Tag Archives: daily devotion

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Lean on God’s People

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Max Lucado

Whatever it is that’s troubling you, you’ll get through this! Cancel your escape to the Himalayas. Forget the deserted island.  This is no time to be a hermit. Pray!  Lean on God’s people.  Be a barnacle on the boat of God’s church.

Matthew 18:20 says, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

Don’t quit.  And don’t hide! Would the sick avoid the hospital?  The hungry avoid the food pantry?  Would the discouraged abandon God’s Hope Distribution Center?  Only at great risk. God is waiting on you, my friend. He is with you. Your family may have left. Your supporters may be gone. Your counselor may be silent. But God has not budged. His promise in Genesis 28:15 still stands,“I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go!”

You will get through this!

From  You’ll Get Through This

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Defending Your Family against Spiritual Attack

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Charles Stanley

God works powerfully through strong Christian families. But the enemy of our souls does not want to see parents and their children loving, supporting, respecting, and enjoying each other. Satan works to destroy healthy families and trap people in habitual sin. He especially targets children and young people. That’s why Christian parents needs to learn how to wage spiritual warfare on behalf of their children.

Spiritual Warfare in the Home

The enemy is constantly working to bring anxiety, frustration, compulsions, and fear into the home. When home life is miserable, kids grow up wounded and often rebellious. A family that is constantly feuding cannot minister to anyone else or actively serve the body of Christ. So if the devil can succeed in destroying a family, he can usually count on weakening the church as well.

Spiritual problems can manifest in your children as rebellion, depression, addictions, and a host of other sins. Our tendency is to address the outward symptoms of the problem, rather than the root. But these battles will not be won by common sense, worldly solutions, or harsh restrictions. Instead, we need to resist the devil’s plans with spiritual tools. Second Corinthians 10:3-4 says, “Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.”

Waging spiritual warfare includes living godly lives, discerning what is going on within our families, and praying in the power of the blood of Jesus and with the authority of the Word of God.

How you live as a parent is extremely important to the spiritual success of your kids. When parents are living righteously before the Lord, there is a hedge of protection that surrounds that family. In the spiritual realm, you offer shelter as a parent when you seek after God, are just and fair in your dealings, and lead your family in worshipping God and learning about Him. But when mom or dad is living in willful disobedience to the Lord, the children will suffer. No one can live a worldly life and expect to raise godly kids.

Maybe Satan has trapped one of your children either as a result of your sin or because of outside influences. He might have that child bound in a stronghold, which is an area of a person’s life that is spiritually weak.Because Satan can easily get a victory by attacking there, he will hit that person again and again in the vulnerable spot. He might tempt one person to feel unworthy, another to escape with alcohol, and a third to burst out in anger too easily.

The good news is that as a parent, you are in a position to see the Lord move on behalf of your child and free him or her from strongholds. First John 4:4 says, “You are of God … and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than He who is in the world.” This means the Holy Spirit, Who is in us, is greater than Satan and can lead us to spiritual victory.

How do you limit the activity of the enemy in your child’s life?

First, clean up your own life. Spend some time alone with God and confess all known sin. Come to a point of complete surrender again. If you try to fight a spiritual battle while living in outright rebellion against God—even in a private area of your life—you will fail.

Second, identify the root problem. The symptom may be your child’s rebellion against authority, drug abuse, or some other addiction. But the root of the problem might be your child’s bitterness caused by parental neglect or another issue from the past.

Third, find scriptural authority for confronting the problem. When Satan attacked Jesus, our Lord countered the enemy’s lies with Scripture. We need to do the same. For example, in dealing with a bitter child, we could use Hebrews 12:15, which says, “See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled.”

Fourth, pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.  This means you ask the same thing He would in your place and do it by His powerful authority. Praying in the name of Jesus puts the emphasis on His supernatural power and the authority He has delegated to His followers (John 14:13-14).

Fifth, pray to your Heavenly Father rather than talking to Satan. Keep in mind that you have no power on your own to bind Satan, but are simply declaring what has already happened in the spirit realm through the cross.

Sixth, it’s not enough to restrict Satan from using the stronghold—ask God to release your child from it. Putting this all together, your prayer might be:

Heavenly Father, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by His precious blood, I ask You to bind Satan away from the life of my son/daughter and to remove his/her bitterness. Father, You said we are to see to it that no one comes short of the grace of God, and that no root of bitterness should be allowed to spring up and cause trouble and defile many people. On the authority of Your Word, Lord Jesus Christ, and by Your blood, I want to pronounce Satan defeated—no longer able to hold my son/daughter captive to the sin of bitterness. Father, please release my son/daughter from the stronghold of bitterness. Liberate him/her from the unhealthy patterns that have him/her bound and free him/her to serve and obey You. Thank You, Father for saving and healing him/her. Amen.

