Tag Archives: current-events

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; G.C.- Be the Hero!

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Unlikely success against all odds: an entire American generation spent Saturday mornings cheering along the humble, lovable Shoeshine Boy and his alter ego – speed of lightning, roar of thunder, fighting all who rob or plunder – there’s no need to fear, for Underdog is here!

For nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few.

I Samuel 14:6

Jonathan, the son of the biblical warrior King Saul, didn’t need Underdog to save the day: he was doing it himself! After a time of prayer, Jonathan believed God would deliver the Israelites from the Philistine army. With nothing more than faith and his faithful armor-bearer, he marched right into the enemy camp. His boldness caused such military confusion, Israel’s victory was assured.

As you watch the news tonight, a nation in need of rescue will be evident: calamities abound from rampant disease to violent crime. For most, the blue-caped wonder would be a welcome site, but they don’t need an Underdog; instead, be like Jonathan – pray in faith for God’s will to be done through you, grab your cape, and then get to work. Dedicate yourself to hearing God’s voice and march right into the enemy’s camp, expecting a miraculous victory. Don’t fear! You are here!

Recommended Reading: I Samuel 14:8-23

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Supper    

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The angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.” —Revelation 19:9

I like the word supper. That’s what they call dinner in the South. We say, “Let’s have dinner.” But in the South they say, “Let’s have supper.” My grandmother (we called her “Mama Stella”) was a great southern cook who knew how to throw down all those southern goodies: fried chicken, black-eyed peas, collard greens, and mashed potatoes made from scratch. And of course her crowning achievement was her biscuits. (It seems perfectly reasonable to me that God would utilize my grandmother’s skills in the wedding supper of the Lamb!)

Not only will we be eating together at the wedding supper of the Lamb, but we will be in some pretty good company as well. In Matthew 8:11, we read that “Many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven” (NIV).

Can you imagine that? Can you picture yourself sitting down for lunch with Abraham and Isaac—or the apostle Paul or C. S. Lewis or C. H. Spurgeon?

Heaven will be amazing beyond description. And that’s why the Bible tells us we should all be a lot more heavenly minded. In Colossians 3, Paul wrote, “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.” (verses 1-2, NLT).

Read that last sentence again: Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. Yet that is exactly what we spend the majority of our time doing! We think about things that we’re concerned about or stressed over. The Bible isn’t saying, “Don’t think about these things.” It’s saying, “Don’t stress and worry about these things.” Let heaven fill your thoughts instead. Because when you do, everything on earth gets placed in its proper perspective.

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

 

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Become as Little Children

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Max Lucado

We prayer wimps fear “mis-praying.” What is the expected etiquette and dress code for prayer? What if we kneel instead of stand?

Jesus’ answer? In Matthew 18:3 He says, “Become as little children.” Carefree. Joy filled. Playful. Trusting. Curious. Trust more—strut less.

God prefers this greeting: “God, you are my Daddy, and I am your child!” It’s hard to show off and call God “Daddy” at the same time. Impossible, in fact. Remember, prayer doesn’t depend on how you pray. The power of prayer depends on the One who hears the prayer!

Here’s my simple prayer challenge for you today! Join me every day for 4 weeks and pray 4 minutes. Sign on at BeforeAmen.com. And just be honest—honest to God!

Before Amen

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Seeking God Through Prayer

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Charles Stanley

2 Chronicles 20:1-3

During the reign of Jehoshaphat, a vast army assembled to attack the nation of Judah. His response to the situation can guide us in handling our own crises.

The Bible records that the king “turned his attention to seek the LORD” in prayer (v. 3). Likewise, when we face hardship, our best response is to cry out to our heavenly Father. As God’s children, we can be certain that He loves us and cares about the details of our lives.

Through the cross, God established a new covenant for those who place their trust in the Lord Jesus (Luke 22:20)— He agreed to forgive our sins, adopt us into His family, and watch over us. This salvation depends not upon our good actions but upon the completed work of Jesus, who died in our place (Eph. 2:8). God also sent His Spirit to live in us as proof of our salvation and to be ever- present with us. He is interested in every aspect of our lives and promises to hear our prayers.

