Tag Archives: church

John MacArthur – Satan Opposes God’s Word

September 26, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“Take . . . the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph. 6:17).

Despite Satanic opposition, God’s Word will accomplish its work in His people.

In Matthew 13 Jesus tells the parable of the sower and the seed: “Behold, the sower went out to sow; and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. And others fell upon the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up. . . . But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. And others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. And others fell on the good soil, and yielded a crop” (vv. 3-8).

Jesus went on to explain that the seed is the truth of God’s Word. Satan and his demonic forces can snatch it away from those who hear it yet don’t understand what it means. They can bring affliction and persecution against those who have an emotional commitment only, thereby causing them to lose heart and fall away. In some cases they choke out the Word with worry and the deceitfulness of riches (vv. 19-22).

But truly repentant sinners receive and nurture the gospel truth, just as prepared soil receives and nurtures seed. They hear it, understand it, receive it, and produce spiritual fruit (v. 23).

Proclaiming the gospel is an important aspect of taking the sword of the Spirit (Eph. 6:17). As you do, others are saved and join God’s army. But be warned: Satan never gives up territory without a fight. Some of the people you witness to will forget what you tell them. Others will refuse to turn from worldly influences. Still others may respond emotionally, but without a genuine commitment to serving Christ and forsaking sin.

Those spiritual battles should compel you to bathe your evangelism in prayer and undergird it with a clear gospel presentation. If people understand precisely what it means to receive Christ, and if their hearts are prepared by the Holy Spirit, they’ll not be so easily victimized by satanic opposition.

Suggestions for Prayer; Ask the Lord to give you an opportunity to share Christ with someone today, or to encourage a struggling believer.

For Further Study; Read 1 Thessalonians 3:1-8.

What was Paul’s concern for the Thessalonian believers?
What did he do to eliminate his concern?

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – A Clear Conscience

September 26, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Let us all come forward and draw near with true (honest and sincere) hearts in unqualified assurance and absolute conviction engendered by faith (by that leaning of the entire human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness), having our hearts sprinkled and purified from a guilty (evil) conscience and our bodies cleansed with pure water.—Hebrews 10:22

I have learned from experience that a guilty conscience hinders the flow of confidence. Confidence is faith in God and a belief that because He is helping you, you can succeed in whatever you need to do. However, if we feel guilty, we will shrink back from God rather than boldly expecting Him to assist us. We will give up rather than face our challenges in life because we feel bad about ourselves.

If you want to walk confidently, strive to keep your conscience clear of offense toward God and man. Even quitting when you know you should keep going will bother your conscience. God did not give us His Holy Spirit so we could be in bondage to fear. He did not send the power of His Spirit into our lives so we could be weak-willed, wimpy, or the type of person who gives up when the going gets tough. Remember: God gave us a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).

Lord, thank You that through the blood of Jesus I can come to You with a clear conscience. Help me to walk in power, love, and sound mind today. Amen.

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – His Word Remains Forever

September 26, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words remain forever” (Matthew 24:35).

In a day of change and turmoil, the promise is made that the word of God will stand forever. The significance of that guarantee is monumental, incredible. It is not just that a book shall remain in print; rather, it is that the multitudinous truths contained in that book likewise will remain in effect steadfast and true.

Long after heaven and earth have passed away God’s holy Word will continue to endure.

That should mean much to you and me in our daily walk. God’s promise, “All things work together for good,” to the believer is just as true today as it was when it was written centuries ago.

In fact, every one of the promises in the Word of God – including the 365 referred to in this daily devotional – is bona fide, guaranteed by the God of the universe, the Creator of all things. That alone should strengthen our faith to know that we can trust him supremely with our lives and everything concerned with them.

When all else fails, when hope is almost gone, we can come back to the Word of God, which is “quick and powerful and sharper than a two-edged sword.” It will have the answer for every problem, every burden, every need we face.

Bible Reading: Matthew 24:36-42

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will place my complete confidence in God’s unchanging Word and will rest upon His faithful promises to all believers for supernatural living.