Last, if you pray for a while and nothing changes, get some godly friends involved. Confess to them you need help. Admit that you have failed somewhere as a father or mother. Ask them to pray that God would reveal any area of sin in your life that you have previously been blinded to. Confess any sins this process uncovers and take any actions you need to. Then pray again in agreement with those friends that God would cause Satan to release your child from the stronghold and restore him or her to oneness with the family. Even gathering with one or two other friends greatly increases the ultimate success of your prayers (Matt.18:19-20).

You might not see results right away. What I’ve noticed is that the longer people have been bound in sin, the longer it usually takes to free them. But don’t give up. Keep walking in complete surrender to God and continue interceding for your child. The heart of the Father is turned toward your son or daughter, and He desires to bring freedom and restoration.

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — A Life That Shined

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Our Daily Bread

Matthew 5:3-16

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. —Matthew 5:16

According to the International Basketball Federation, basketball is the world’s second-most popular sport, with an estimated 450 million followers in countries around the globe. In the US, the annual NCAA tournament in March often brings mention of legendary coach John Wooden. During his 27 years at UCLA, Wooden’s teams won an unprecedented 10 National Championship titles. Yet, today, John Wooden, who died in 2010, is remembered not just for what he accomplished but for the person he was.

Wooden lived out his Christian faith and his genuine concern for others in an environment often obsessed with winning. In his autobiography, They Call Me Coach, he wrote, “I always tried to make it clear that basketball is not the ultimate. It is of small importance in comparison to the total life we live. There is only one kind of life that truly wins, and that is the one that places faith in the hands of the Savior. Until that is done, we are on an aimless course that runs in circles and goes nowhere.”

John Wooden honored God in all he did, and his example challenges us to do the same. Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:16). —David McCasland

Show me the way, Lord, let my light shine

As an example of good to mankind;

Help them to see the patterns of Thee,

Shining in beauty, lived out in me. —Neuer

Let your light shine—whether you’re a candle in a corner or a lighthouse on a hill.

Bible in a year: Proverbs 22-24; 2 Corinthians 8

 

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – Adoption

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“Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.” Ephesians 1:5

Suggested Further Reading: Romans 9:10-24

It is at once a doctrine of Scripture and of common sense, that whatever God does in time he predestined to do in eternity. Some men find fault with divine predestination, and challenge the justice of eternal decrees. Now, if they will please remember that predestination is the counterpart of history, as an architectural plan, the carrying out of which we read in the facts that happen, they may perhaps obtain a slight clue to the unreasonableness of their hostility. I never heard any one among professors wantonly and wilfully find fault with God’s dealings, yet I have heard some who would even dare to call in question the equity of his counsels. If the thing itself be right, it must be right that God intended to do the thing; if you find no fault with facts, as you see them in providence, you have no grounds to complain of decrees, as you find them in predestination, for the decrees and the facts are just the counterpart one of the other. Have you any reason to find fault with God, that he has been pleased to save you, and save me? Then why should you find fault because Scripture says he pre-determined that he would save us? I cannot see, if the fact itself is agreeable, why the decree should be objectionable. I can see no reason why you should find fault with God’s foreordination, if you do not find fault with what does actually happen as the effect of it. Let a man but agree to acknowledge an act of providence, and I want to know how he can, except he runs in the very teeth of providence, find any fault with the predestination or intention that God made concerning that providence.

For meditation: Some talk as if the doctrine of predestination is the enemy of the Christian. Scripture lists it as one of the “all things” that work together for good to them that love God and which prove that God is for us (Romans 8:28-31).

Sermon no. 360

15 September (Undated Sermon)

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Bad News?

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Alistair Begg

He is not afraid of bad news.

Psalms 112:7

Christian, you ought not to be afraid of the arrival of bad news; because if you are distressed by such, you are no different from other men. They do not have your God to run to; they have never proved His faithfulness as you have done, and it is no wonder if they are bowed down with alarm and cowed with fear. But you profess to be of another spirit; you have been born again to a living hope, and your heart lives in heaven and not on earthly things. If you are seen to be distracted as other men, what is the value of that grace that you profess to have received? Where is the dignity of that new nature that you claim to possess?