Jehoshaphat was ready for this crisis because he had developed the habit of seeking the Lord in various situations. If we want to be prepared for the unexpected, then we must discipline ourselves to seek God every day, acknowledging both His Lordship and our dependence upon Him.

By examining our habits and thought life, we can know whether our attention is on the Lord or other things. If we start our day thinking about Him instead of our own plans, and regularly read and apply Scripture, then we demonstrate a heart that is pursuing Him.

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Timely Words

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Our Daily Bread

Proverbs 25:11-15

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. —Proverbs 25:11

You may have heard the adage, “Timing is everything.” According to the Bible, good timing applies to our words and speech too. Think of a time when God used you to bring a timely word to refresh someone, or when you wanted to speak, but it was wiser for you to remain silent.

The Bible says that there is an appropriate time to speak (Eccl. 3:7). Solomon compared properly timed and well-spoken words with golden apples in a silver setting—beautiful, valuable, and carefully crafted (Prov. 25:11-12). Knowing the right time to speak is beneficial for both the speaker and hearer, whether they are words of love, encouragement, or rebuke. Keeping silent also has its place and time. When tempted to deride, belittle, or slander a neighbor, Solomon said that it is wise to hold our tongue, recognizing the appropriate time for silence (11:12-13). When talkativeness or anger tempts us to sin against God or another human being, resistance comes by being slow to speak (10:19; James 1:19).

It’s often hard to know what to say and when to say it. The Spirit will help us to be discerning. He will help us use the right words at the right time and in the right manner, for the good of others and for His honor. —Marvin Williams

Heavenly Father, thank You for using others to

speak words of encouragement and challenge to

  1. Help me to be wise in how and when my words

or my silence may be helpful to someone else.

Timely words are works of art.

Bible in a year: Isaiah 41-42; 1 Thessalonians 1

Insight

Hebrew poetry (such as psalms and proverbs) differs greatly from Western poetry. Where Western poetry often depends upon rhyme and meter to artistically tell its tale, Hebrew poetry is dependent upon linguistic devices to paint the picture of the ideas it is seeking to convey. One such device, synonymous parallelism, is found in verse 15. Here, the idea of the first half of the verse is reinforced through a reworded repetition of that idea in the second half of the verse. Another common poetic device is found in verses 11-14, where analogies (notice the word like) form the word-pictures that carry the meaning.

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry –  Digging Out the Words

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Ravi Z

For the past decade, doctors and psychologists have been taking notice of the health benefits of reflective writing. They note that wrestling with words to put your deepest thoughts into writing can lift your mind from depression, uncover wisdom within your experiences, provide insight and foster self-awareness. From autobiography to blogging, writers similarly laud the benefits of writing. Whether publically, anonymously, or privately, confessional writing can free the writer “to explore the depths of the emotional junkyard,” as one describes. In my own experience, writing has no doubt been a helpful way to sift through the junkyard, though perhaps most effectively when reflecting and not merely reveling in the messes.

Writing is helpful because the eye of a writer seeks the transcendent—a moment where the extraordinary is beheld in the ordinary, a glimpse of clarity within the chaos, beauty in a world of contrasts. When Jesus stooped over the crumbled girl at his feet and wrote something in the sand, the written word spoke more powerfully than the anger of the Pharisees and well beyond any sin of the young woman. For those of us looking on through story, his words remain unknown but no less powerful. Writing is a tool with which we learn to see ourselves more clearly, a catalyst for which we can learn to see thankfully beyond ourselves.

