the bull for the sin offering, the two rams and the basket containing bread made without yeast, and gather the entire assembly at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Moses did as the Lord commanded him, and the assembly gathered at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Lev 8:1-4

These verses give us an introduction to priesthood by describing in very brief compass the ingredients which make it possible. First comes the word of God. A true priesthood never originates from man’s conception of what he needs. It comes from God’s word, God’s thoughts. God knows us and he has designed this for us. It doesn’t come from a pope, nor a council, nor a convention, nor a synod of bishops, nor any other form of human committee.

The second element is Aaron and his sons. Aaron was the brother of Moses. He and his descendants were the only family in the entire Old Testament authorized to serve as priests. In this family Aaron himself was to be the high priest. As the book of Hebrews makes very clear, we too have a high priest. Aaron is the picture of that great high priest, Jesus Christ our Lord. And his priesthood is as necessary to us as Aaron’s was to the Israelites. Aaron’s sons represent every believer in Jesus Christ. Everyone who knows Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is constituted a priest to the other members of the human family. John says that Jesus has made us a kingdom of priests (Revelation 1:6).

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Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Fog

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Read: Mark 4:1-12

For those outside everything is in parables, so that “they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand.” (vv. 11-12)

Those of us who teach preaching to seminary students cannot emphasize enough how vital it is to be clear. Preachers must be clear communicators. So why is it that in his parables Jesus seems intent on (to use a phrase from professor of preaching Tom Long) pumping fog into the sanctuary? When the disciples hear a parable that neither they nor anyone else really understood, Jesus tells them not to worry because confusing people was his goal. He quotes Isaiah to say that he speaks in parables so that folks won’t understand. Huh? You want people to be befuddled, Jesus? What can account for this?

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Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; G.C.- Refreshing Energy

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Narcissa Prentiss Whitman was among the first Anglo women to cross the Rocky Mountains. She and her husband braved a rugged road as missionaries sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ in the Oregon Country of what would later become the state of Washington. As they trekked, Prentiss penciled down their progress and her feelings, affirming her confidence in God’s calling yet many days confessing a difficult homesickness saying, “O how comforting is this to the missionary, we love to think and talk of home.”

The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…and God of all comfort.

II Corinthians 1:3

God indeed left a written word, the Bible, to comfort and guide His followers, and although you may feel sure of His call like Mrs. Whitman, it’s likely there will be days when your service is complicated and life is tough. In those moments, thoughts of God’s mercy through Jesus will bring a new energy to your heart and soul fueled by His holy presence.

Do you know someone struggling in their good work on Earth? Take time and pray for them and all believers in service to America. Pray they will be refreshed in their minds and reflect upon God’s purposes and His promises to accomplish all He intends through them.

Recommended Reading: Psalm 46:1-7

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Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Altered Plans

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Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.”

—1 Kings 17:2–4

After a significant moment of delivering his message to King Ahab of an impending drought in the land, Elijah could have said, “Lord, let’s get this thing going. Let’s have the face-off with the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel. Let’s go for it.”

But there was an interesting twist to the story. Loosely paraphrased, God said, “I have a different plan in mind for you, Elijah. I want you to disappear from the scene for a while. In fact, I want you to go over to this little brook called Cherith and just hang out there.”

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Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Cares for Us

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“But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” (1 Peter 5:10)

Every fall, Ricky and his sister Anna got to go with their cousins to the apple orchard. The orchard was way out in the country, and Ricky and Anna could smell the sweet, spicy scent of ripe apples even before all the kids could pile out of Uncle Josh’s truck.

The orchard owners would let them do “taste tests” on all the different kinds of apples, to see if they could tell the difference (sweet, or tart, or juicy, or crisp, and so on). They learned that apple trees need about six to eight weeks of cold winter weather so they can go dormant (which is like hibernating, or sleeping for a while) so that the trees will produce juicier, more flavorful fruit. They also learned that if the owners pruned (cut, trimmed back) a tree, it would produce more–and many times better–fruit than it would have if they had left it alone. And Ricky’s jaw dropped when the owners told them that sometimes a branch from one tree is grafted onto another tree–so that it is possible to have different kinds of apples growing on the same tree!

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The Navigators

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

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Today’s Scripture: Revelation 2:10

“Be faithful unto death.”

For growing in faithfulness, the first step is to acknowledge the biblical standard. Faithfulness entails absolute honesty, utter dependability, and unswerving loyalty. It’s to be like Daniel: neither corrupt nor negligent. Develop convictions consistent with this standard based on the Word of God, and plan to memorize one or more verses on the topic of faithfulness.

Second, evaluate your life with the aid of the Holy Spirit and perhaps a spouse or close friend. Do you seek to be scrupulously honest? Can others depend on you even when it’s costly? Will you stick by your friend when he’s in difficulty, and confront him in love when he’s wrong?