Again, if you should be filled with alarm like others, you would no doubt be led into the sins so common to them under trying circumstances. The ungodly, when they are overtaken by bad news, rebel against God; they murmur and maintain that God has dealt harshly with them. Will you fall into that same sin? Will you provoke the Lord as they do?

Moreover, unconverted men often run to wrong means in order to escape from difficulties, and you will be sure to do the same if your mind yields to the present pressure. Trust in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him. Your wisest course is to do what Moses did at the Red Sea: “Stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD.”1 For if you give way to fear when you hear bad news, you will be unable to meet the trouble with that calm composure that prepares for duty and sustains in adversity.

How can you glorify God if you play the coward? Saints have often sung God’s high praises in the fires, but when you act as if there were no one to help, will your doubting and despondency magnify the Most High? Then take courage and, relying in sure confidence upon the faithfulness of your covenant God, “Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”2

1Exodus 14:13

2John 14:27

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Developing Practical Righteousness

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John MacArthur

“Stand firm therefore . . . having put on the breastplate of righteousness” (Eph. 6:14).

We’ve seen the importance of putting on the breastplate of righteousness as protection against Satan’s attempts to pervert your thinking and emotions. But Scripture speaks of three kinds of righteousness: self-righteousness, imputed righteousness, and practical righteousness. Which did Paul have in mind in Ephesians 6:14?

Paul wasn’t speaking of self-righteousness because that is what the breastplate of righteousness is designed to protect you from. Self-righteousness deceives a person into thinking, I can please God and reach heaven on my own merit. But Isaiah said, “All our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment” (Isa. 64:6). Far from getting you to heaven, self- righteousness will condemn you to eternal hell because it rejects the merits of Christ’s atonement.

Similarly, Paul wasn’t speaking of imputed righteousness–the righteousness of Christ granted to every believer at the moment of salvation. It’s also called “positional righteousness” because it results from your position or standing in Christ. Second Corinthians 5:21 says that God made Christ, “who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Every believer is clothed in the garment of Christ’s righteousness. You don’t put that on. It’s already yours in Christ.

Only practical righteousness remains–that which flows from obedience to God’s Word. Although in God’s eyes you are righteous in Christ, you must also pursue righteous behavior. In other words, your practice should match your position. That’s what Paul meant when he said, “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:13). John added that “the one who says he abides in [Christ] ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked” (1 John 2:6).

As you learn to live in obedience to God’s Word, you’ll be protected by the breastplate of righteousness.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Ask the Spirit to help you search your heart and reveal any self-righteous attitudes that might be making you vulnerable to Satan’s attacks. Confess them, then praise Christ for the true righteousness that is yours in Him.

For Further Study:

Read Romans 3:10-23. What kind of righteousness did Paul pursue?

 

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Get in Balance

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Joyce meyer

Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].

—1 Corinthians 13:7

We all get emotional occasionally, or lose our temper once in a while. But if you are out of balance in either one of these areas, it is very important to get back in balance if you want your day to go right.

If your feelings get hurt because someone looks at you crossways, or because friends or family forget your birthday, you need to spend more time with God. He will fill you with so much love and such a sense of self-worth that you won’t feel ill-tempered or touchy toward anyone. Seek God with your whole heart today. Talk to Him about your problems, and then enjoy yourself, knowing that He cares for you.

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – A New Quality of Life

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“When the Holy Spirit, who is truth, comes, He shall guide you into all truth, for He will not be presenting His own ideas, but will be passing on to you what He has heard. He will tell you about the future. He shall praise Me and bring Me great honor by showing you My glory. All the Father’s glory is Mine: this is what I mean when I say that He will show you My glory” (John 16:13-15).

Steve asked me the question, “What is my number 1 priority as a Christian? I want to be a man of God, so I need counsel as to what I am to do first.” This is a good question for every Christian to ask.

The answer is simply: to glorify God. Jesus tells us how we can best do this in John 15:8, “By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples” (NASB). Or, as the Living Bible states it, “My true disciples produce bountiful harvests. This brings great glory to My Father.”

The Holy Spirit has come to be a witness to our Lord Jesus. When the Spirit controls our lives, we too will be witnesses for Him.

Witnessing for Christ with our lips is not only a natural result of being filled and controlled by the Holy Spirit, but also is a necessary act of obedience if we are to continue to experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

That which is most on our hearts is most on our lips, so if we truly love Christ, we will want to share Him with others. But God does not want or need the witness of individuals whose carnal lives fail to give credibility to their testimonies.

The greatest experience that has ever happened to any believer is to know Jesus Christ personally as Savior and Lord, to be forgiven of his sins and to have assurance of eternal life.