In the C.S. Lewis novel, Til We Have Faces, the main character, Orual, has taken mental notes throughout her life, carefully building what she refers to as her “case” against the gods. Finally choosing to put her case in writing, she describes each instance where she feels she has been grievously wronged. It is only after Orual has finished writing that she soberly recognizes her great mistake. To have heard herself making the complaint was to be answered. She now sees the importance of uttering the speech at the center of one’s soul and profoundly observes that the gods used her own pen to probe the wounds. With sharpened insight Orual explains, “Til the words can be dug out of us, why should [the gods] hear the babble that we think we mean? How can they meet us face to face til we have faces?”(1)

There is something about writing that can introduce us to ourselves and to the image of another—both outside and within us. Daring to utter the words at the center of our souls we may find the words leading us to truer selves. What if God could use your own pen to probe the wounds of your life? In the intimate descriptions of life recorded in the Psalms, the writers of the Psalms express loneliness, joy, even frustration with God. “What gain is there in my destruction, in my going down into the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness?”(2) Yet the psalmists seem to walk away from their words, not with tidied moralisms or regret and recanting, but with a clearer sense of what they meant and the one who helped them see. And, I would add, their words have been a source of encouragement to countless lives, pointing many to wisdom, to beauty and depth, to a God enthroned on high.

As Jesus stood with the girl at his feet in the middle of a group armed with power and hatred, the one who called forth creation and worked the heavens with his fingers, crouched down in the sand and with his human finger changed a life. This Word of God in human flesh may well be the gift that moves in our own.

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

(1) C.S. Lewis, Till We Have Faces (Orlando: Harcourt, 1980), 294.

(2) Psalm 30:9.

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Love’s Strength

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Alistair Begg

Love is strong as death.   Song of Solomon 8:6

Whose love can this be that is as mighty as the conqueror of monarchs? Does it belong to the destroyer of the human race? Would it not sound like satire if it were applied to my poor, weak, and scarcely living love to Jesus my Lord? I do love Him, and perhaps by His grace I could even die for Him, but as for my love in itself, it can scarcely endure the scoffer’s jest, much less a cruel death. Surely this is my Beloved’s love that is spoken of here—the love of Jesus, the matchless lover of souls. His love was indeed stronger than the most terrible death, for it endured the trial of the cross triumphantly.

It was a lingering death, but love survived the torment; a shameful death, but love despised the shame; a penal death, but love bore our iniquities; a forsaken, lonely death, from which the eternal Father hid His face, but love endured the curse and triumphed over all. There never was such love, never such a death. It was a desperate duel, but love bore the pain. What then, my heart? Have you no emotions stirred within you at the thought of such heavenly affection? Yes, my Lord, I long, I want to feel Your love flaming like a furnace within me. Come Yourself and excite the love of my spirit.

For every drop of crimson blood

Thus shed to make me live,

O wherefore, wherefore have not I

A thousand lives to give?

Why should I despair of loving Jesus with a love as strong as death? He deserves it: I desire it. The martyrs felt such love, and they were mere men and women, so why not I? They mourned their weakness, and yet out of weakness were made strong. Grace gave them their unflinching constancy—there is the same grace for me. Jesus, lover of my soul, shed abroad this love, even Your love, in my heart tonight.

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The family reading plan for October 13, 2014 * Ezekiel 46 * Psalm 102

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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 – Jacob and Esau

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“Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.” Romans 9:13

Suggested Further Reading: Ezekiel 33:11-20

My soul revolts at the idea of a doctrine that lays the blood of man’s soul at God’s door. I cannot conceive how any human mind, at least any Christian mind, can hold any such blasphemy as that. I delight to preach this blessed truth—salvation of God, from first to last—the Alpha and the Omega; but when I come to preach damnation, I say, damnation is of man, not of God; and if you perish, at your own hands must your blood be required. There is another passage. At the last great day, when all the world shall come before Jesus to be judged, have you noticed, when the righteous go on the right side, Jesus says, “Come, ye blessed of my Father,”—(“of my Father,” mark,)—“inherit the kingdom prepared”—(mark the next word)—“for you, from before the foundation of the world.” What does he say to those on the left? “Depart, ye cursed.” He does not say, “ye cursed of my Father,” but, “ye cursed.” And what else does he say? “into everlasting fire, prepared”—(not for you, but)—“for the devil and his angels.” Do you see how it is guarded. Here is the salvation side of the question. It is all of God. “Come, ye blessed of my Father.” It is a kingdom prepared for them. There you have election, free grace in all its length and breadth. But, on the other hand, you have nothing said about the Father—nothing about that at all. “Depart, ye cursed.” Even the flames are said not to be prepared for sinners, but for the devil and his angels. There is no language that I can possibly conceive that could more forcibly express this idea, supposing it to be the mind of the Holy Spirit, that the glory should be to God, and that the blame should be laid at man’s door.