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; J.R. – Prayer Punishment

September 26, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Prayers offered up to idols change history – but they produce an unhappy and profoundly tragic history. Throughout the Old Testament are examples of God’s Chosen People, the Israelites, turning away from Him to worship idols. Ezekiel records the fearful message of a jealous God, punishing those who have rejected Him by allowing them to bear the natural consequences of their decisions. The Psalmist reflected this outcome when he wrote that “the sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply.” (Psalm 16:4)

Go serve every one of you his idols, now and hereafter, if you will not listen to me; but my holy name you shall no more profane with your gifts and your idols.

Ezekiel 20:39

Today’s idols are different, but more pervasive than in any past generation. Americans have an endless array of substances, activities and behaviors to distract and addict, but just as Scripture warns, such worthless pursuits lead only to trouble and regret.

As you pray for your nation’s leaders today, ask God to attune their ears to His wisdom. History will be made one way or another, but America’s future blessings will be secured only as we pray to the One True God.

Greg Laurie – Kept by His Power

September 26, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. —Hebrews 7:25

The Bible tells us to keep ourselves in the love of God (see Jude 1:21). But we are also told in the same passage that God will keep us (see verse 1). So who is keeping what for whom? Is this a contradiction? Not at all. The truth is, these verses complement one another, showing us both God’s part and ours. No, we don’t keep ourselves saved . . . but we can keep ourselves safe.

God’s love is unconditional. And—most happily for us—Jesus Christ loves, preserves, and intercedes for us before the Father. But we can do things that will get us out of sync and out of harmony with His love. That’s why we’re reminded to keep ourselves in the love of God, which means that we’re to keep away from all that is unlike Him. We are to keep our distance from any influence that would violate God’s love and bring sorrow to His heart.

We are loved by God, and He will protect His investment. Think about it: If you own an inexpensive pair of sunglasses, you may not be all that concerned about where they are. But if you have a really nice, expensive pair, then you will tend to know their whereabouts. Or, if you went to Disneyland with your children, you wouldn’t just forget about them. Instead, you would keep your eye on them because you want to protect what is dear to you.

In the same way, we are preserved, protected, and kept by the power of God. Peter said, “And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see” (1 Peter 1:5, NLT).

Even so, we, too, have a responsibility. We need to keep ourselves in a place where He can actively show His love to us. We need to keep ourselves in the love of God.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Discharged From Prison

September 26, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Have you ever heard of a discharged prisoner who wanted to stay? Nor have I. When the doors open, prisoners leave! The thought of a person preferring jail over freedom doesn’t compute. Once the penalty is paid, why live under bondage? You are discharged from the penitentiary of sin. Why, in heaven’s name, would you ever want to set foot in prison again?

The Apostle Paul reminds us in Romans 6:6-7, “Our old life died with Christ on the cross so that our sinful selves would have no power over us and we would not be slaves to sin.”

He is not saying it is impossible for believers to sin; he’s just saying it’s stupid for believers to sin. What does the prison have that you desire? Do you miss the guilt? Are you homesick for dishonesty? Was life better when you were dejected and rejected? It makes no sense to go back to prison!

From In the Grip of Grace

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Failing to Protect Our Future

September 25, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

2 Samuel 11:1-17

Yesterday we learned that Esau sold his future for a bowl of stew. His blindness to what was truly valuable caused him to lose his inheritance. Other Bible stories can teach us additional lessons about protecting our future.

David was chosen by God to lead the nation, and for many years, he pursued the Lord’s plan. However, his desire for Bathsheba led him to commit adultery with her and make the arrangements for her husband to die. Because he made the choice to gratify his own wishes instead of following God’s ways, he fell into sin. When confronted by the prophet Nathan, David sincerely repented (2 Sam. 12:7, 13), but he and his family were deeply affected by his mistake.

Samson was another individual who knew what the Lord required but chose to disobey—like David, he gave up blessings for temporary pleasure. Losing sight of God’s purpose, Samson chose instead to please his untrustworthy companion Delilah (Judg. 16:15-17). As a result, he spent his last years in disgrace.

A third example is Judas Iscariot, who wanted Jesus to establish the kingdom of God immediately. Because he valued earthly matters above spiritual ones, he rejected Jesus’ teachings and tried to manipulate events to his own liking. He was convinced that he knew what was right—that he knew better than God.

To avoid the kind of mistakes these men made, we must commit to setting aside our own desires in favor of God’s will. In other words, we must cherish the eternal over the temporal and be satisfied with what the Lord has planned.