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – Jesus, Our Example

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Today’s Scripture: Luke 19:1-10

He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm. – Proverbs 13:20

The Bible may seem to contain some contradictions, but God has taken precautions to keep His Word free from error. As we study it, we understand the paradoxes.

Take, for instance, the matter of the biblical teaching about separation from sin. We are told in Hebrews 7:26 that Jesus is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners. Yet in Hebrews 4:15, we read that Jesus “has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet was without sin.”

He was without sin, separated from sinners–sinless. Yet one of the major accusations by His enemies was that He associated with sinners. Listen to the words found in Luke 15:1-2: “Now the tax collectors and ‘sinners’ were all gathering around to hear him. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.’”

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Moody Global Ministries

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – DEAD TO SIN, ALIVE TO CHRIST

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Read Romans 6:1-14

If you want to stop a bad habit, experts agree that you should replace it with a good one. Simply deciding to stop eating unhealthy foods or to stop procrastinating online is rarely enough; you need a plan to start eating healthier food or a process to motivate you to be more productive at work.

A similar spiritual principle is at work in our identity in Christ. For the next week we’re going to examine an essential element of who we are as followers of Jesus: alive! We’ll study what it means to be alive in Christ and the implications of this life. Our passage today describes how we have moved from death to life.

The apostle Paul includes some of his most emphatic declarations in this chapter. It seems some in the church in Rome had argued that since God responded to sin by offering grace, Christians should persist in sin in order to receive more grace. This argument completely misses the point of our identity in Christ, however. Just as Jesus died and was resurrected to a glorious life, so too we have died to sin and been baptized into a new life that is able to please God (vv. 2–7).

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – THE SUCCESS OF ‘AMERICAN IDOL’

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Trent Harmon is the fifteenth and last winner of American Idol. However, my favorite moment came before the winner was announced last night.

Carrie Underwood, arguably the most successful winner in the history of the show, was given the honor of performing the last song before the final results were announced. She chose to sing Something in the Water, a song about the way faith and baptism change those who know Christ. (For more, see Janet Denison’s article on her faith.) Her amazing performance illustrated the importance of using our influence for the glory of God.

But back to American Idol. Time magazine calls it the show that “won contemporary culture.” Why was it so successful? Why are the answers relevant to you this morning?

Time notes that Idol was the first show of its kind in the U.S. When it launched in 2002 as an adaptation of the British Pop Idol franchise, few expected it to do so well. Survivor, the first reality show, was only two years old. The genre was in its infancy, at least in our culture.

That was then; this is now.

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Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Weathering the Storms of Life

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Matthew 9:18-33

The disciples experienced many “mountaintop moments” in their time with Jesus: The synagogue ruler’s daughter was brought back to life; two men had their sight restored; the mute were enabled to speak; and the demon-possessed man was set free. But when the storm came that day on the sea, fear invaded their hearts. Their minds could not recollect the lessons they had learned about the power and purposes of the One they followed. Even the appearance of Jesus walking on the water did not bring them immediate relief (Matt. 14:26).

When adversity strikes, we sometimes forget our knowledge of God, too. We struggle to recall past answers to prayer, specific guidance provided by the Holy Spirit, and lessons learned in prior crises. Only the present situation seems real. As our minds spin with future implications, troubled emotions can inhibit clear thinking.

Reading Scripture regularly is a key to remembering biblical truths. Another important resource is a spiritual journal. As a written record of your pilgrimage with the Lord, it will contain the specifics of how He has previously worked in your life. It serves as a map to trace where you’ve been and how He has helped you along the way. While your current trial may be a new one, you can look back to see the Lord’s unchangeable nature over the years.

As Christians, we have an enemy who wants our focus diverted from the Lord Jesus. Let’s thwart the adversary’s strategy by spending time in the Word and by keeping a journal. Doing so will help us remember how Jesus has provided for us personally and protected us with His divine power.

Bible in a Year: 2 Samuel 10-12

http://www.intouch.org/

 

Our Daily Bread, Uncategorized

Our Daily Bread — His Plans or Ours?

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Read: 1 Chronicles 17:1-20

Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 7-9; Luke 9:18-36

“Who am I, Lord God . . . that you have brought me this far?” —1 Chronicles 17:16

When my husband was 18 years old, he started a car-cleaning business. He rented a garage, hired helpers, and created advertising brochures. The business prospered. His intention was to sell it and use the proceeds to pay for college, so he was thrilled when a buyer expressed interest. After some negotiations, it seemed that the transaction would happen. But at the last minute, the deal collapsed. It wouldn’t be until several months later that his plan to sell the business would succeed.

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John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – The Sinful Captors

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“. . . A great multitude with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and elders of the people” (Matthew 26:47).

The crowd that captured Jesus at Gethsemane illustrates the world’s sinful, hateful rejection of Jesus Christ.