For meditation: For meditation: The love of God towards a sinful Jacob should surprise us more than the hatred of God towards a sinful Esau.

Sermon no. 239

13 October (Preached 16 January 1859)

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – From the Mouth of God

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John MacArthur

“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

God’s Word is inspired.

Second Timothy 3:16 speaks of the inspiration of Scripture. “Inspired” is the translation of a Greek word that literally means “God-breathed.” Every word of Scripture is from the mouth of God.

Theologians speak of inspiration as the mysterious process by which God worked through the authors of Scripture to produce inerrant and divinely authoritative writings. Inspiration is a mystery because Scripture doesn’t explain specifically how it occurred. The only glimpse we have is this from 2 Peter: “Know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God” (vv. 20-21).

“Interpretation” speaks of origin. Scripture didn’t originate on the human level, but with the Holy Spirit, who moved upon the authors to write it (v. 21). “Moved” is the translation of a nautical term that describes the effects of wind upon a ship as it blows against its sails and moves it through the water. Similarly, the Spirit moved on the biblical writers to produce the Word of God in the language of men.

The human authors of Scripture knew they were writing God’s Word, and did so with confidence and authority. Often they cited or alluded to one another as authoritative agents of divine revelation (e.g., 2 Pet. 3:15-17).

On a personal level, inspiration guarantees that what Scripture says, God says. It’s His counsel to you, so you can study and obey it with full assurance that it is true and will never lead you astray.

Suggestions for Prayer

  • Praise the Lord for His inspired Word.
  • Reaffirm your commitment to live according to its principles today.

For Further Study

Often the New Testament affirms the inspiration of the Old Testament by attributing Old Testament quotations to God Himself. For example, compare these Old Testament passages with their New Testament counterparts: Genesis 2:24 with Matthew 19:4-5; Psalm 2:1 with Acts 4:24-25; Isaiah 55:3 with Acts 13:34; Psalm 16:10 with Acts 13:35; Psalm 95:7 with Hebrews 3:7.

  • How might you respond to someone who says that the Bible is merely the words of devout religious men?
Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Faith and Favor

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Joyce meyer

Man’s steps are ordered by the Lord. How then can a man understand his way? —Proverbs 20:24

When Dave and I sensed God calling us to begin a television ministry, we began to take steps in that direction by faith. We could not do it without money, so the first thing we did was write to the people on our mailing list, asking friends and ministry partners to give financially toward helping us start a television ministry. We felt God had spoken to our hearts concerning a certain amount of money we would need to begin, and that amount is exactly what we received.

We then took another step. We needed a producer and God provided. A man had applied for a job as a television producer three months before God spoke to us about being on television. Since we were not on television we told him we would not need his services. When the time came, we remembered that man and realized that God had met our need before we even knew we had one.

The next step we took was to buy time on a few stations once a week. As the programs paid for themselves and we saw good fruit from them, we bought more time. Eventually we went on daily television and now have a daily program that airs around the world and, prayerfully, is helping millions of people.

God led Dave and me one step at a time and that is how He will lead you. Every time we took a step of faith, God gave us favor, and I encourage you to expect favor also. God already knows your needs and He has your answer, so when fear knocks on your door, answer with faith and you will do great things.

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Path of Blessing

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“You know these things – now do them! That is the path of blessing” (John 13:17).

These words of Jesus are as binding on us who follow Him today as they were on the disciples who actually heard Him speak them.