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — The Wise Old Owl

September 25, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Proverbs 10:17-21

He who restrains his lips is wise. —Proverbs 10:19

Years ago an anonymous writer penned a short poem about the merits of measuring our words.

A wise old owl sat in an oak;

The more he saw the less he spoke;

The less he spoke the more he heard;

Why can’t we all be like that wise old bird?

There is a connection between wisdom and limiting what we say. Proverbs 10:19 says, “In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise.”

We are wise to be careful about what we say or how much we say in certain situations. It makes sense to guard our words when we are angry. James urged his fellow believers, “Be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath” (James 1:19). Restraining our words can also show reverence for God. Solomon said, “God is in heaven, and you on earth; therefore let your words be few” (Eccl. 5:2). When others are grieving, our silent presence may help more than abundant expressions of sympathy: “No one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great” (Job 2:13).

Although there is a time to be quiet and a time to speak (Eccl. 3:7), choosing to speak less allows us to hear more. —Jennifer Benson Schuldt

Dear Lord, please grant me wisdom to

know when to speak and when to listen.

I want to encourage others and to care

for them as You have cared for me.

Let your speech be better than silence; otherwise be silent.

Bible in a year: Song of Solomon 6-8; Galatians 4

Insight

Today’s reading focuses on how we use the words we speak. In verse 17, the emphasis is on the instruction and correction we receive; lying lips and slanderous words are the focus of verse 18. The point of verse 19 is that words can be so dangerous that we’re wiser to not speak than to speak too much, while verse 20 contrasts the speech of those with a right heart (which is like silver) against those whose heart is far from God (worthless). Finally, verse 21 describes how proper speech can be like food to the soul. In all of these sayings, we are challenged to carefully consider how we speak.

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Isn’t Christianity Arrogant?

September 25, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

One of the most common accusations flung at Christians is that they are arrogant. “How can you believe that you’re right and Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims—all the thousands of other religions—are wrong?” Isn’t it the height of arrogance to claim that Jesus is the way to God? A way, possibly. But the way?

This issue haunts many Christians and makes us reluctant to talk about our faith. We don’t want to appear arrogant, bigoted, or intolerant. This pluralistic view of religions thrives very easily in places like Canada or Europe where tolerance is valued above everything else. It’s very easy slip from the true claim—”all people have equal value”—to the false claim that “all ideas have equal merit.” But those are two very different ideas indeed.

Let’s take a brief look at the “all religions are essentially the same” idea. Suppose I say that I’ve just got into literature in a big way. This last year, I’ve read William Shakespeare, Virginia Woolf and Tolkien, but also Harry Potter and The Very Hungry Caterpillar—and I’ve concluded that every author is identical. Would you conclude that: (a) this is the most profound statement on literature you’ve ever heard? Or would you conclude (b) that I don’t have the first clue what I’m talking about? I suggest that you’d probably choose (b). Now, what about the statement “all religions are the same”? Doesn’t it likewise suggest that the person making it hasn’t actually looked into any of them? Because once you do, you realize it’s not that most religions are fundamentally the same with superficial differences but the reverse is the case: most religions have superficial similarities with fundamental differences.

A further problem with the idea that all religions are essentially the same is that it ignores a fundamental truth about reality: ideas have consequences. What you believe matters, because it will effect what you do. To claim that all religions are essentially the same is to say that it doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you’re sincere—and this neglects the fact that you can believe something sincerely and be sincerely wrong. Hitler held his beliefs with sincerity—that doesn’t make them true.

However, truth, by its very nature, is exclusive. If it is true, as Christianity claims, that Jesus was crucified, died, and rose from the dead, then it is not true, as Islam claims, that Jesus never died in the first place and that somebody else was killed in his place. Both claims cannot be true. Truth is exclusive.

But just because truth is exclusive, that doesn’t make truth cold and uncaring. Truth for the Christian is personal. The Jesus who said “I am the only way” also said “I am the truth.” In other words, ultimate truth is not a set of propositions but a person. As the Bible says in 2 Timothy 2:12, “I know whom I have believed.” Not what I have believed or experienced but whom. Jesus Christ.