A crowd can have a positive, uplifting influence, as when a large group of neighbors bands together to help someone in need. But crowds can also have a negative impact, such as when they incite riots or heckle someone who is trying to give a speech.

The multitude that came to the Garden of Gethsemane to capture Jesus is a prime example of a crowd that formed for an evil purpose. That throng was not at all like the spontaneous groups of admirers that often sought the Lord. Instead, it was a carefully selected group whose only purpose was to arrest Jesus and ensure that He was executed.

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Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Jesus Serves Breakfast 

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Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. John 21:12-14

In this Easter season, we as Christians spend a lot of time talking about resurrection, and for a very good reason. However, I sometimes hear the topic discussed in remarkably disembodied ways! We may speak, for example, of resurrection as a generic spiritual value, such as “discovering your own personal resurrection.” Likewise, Jesus’ own resurrection is sometimes seen as nothing more than a powerful spiritual analogy of conquering your demons or overcoming trials and adversities. May this never be so!

When we look to the resurrection of Jesus, we must wholeheartedly embrace the mystery and wonder of the physical, bodily resurrection of the Son of God. Just as he humbled and emptied himself, becoming fully incarnate as a human being, so too did Jesus physically die, yet all the more gloriously defeated death by rising again in triumphant glory.

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Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – Orange You Glad!

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…the truth of the gospel, which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit.

Colossians 1:5-6

Recommended Reading

Colossians 1:1-8

As a young man, Anthony Rossi emigrated from Italy. He sailed into New York harbor, but his plans were to move to the South and become a farmer. One day he visited the library at 42nd Street and 5th Avenue and found a book on agriculture. He sat down to read it at one of the long tables. Another book was sitting there, entitled The Life of Christ. Rossi, who knew little about Christ, began reading it and was transfixed. The next day he purchased a Bible and became engrossed in its message.

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Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Don’t Let Stress Get the Best of You

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I know what it’s like to live under the burden and pressure of stress, and I know what it’s like to have God’s peace. I can honestly say that I will do whatever I have to do to have God’s peace in my life, because it is not God’s will for us to live with stress all the time.

It’s easy for us to feel like we can’t avoid being stressed-out because it’s just the way the world is today. But the truth is just because stress is a disease of our culture doesn’t mean we have to adopt the ways of our culture and live the same way.

We have two options: We can continue to be stressed-out until we fall apart, or we can learn how to receive the peace Christ gives in every circumstance, rather than letting stress get into us.

The Cure for Stress

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Girlfriends in God

Girlfriends in God – Let Go of The Old You, Take Hold of the New

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Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

2 Corinthians 5:17

Friend to Friend

Do you remember the day you came to saving faith? Perhaps you’re still considering a relationship with Jesus. Perhaps you can’t even remember a time when you didn’t know Him. For me, it was on a summer night when I was fourteen years old.

When I think about how God brought me out of a home filled with alcohol, rage, and hostility into this wonderful relationship with Jesus, I’m amazed. The sheer wonder of it stokes my passion for Jesus and gratitude to God every time I tell it.

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Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – One More Reason to Praise 

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“His presence within us is God’s guarantee that He really will give us all that He promised; and the Spirit’s seal upon us means that God has already purchased us and that He guarantees to bring us to Himself. This is just one more reason for us to praise our glorious God” (Ephesians 1:14).

To me, this wonderful verse means that, as children of God, we have the ability to obey God’s laws if we are filled continually with the Holy Spirit and refuse to obey the old evil nature within us.

In order to live the supernatural life which is available to us through the indwelling Holy Spirit, we must know our rights as children of God. We need to know our spiritual heritage. We must know how to draw upon the inexhaustible, supernatural resources of God’s love, power, forgiveness and abundant grace.

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Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – The Secret of Peace

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Read: Leviticus 7

The meat of their fellowship offering of thanksgiving must be eaten on the day it is offered; they must leave none of it till morning. Lev 7:15

Isn’t that strange? You could eat the flesh on the day you offered it if it was an offering of thanksgiving for some particular thing. Or if it was just a general expression of your gratitude toward God you could save some of it for the second day. But under no circumstances were you ever to eat of the flesh of that peace offering on the third day. It had to be burned with fire. If you tried to eat any of it, that was an abomination unto God.

Now, what is God saying here? Well, it is a very practical truth. He is saying that there must be no separation between the peace that you feel and the source of that peace, the sacrifice which provided it. You must not separate the two. In other words, you must not depend upon the feelings of peace that are given to you. Don’t try to live on those. Once peace is given as a result of trusting the work of Jesus Christ on your behalf don’t just say, Ah, now I feel much better! I think I can go on now, and tomorrow I’ll just expect this peace still to be here and I’ll reckon on that. Don’t shift your dependence from the One who gives peace, to the feeling that is produced.

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