You will remember the setting. Jesus had just washed the feet of His disciples as an example of servanthood that He wanted them to observe and to learn. And that is the lesson we do well to ponder: service for others.

Except for the good we can do others, in the power and with the enabling of God’s Holy Spirit, what really is the purpose of our being left here on earth? And miracle of miracles, when we do that which is right – serve others, in Christ’s name – our own personal problems seem minor and relatively unimportant.

Loneliness and depression have their quickest cure in the realm of helping others. No matter what our problem – physical, spiritual, or material – it is quite likely we can find others whose plights are worse. By giving of ourselves in their behalf, we forget about our own troubles, which are usually resolved in the process.

Simple, is it not, that we are to do those things the Lord commands us to do? When we read and study His Word, we can find our just what they are.

Bible Reading: John 13:12-16

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will not be content with just admiring the example Jesus has set before us, but will seek to obey His commands to be a doer if the Word as well.

 

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; A.W. – Greater Faith

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Mosul, the second largest city in Iraq and a historic site for Middle Eastern Christians, fell to Islamic extremists this summer. Thousands fled their homes in fear for their lives. In some areas, Christians have been forced to convert to Islam, pay a tax or face death. Stories are emerging of many executed for not renouncing their faith.

Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue.

John 12:42

Being afraid for believing in Christ is nothing new. Today’s scripture tells when Jesus was teaching and performing miracles, many believed but some were afraid to admit their belief for fear of being put out of the synagogue. The following verses say those who wouldn’t admit their belief loved the glory of men more than the glory of God. Christians executed in the Middle East dramatically demonstrate how their faith in God is greater than their fear of men.

How does your faith compare? As you pray today, ask God to help you overcome fear and strengthen your commitment to Him. Then remember those who are being persecuted for their faith abroad, and those who are defending the Christian faith within the halls of government in America.

Recommended Reading: I Peter 4:12-19

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Keeping Our Focus  

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I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. —Philippians 3:12–14

Everyone who has run a race knows that you can break your stride by looking over your shoulder to check out how your opponents are doing. Many races have been lost when the leader looked back. When you see that finish line, that is the time to give it everything you’ve got . . . because sometimes it’s mere inches that separate one runner from another. You must stay focused.

This is the idea behind Paul’s statement in Philippians 3:13. The apostle was saying, “Don’t look back. Don’t look behind you.”

When God promises, “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins” (Isaiah 43:25), He isn’t predicting a lapse in His memory. God is saying, “I will no longer hold your sin against you, because my Son has paid for it on the cross.”

In the same way, then, we need to do what God does: forget our past. Yes, we certainly need to learn from our mistakes and remember some of the bitter lessons we’ve learned. But we no longer need to be controlled by our past.

That’s what Paul meant by “forgetting what is behind.” Think about the horrible things Paul had done. He shared responsibility for the death of Stephen and had to carry that in his conscience until his final day. He knew that he was responsible for terrible deeds. But he was able to put his past in the past. And we need to do the same.

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

 

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Recovering Prayer Wimp

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Max Lucado

Yes, I’m a prayer wimp—but a recovering prayer wimp. Not where I long to be, but not where I was. Before amen—comes the power of a simple prayer. This simple, easy to remember, pocket-size prayer has become a cherished friend.

“Father, You are good. I need help. Heal me and forgive me.

They need help. Thank you. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

Jesus’ disciples faced angry waves and a watery grave. You face angry clients, a turbulent economy, raging seas of stress and sorrow. As you begin your morning, “Father, you are good.” As you commute to work or walk the hallways at school, “I need help.” As you wait in the grocery line, “They need help.” Keep this prayer in your pocket as you pass through the day. Prayer is simply a heartfelt conversation between God and His child.

From Before Amen

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Passing Down the Faith

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Charles Stanley

 

Have you thought about what you will leave behind when you die? Most people think of possessions—family heirlooms, investments, and other property. But what kind of spiritual heritage will you leave for your children? Will they walk in the Lord’s ways as a result of your influence?