To ask why we think that Jesus Christ is the only way is to miss the point entirely. Jesus does not compete with anybody. Nobody else in history made the claims he did; nobody else in history claimed to be able to deal with the problems of the human heart like he did. Nobody else in history claimed, as he did, to be God with us. To say that we believe Jesus is the only way should have nothing to do with arrogance and everything to do with introducing people to him.

Andy Bannister is a member of the speaking team at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Toronto, Canada.

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – The Source of Wisdom

September 25, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Whom God made our wisdom. 1 Corinthians 1:30

Man’s intellect seeks for peace and by nature seeks it apart from the Lord Jesus Christ. Men of education are apt, even when converted, to look upon the simplicities of the cross of Christ with too little reverence and love. They are trapped in the old net in which the Greeks were taken and have a hankering to mix philosophy with revelation.

The temptation with a man of refined thought and high education is to depart from the simple truth of Christ crucified and to invent, as the term is, a more intellectual doctrine. This led the early Christian churches into Gnosticism and bewitched them with all sorts of heresies. This is the root of unorthodoxy and the other high-sounding notions that in the past were so fashionable in Germany and are now so enthralling to certain classes of divines. Whoever you are, good reader, and whatever your education may be, if you are the Lord’s, rest assured that you will find no peace in philosophizing divinity.

You may receive the dogma of one great thinker or the dream of another profound reasoner, but what the chaff is to the wheat is what these notions are to the pure Word of God. Reason at its best can only discover the ABCs of truth, and even that lacks certainty, while in Christ Jesus there is treasured up all the fullness of wisdom and knowledge. All attempts on the part of Christians to be content with the systems that Unitarian and liberal-church thinkers approve of must fail; true heirs of heaven must come back to the grandly simple reality that makes the plowboy’s eye flash with joy and rejoices the pious pauper’s heart—”Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”1 Jesus satisfies the most elevated intellect when He is believingly received, but apart from Him the mind of the regenerate discovers no rest. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.”2 “All those who practice it have a good understanding.”3

1) 1 Timothy 1:15 2) Proverbs 1:7 3) Psalm 111:10

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The family reading plan for September 25, 2014 * Ezekiel 28 * Psalm 77

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Devotional material is taken from “Morning and Evening,” written by C.H. Spurgeon, revised and updated by Alistair Begg.

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – A divided heart

September 25, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“Their heart is divided; now shall they be found faulty.” Hosea 10:2

Suggested Further Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:4-12

If we would provoke the anger of the Most High and bring down trying providences on the churches, we have nothing to do but to be divided in our hearts and all will be accomplished. If we wish that every vial may empty out its ill, and that every vessel may withhold its oil, we have but to cherish our bickerings till they become animosities; we have but to nurse our animosities till they become hatreds, and all the work will be fully completed. And if this be the case in the church at large, it is peculiarly true in those various sections of it which we now call Apostolic Churches. Oh, my brethren, the smallest church in the world is potent for good when it has but one heart and one soul; when pastor, elders, deacons, and members, are bound together by a threefold cord that cannot be broken. Then are they mighty against every attack. But however great their numbers, however enormous their wealth, however splendid may be the talents with which they are gifted, they are powerless for good the moment they become divided amongst themselves. Union is strength. Blessed is the army of the living God, in that day when it goes forth to battle with one mind, and when its soldiers as with the tramp of one man, in undivided march, go onwards towards the attack. But a curse awaits that church which runs to and fro and which, divided in itself, has lost the main stay of its strength with which it should batter against the enemy. Division cuts our bowstrings, snaps our spears, houghs our horses, and burns our chariots in the fire. We are undone the moment the link of love is snapped. Let this perfect bond be once cut in twain and we fall down, and our strength is departed. By union we live, and by disunion we expire.

For meditation: Believers are not to try to create “unity” with those who preach another gospel, but we are urged to maintain the unity that already exists between true believers (Ephesians 4:3; Philippians 1:27). What would somebody have to report about your church (and your own contribution in it)?

Sermon no. 276

25 September (1859)

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Hear God through His Word

September 25, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Establish Your word and confirm Your promise to Your servant, which is for those who reverently fear and devotedly worship You. —Psalm 119:38

God speaks to us through His Word and His Word is designed to help us, direct us, and encourage us in our everyday lives. We can hear His voice in every situation because we can find Bible verses or passages to pray in various circumstances. At times, we can find verses or passages that give us remarkable specific, detailed direction and at other times we need to take a nugget of wisdom or a general spiritual principle and apply it to the matter with which we are dealing.