Leading a godly life doesn’t always mean that your children will follow the Lord, and forcing your beliefs on them usually backfires. What are some effective approaches to handing down your faith?

Godly parenting takes . . .

1) Principle: We must instruct our children in the ways of God.

  • Read Deuteronomy 6:4-7. How often were the people of Israel supposed to talk about their faith?

 

Notice they were told to teach their children “diligently” (Deut. 6:7). You may want to have a formal Bible study with your kids on a regular basis, but that isn’t always necessary. It can be more effective to connect daily events to principles in the Word of God during supper, for instance. At bedtime, read and discuss Bible stories with your children. When appropriate, tell them about your failures and the spiritual lessons you learned as a result.

  • Write out the spiritual truths—biblical principles or life lessons—that you would like to pass on to your children.

 

  • What can you do differently to instruct them more effectively in spiritual matters?

 

2) Pattern: Children learn more by watching us than by listening to what we say.

Your example is a key ingredient to passing down your faith. For example, if you blame others when things go wrong, children may learn to avoid taking responsibility. If you pray as a family when life is difficult, children learn they can go to God with their worries.

  • Jesus spoke about dealing with our own sins before trying to correct others (Luke 6:41-42). In what areas do you fail to make godly choices, especially around your kids?

 

  • Write down one way you could be a better example to your children.

 

3) Persistence: We pass on faith by doing the right thing consistently.

No parent is perfect. But those who do the right thing day by day—not just when it is convenient—make a powerful impression on their children.

Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.”

  • What areas of parenting or living righteously have the potential to wear you out?

 

  • What motivates you to persevere in doing the right thing?

 

4) Participation: When we get involved in the lives of our children, we establish a caring relationship that makes it easier to communicate with them about our faith.

Without taking on their responsibilities, do your best to help your children with their problems. For younger kids, this may mean giving advice outright or helping them find the answer in God’s Word. Older children may prefer to talk through their ideas with you to reach a solution. If they say something with which you strongly disagree, try not to overreact. Instead, ask how they came to that conclusion. Keep the lines of communication open so you can guide them toward a biblical perspective.

  • Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.” How does this verse encourage you in your parenting struggles?

 

  • Name a specific way you could show more interest in the concerns or pastimes of your children.

 

5) Praise: The greatest motivation for learning is praise.

As a motivator, encouragement is more effective than constant correction. Spend more time praising your child for what he does right than you do critiquing his mistakes. Offer help if it’s needed, but don’t be overly demanding (Col. 3:21).

  • Proverbs 12:25 says, “An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up” (NIV). How does encouragement affect your children?

 

  • How could you apply 1 Thessalonians 5:14 to parenting?

 

6) Prayer: If you consistently pray with and for your children, you will demonstrate the importance of prayer.

Jesus set an example for us by praying in all types of situations. He prayed for the sick, for calm weather, and for miraculous provision. He prayed at the height of His popularity and when He anticipated persecution and suffering.

  • How should we pray, according to 1 Thessalonians 5:17? What do you think that means?

 

  • What are some situations in which you could pray with or for your children to make prayer a greater part of your relationship?

 

Prayer: Father, parenting is tough—I can’t do it without You. Grant me wisdom to respond appropriately in every situation. Draw each of my children closer to You, that they may honor You with their lives. Amen.

Adapted from “How to Keep Your Kids on Your Team” by Charles F. Stanley (1986).

 

Related Resources

 

Related Video

The Impact of a Godly Parent

Mothers and fathers have a tremendous influence on the success and happiness of their children later in life. That’s why it’s so important for parents to model the Christian life and purposefully instruct their sons and daughters in the ways of God. (Watch The Impact of a Godly Parent.)

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — A Sanctuary

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Our Daily Bread

Matthew 11:25-30

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. —Matthew 11:28

Entering a church in Klang, Malaysia, I was intrigued by the sign welcoming us into the building. It declared the place to be “A Sanctuary for the Heavy Laden.”

Few things better reflect the heart of Christ than for His church to be a place where burdens are lifted and the weary find rest. This was vital in Jesus’ ministry, for He said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28).

Jesus promised to take our burdens and exchange them for His light load. “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (vv.29-30).

This promise is backed by His great strength. Whatever burdens we may carry, in Christ we find the strong shoulders of the Son of God, who promises to take our heavy burdens and exchange them for His light load.

Christ, who loves us with an everlasting love, understands our struggles, and can be trusted to provide us with a rest we can never find on our own. His strength is enough for our weakness, making Him our “sanctuary for the heavy laden.” —Bill Crowder

“Let not your heart be troubled,”

His tender word I hear,

And resting on His goodness,

I lose my doubts and fears. —Martin

God calls the restless ones to find their rest in Him.

Bible in a year: Isaiah 39-40; Colossians 4

Insight

A yoke is a wooden harness that joins two animals (usually oxen or donkeys) so they can work together to pull heavy loads. In the Old Testament, the prophet Jeremiah used it as a metaphor for God’s laws (Jer. 5:5) and as a symbol of submission and enslavement (27:8). The Jews had been wearied and enslaved by the heavy yoke of legalistic Judaism that the Pharisees had strenuously imposed on them (Matt. 23:4). “Come to Me” (v.28) is Jesus’ invitation to put their trust in Him for salvation and deliverance. Jesus’ yoke is “easy and light” (v.30) because it comes from His mercy and love, rooted in who He is—“gentle and lowly in heart” (v.29). Jesus extends that same invitation to us today. Because of our new birth, His commands are not burdensome (1 John 5:3-4).

 

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – The Holy Spirit’s Role

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Alistair Begg

The Helper, the Holy Spirit.   John 14:26

This age is peculiarly the dispensation of the Holy Spirit, in which Jesus cheers us not by His personal presence, as He will do soon enough, but by the indwelling and constant abiding of the Holy Spirit, who is forever the Comforter of the church. It is the Spirit’s role to console the hearts of God’s people. He convinces of sin; He illumines and instructs; but the main part of His work still lies in gladdening the hearts of the renewed, confirming the weak, and lifting up all those who are bowed down. He does this by revealing Jesus to them. The Holy Spirit consoles, but Christ is the consolation.

If we may use the figure, the Holy Spirit is the Physician, but Jesus is the medicine. He heals the wound, but it is by applying the holy ointment of Christ’s name and grace. He does not take of His own things, but of the things of Christ. So if we give to the Holy Spirit the Greek name of Paraclete, as we sometimes do, then our heart confers on our blessed Lord Jesus the title of Paraclesis. If one is the Comforter, the other is the Comfort.

Now, with such rich provision for his need, why should the Christian be sad and despondent? The Holy Spirit has graciously committed to be your Comforter: Do you imagine, weak and trembling believer, that He will neglect this sacred trust? Do you suppose that He has undertaken what He cannot or will not perform? If it is His special work to strengthen you and to comfort you, do you suppose He has forgotten His business or that He will fail in fulfilling His loving task of sustaining you? Don’t think so poorly of the tender and blessed Spirit whose name is the Comforter.

He delights to give the oil of joy for mourning and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Trust in Him, and He will surely comfort you until the house of mourning is closed forever, and the marriage feast has begun.

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The family reading plan for October 12, 2014 * Ezekiel 45 * Psalm 99, 100, 101

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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 – Special thanksgiving to the Father

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CharlesSpurgeon

“Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear son.” Colossians 1:12,13