For example, listed below are several common, specific circumstances and emotions with which the enemy threatens us and corresponding verses to pray in each case.

When you or someone you love is sick, you can pray the last phrase of Exodus 15:26: “I am the Lord Who heals you.”

When you are going through a season of difficulty or something that is wearing you out, you can pray Isaiah 40:29: “He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength” ( NKJV ).

When you are concerned about the future, you can pray Jeremiah 31:17, which says, “There is hope for your future.”

When you are struggling financially, you can pray Psalm 34:9, 10, which says, “Oh, fear the LORD , you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing ” ( NKJV ).

I truly believe that God’s Word holds the answer to every question we have and the wisdom to meet every need. I have diligently studied the Word of God for more than thirty years and I honestly love it with all of my heart.

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – We Can Obey All

September 25, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

” ‘Sir, which is the most important command in the laws of Moses?’ Jesus replied, ‘ “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. The second most important is similar: “Love your neighbor as much as you love yourself.” All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets stem from these two laws and are fulfilled if your obey them. Keep only these and you will find that you are obeying the others'” (Matthew 22:36-40).

Steve came for counsel. “I want with all my heart to be a man of God,” he said. “Can you tell me how I can please the Lord and be everything He wants me to be? You have walked with the Lord for many years. Surely you have learned some lessons that would help me.” I turned to this passage, and we read it and discussed it together.

“Jesus has answered your question, Steve,” I said to him. “If you keep these two commandments, all the others and all the demands of the prophets will be fulfilled.” We turned to Exodus 20:1-17 and reviewed the Ten Commandments.

“You see, Steve, if your love God with all your heart, you will have no other god before Him. You will not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. You will remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. If you love your neighbor as yourself, you will honor your father and mother. You will not murder, commit adultery, steal, lie, or covet that which belongs to your neighbor.”

Think what would happen if every person who professed to be a follower of Jesus Christ would truly obey the two greatest commandments. Not only would the Ten Commandments be fulfilled, but so would the Golden Rule and every other command of God. The great miracle would result. The moral, spiritual and even the economical problems that plague the nations of the world would be resolved almost overnight.

This kind of love is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. For the supernatural love of God (agape) is spread abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit. It is only as we walk in the fullness of the power of the Holy Spirit, fully surrendered to the lordship of Jesus Christ, that we can fulfill these commandments.

Bible Reading: Mark 12:28-34

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Through the supernatural enabling power of the Holy Spirit, I will love God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength and my neighbors as myself, knowing that as I do so, I will be fulfilling and obeying all the other laws.

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; J.K. – Floods of Discord

September 25, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

In areas where rains are frequent, many people install a sump pump in their basement. It is a small pump sitting inside a pit into which water flows from pipes along the foundation. The pump expels excess water through another pipe to an outside area away from the home, thus preventing flooding within.

I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people.

I Timothy 2:1

It may seem strange, but think of your prayers as the sump pump. Satan floods you with temptations, misinformation and half truths. He leads people away from God in deceitful ways bringing discord, distrust and chaos. But your prayers and intercessions for this nation, for its leaders and potential leaders, and for your family can force the devil’s lies away and bring peace to your life and to this country. Your prayers can bring revival to the values and principles upon which the United States was formed.

Do you understand the impact you can have? Mid-term elections are not far away. Be active in the election process. Commit yourself to prayer that God might put in place leaders whose desires will only be to please Him and to serve in a godly and dignified way. Then give thanks for all the Lord will do.

Greg Laurie – Asking Why

September 25, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

I am nothing–how could I ever find the answers? I lay my hand upon my mouth in silence. I have said too much already. —Job 40:4–5

We can ask God why anytime we want to. But I don’t know whether we will really be satisfied with His answers.

If God came down to you on a shining cloud and explained His purposes to you, would it really make it any better? I don’t know that it would. As far as we know, Job never was given the “why” of all the tragedies that befell him. But He was given an incredible revelation of God’s wisdom and power.

When Jesus was in great agony, dying on the cross for our sins, and He cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” He did ask why. But notice that He prefaced it with, “My God, My God.” It wasn’t an accusation against the Father. Jesus was merely stating the reality of what was taking place in those awful hours, as all of the sin of the world was being placed upon Him who had known no sin. And as the Father turned His holy face away, the Son cried out, “Why have You forsaken Me?” (see Matthew 27:46).

The fact is, Jesus was forsaken that I might be forgiven. But even in His great cry of grief and loneliness over His separation from the Father, as He bore the sins of the world for all time, Jesus still said, “My God, My God. . . .” There was complete trust in the Lord.

You might say, “Well, I have a lot of questions for God. When I get to heaven I’m going to ask Him some things. In fact, I’ve got a list.”

You just keep that list with you. Take it with you everywhere you go, and then if you die unexpectedly, you’ll have it handy to pull out and ask God when you stand before Him.

Somehow, I don’t think that is the way it will be. I suggest to you that when you arrive in heaven, when you see your Creator, your God, your Savior in all His blazing glory, you’ll forget all about your little list of questions. One commentator wrote, “I had a million questions to ask God, but when I met Him, they all fled my mind, and it didn’t seem to matter.”

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Every Spiritual Blessing

September 25, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

You possess (get this!) every spiritual blessing possible. Ephesians 1:3 promises that “in Christ, God has given us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms.” This is the gift offered to the lowliest sinner on earth. Who could make such an offer but God? John 1:16 says, “From him we all received one gift after another.”

Romans 11:33 asks, have you ever come upon anything quite like this extravagant love of God, this deep, deep, wisdom? It’s way over our heads. We’ll never figure it out. Is there anyone around who can explain God? Anyone smart enough to tell him what to do? Anyone who’s done him such a huge favor that God has to ask his advice? Everything comes from him. Everything comes through him. Everything ends up in him. Always glory! Always praise! Yes, yes, and yes!

From In the Grip of Grace

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Our Daily Bread — The Language Of Whistling

September 24, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Zechariah 10:1-8

I will whistle for them and gather them, for I will redeem them. —Zechariah 10:8

On La Gomera, one of the smallest of the Canary Islands, a language that sounds like a bird song is being revived. In a land of deep valleys and steep ravines, schoolchildren and tourists are learning how whistling was once used to communicate for distances up to 2 miles. One goat herder who is using this ancient language once again to communicate with his flock said, “They recognize my whistle as they recognize my voice.”

The practice of whistling also shows up in the Bible, where God is described as a shepherd whistling for His sheep. This image could be what the prophet had in mind when he described how God will one day whistle to bring a wandering and scattered people back to Himself (Zech. 10:8).

Many years later Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27). That may be the whistle of a shepherd. Sheep don’t understand words, but they know the sound that signals the shepherd’s presence.

Misleading voices and distracting noises still compete for our attention (cf. Zech. 10:2). Yet God has ways of signaling us, even without words. By events that can be alarming or encouraging, He reminds us of His guiding, protecting, and reassuring presence. —Mart DeHaan

Father, it is a noisy world. Thank You for

always calling to us above the din and

ruckus that distracts us. Help us to recognize

Your voice and follow Your leading.

The call of God can always be heard.

Bible in a year: Song of Solomon 4-5; Galatians 3

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Theology as Doxology

September 24, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

More than six hundred years ago, a young Italian girl sent into a dark world a quiet but reverberating voice. Catherine of Siena lived within a century marked by insecurity and fear, war and economic distress, terrorizing disease, and corruption within the church. Yet, her short life was one marked by a passion for the truth, intense care for humanity, and a fervent life of prayer. Whether administering care at the bedsides of plague victims or writing letters to feuding church leaders, she emphatically declared in word and deed: “The way has been made. It is the doctrine of Christ crucified. Whoever walks along this way…reaches the most perfect light.”(1) Catherine prayed with a similar intensity: “O eternal God, I have nothing to give except what you have given me, so take my heart and squeeze it out over the face of the Bride.”(2) In the frailty of her own life, which was racked with great illness and sorrow, Catherine’s severe desire was that God would take her life as an offering, using her in whatever way to mend the brokenness she saw all around her.