Suggested Further Reading: Luke 11:14-22

What an achievement was that, when, with their flocks and their herds, the whole host of Israel went out of Egypt, crossed the Jordan, and came into Canaan! My dear brethren, the whole of it was not equal to the achievement of God’s powerful grace, when he brings one poor sinner out of the region of sin into the kingdom of holiness and peace. It was easier for God to bring Israel out of Egypt, to split the Red Sea, to make a highway through the pathless wilderness, to drop manna from heaven, to send the whirlwind to drive out the kings; it was easier for Omnipotence to do all this, than to translate a man from the power of darkness into the kingdom of his dear Son. This is the grandest achievement of Omnipotence. The sustenance of the whole universe, I do believe, is even less than this—the changing of a bad heart, the subduing of an iron will. But thanks be unto the Father, he has done all that for you and for me. He has brought us out of darkness; he has translated us, taken up the old tree that has struck its roots ever so deep—taken it up, blessed be God, roots and all, and planted it in a goodly soil. He had to cut the top off, it is true—the high branches of our pride; but the tree has grown better in the new soil than it ever did before. Who ever heard of moving so huge a plant as a man who has grown fifty years old in sin? Oh! What wonders hath our Father done for us!

For meditation: “Our Father…Thy kingdom come” (Luke 11:2). Pray for the spoiling of Satan, the salvation of sinners, the sanctification of saints, the second coming of the Sovereign.

Sermon no. 319

12 October (Preached 15 January 1860)

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Modern-Day Revelations

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John MacArthur

“Contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3, emphasis added).

Scripture contains everything you need to know for godly living.

For many years I’ve watched with deep concern as a significant number of Christians have drifted from a thoughtful, biblical, God- centered theology to one that is increasingly mystical, non- biblical, and man-centered. One of the most disturbing indicators of this trend is the proliferation of extrabiblical revelations that certain people are claiming to receive directly from God.

Such claims are alarming because they dilute the uniqueness and centrality of the Bible and cause people to lean on man’s word rather than God’s. They imply that Scripture is insufficient for Christian living and that we need additional revelation to fill the gap.

But God’s Word contains everything you need to know for spiritual life and godly living. It is inspired and profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness so that you may be fully equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16). What more is necessary?

When the apostle John died, apostolic revelation came to an end. But that written legacy remains as the standard by which we are to test every teacher and teaching that claims to be from God (1 Thess. 5:21; 1 John 4:1). If a teaching doesn’t conform to Scripture, it must be rejected. If it does conform, it isn’t a new revelation. In either case, additional revelation is unnecessary.

God went to great lengths to record and preserve His revelation, and He jealously guards it from corruption of any kind. From Moses, the first known recipient of divine revelation, to the apostle John, the final recipient, His charge remained the same: “You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you” (Deut. 4:2; cf., Rev. 22:18-19).

Don’t be swayed by supposed new revelations. Devote yourself to what has already been revealed.

Suggestions for Prayer; Ask God to guard your heart from confusion and help you to keep your attention firmly fixed on His Word.

For Further Study; According to 2 Timothy 4:1-4, why must we preach and uphold God’s Word?

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Exceedingly, Abundantly, Above and Beyond

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Joyce meyer

God . . . is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]. —Ephesians 3:20

When I pray about or simply meditate on all the people who are hurting, I have a strong desire to help them all. I sometimes feel that my desire is bigger than my ability, and it is—but it is not bigger than God’s ability! When the thing we are facing in our lives or ministries looms so big in our eyes that our mind goes “tilt,” we need to think in the spirit.

In the natural, many things are impossible. But in the supernatural, spiritual realm, with God nothing is impossible. God wants us to believe for great things, make big plans, and expect Him to do things so great it leaves us with our mouths hanging open in awe. James 4:2 tells us we have not because we ask not! We can be bold in our asking.

Sometimes in my meetings people will approach the altar for prayer and sheepishly ask if they can request two things. I tell them they can ask God for all they want to, as long as they trust Him to do it His way, in His timing. It is untold what people can do—people who don’t appear to be able to do anything.

God does not usually call people who are capable. If He did, He would not get the glory. He frequently chooses those who, in the natural, feel as if they are in completely over their heads but who are ready to stand up on the inside and take bold steps of faith as they get direction from God. We usually want to wait until we “feel ready” before we step out, but if we feel ready then we tend to lean on ourselves instead of on God.

Know your weaknesses and know God—know His strength and faithfulness. Above all else, don’t be a quitter.