Reading through a book of her collected prayers and letters recently, I was struck by a phrase the editor used to describe her. In Catherine’s prayers, the editor notes, “her theology becomes doxology.”(3) Namely, what Catherine professed to be true about God became in her prayers—and arguably in her life—an expression of praise to God. It struck me as a beautiful notion—what we know of God being something that moves us to sing to God.

But shouldn’t all theology naturally lead us to doxology?

Throughout Christian story and verse we find lives touched by God’s goodness, moved by God’s mercy, transformed by God’s mighty presence. In these souls we find a profound correlation between profession and praise. This was certainly true of the young peasant girl who was used by God to bring into the world the child who would be named Jesus and called ‘God with us.’ In the Gospel of Luke we witness the thoughts of Mary actually erupting into song. In the midst of the uncertainty that must have been running through her mind, she nonetheless praises God for the things she knows to be true, for the promises that have touched her life, and the very character of the one to whom she sings:

My soul glorifies the Lord

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has been mindful

of the humble state of his servant.

From now on all generations will call me blessed,

for the Almighty One has done great things for me—

holy is his name.

God’s mercy extends to those who fear him,

from generation to generation.

He has performed mighty deeds with his arm…

He has helped his servant Israel,

remembering to be merciful

to Abraham and his descendants forever,

even as he said to our fathers (Luke 1:46-55).

Mary’s theology is intertwined in her doxology: God is a God who has acted in history and is present today. God is one who keeps promises and has indeed promised great things. Holy is the name of the one who sends us this child.

When we come to know the God of heaven, when we see the reach of the one who longs to gather us, when we glimpse the goodness of the Son, his human hand in our lives, his giving of the gift of the Spirit, we find we have been given a song. There becomes within us a need to praise God as creatures in our very createdness, to sing of all that we see and all that we know because of this Creator who wants to be known.

What do you know about God? What have you seen of God’s character and known of God’s goodness? Might your theology become a song worth singing. In your knowledge of God and in your knowing of Christ, might you find in word and deed, in prayer and song, your life a doxology to the goodness of a Creator who wants to be known.

Jill Carattini is managing editor of A Slice of Infinity at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.

(1) Mary O’Driscoll, Ed., Catherine of Siena (New City Press: Hype Park, NY, 1993), 13.

(2) Ibid., 11.

(3) Ibid., ii.

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – A Paradox

September 24, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

I slept, but my heart was awake. Song of Solomon 5:2

Paradoxes abound in Christian experience, and here is one: The spouse was asleep, and yet she was awake. The only one who can read the believer’s riddle is he who has lived through this experience. The two points in this evening’s text are: a mournful sleepiness and a hopeful wakefulness. “I slept.” Through sin that dwells in us we may become lax in holy duties, lazy in religious exercises, dull in spiritual joys, and completely indolent and careless.

This is a shameful state for one in whom the quickening Spirit dwells; and it is dangerous in the highest degree. Even wise virgins sometimes slumber, but it is high time for all to shake off the chains of idleness. It is to be feared that many believers lose their strength as Samson lost his hair, while sleeping on the lap of carnal security. With a perishing world around us, to sleep is cruel; with eternity so close at hand, it is madness.

Yet none of us are as awake as we should be; a few thunderclaps would do us all good, and it may be, unless we soon stir ourselves, we will have them in the form of war or disease or personal bereavements and loss. May we leave forever the couch of fleshly ease, and go out with flaming torches to meet the coming Bridegroom! “My heart was awake.”

This is a happy sign. Life is not extinct, though sadly smothered. When our renewed heart struggles against our natural heaviness, we should be grateful to sovereign grace for keeping a little vitality within this body of death. Jesus will hear our hearts, will help our hearts, will visit our hearts; for the voice of the wakeful heart is really the voice of our Beloved, saying, “Open to me.” Holy zeal will surely unlock the door.

Oh lovely attitude! He stands

With melting heart and laden hands;

My soul forsakes her every sin;

And lets the heavenly stranger in.

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The family reading plan for September 24, 2014 * Ezekiel 27 * Psalm 75, 76

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Devotional material is taken from “Morning and Evening,” written by C.H. Spurgeon, revised and updated by Alistair Begg.

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – The duty of remembering the poor

September 24, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.” Galatians 2:10

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