Therefore, the most important thing we can do to help another person is to introduce him to Christ. Only the Holy Spirit can empower us to live holy lives and be fruitful witnesses for Christ.

Bible Reading: John 14:16-26

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will ask the Holy Spirit to glorify God through the quality of my life and the witness of my words, as a demonstration of the supernatural life that I have received from God.

 

 

 

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; P.G. – Trust in Tragedy

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King David and his wife had a gravely ill newborn. In desperation, David did what any God-fearing parent would do: he bombarded Heaven with prayers. He rejected all creature comforts. His advisers urged him to eat, but he wouldn’t even do that. The King’s period of grief began while the baby was still alive. Ultimately, David was informed of the infant’s death. Then he did something not every parent would do: he got up, took a bath, dressed in clean clothes, went to the house of the Lord, and worshipped.

And the elders of his house stood beside him, to raise him from the ground, but he would not.

II Samuel 12:17

Puzzling reaction? Not when you consider that David was likely comforted by knowing he’d see his son again. He was confident the infant would spend eternity with the Lord – and with his child.

When you have occasion to be beside someone watching their child fight a mortal illness, the only comfort you can offer them is God’s eternal promised love for children. Encourage them to do as David did, and examine their own mortality and relationship with the Lord. Pray, too, for the children and families of your nation’s leaders…that they would find the God in whom David could trust in tragedy.

Recommended Reading: II Samuel 12:15-24

 

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Unity in the Body of Christ

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Charles Stanley

Ephesians 2:11-22

A great deal of friction and enmity is generated by those who see themselves as superior to others by virtue of their race, religion, or social status. Such attitudes destroy peace between individuals, communities, and even nations. The early church confronted this problem when it addressed the status of non-Jewish believers. These Gentiles had been excluded from the commonwealth of Israel with all its privileges and covenants, so it was easy to view them as second-class citizens in the church despite their faith in Jesus. Even after Pentecost and the outpouring of the Spirit, the old ways of thinking were hard to abandon.

The apostle Paul spoke to this very problem in Ephesus when he said, “But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall” (Eph. 2:13-14).

Today there continue to be many dividing walls between people. Human nature is no different in the modern age than it was in the first century: power, pride, and privilege still dominate in the kingdom of darkness. Unfortunately, many dividing walls also exist in the Christian community. Yet the gospel of Jesus Christ is just as powerful today in “mak[ing] the two into one new man, thus establishing peace” (v. 15). It doesn’t matter what the barriers are—we can overcome them by recognizing that we all have our access to the Father through the same Spirit (v. 18).

 

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Unfailing Mercy

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Our Daily Bread

Luke 22:54-62

Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. . . . Great is Your faithfulness. —Lamentations 3:22-23

As I strolled through Chicago’s O’Hare airport, something caught my eye—a hat worn by someone racing through the concourse. What caught my attention was the message it conveyed in just two words: “Deny Everything.” I wondered what it meant. Don’t ever admit to guilt? Or deny yourself the pleasures and luxuries of life? I scratched my head at the mystery of those two simple words, “Deny Everything.”

One of Jesus’ followers, Simon Peter, did some denying. In a critical moment, he denied three times that He even knew Jesus! (Luke 22:57, 58,60). His fear-filled act of denial caused him such guilt and heartache that, broken by his spiritual failure, he could only go out and weep bitterly (v.62).

But Peter’s denial of Christ, like our own moments of spiritual denial, could never diminish the compassion of God. The prophet Jeremiah wrote, “Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (Lam. 3:22-23). We can take heart that even when we fail, our faithful God comes to us in mercy and compassion that never fails! —Bill Crowder

Thank You, Father, for Your new and never-

failing mercies. Forgive me for the times I deny

You and fail others, and teach me to run to

You for Your overflowing compassion.

Being imperfect emphasizes our dependence on God’s mercy.

Bible in a year: Proverbs 19-21; 2 Corinthians 7

 

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Face what He Faced

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Alistair Begg

And other boats were with him.

Mark 4:36

Jesus was the Lord High Admiral of the sea that night, and His presence preserved the whole convoy. It is good to sail with Jesus, even though we may be in a little boat. When we sail in Christ’s company, we cannot be sure of fine weather, for great storms may toss the vessel that carries the Lord Himself, and we should not expect to find the sea less boisterous around our little boat. If we go with Jesus we must be content to face what He faces; and when the waves are rough for Him, they will be rough for us. It is through tempest and storm that we will reach land, just as He did before us. When the storm swept over Galilee’s dark lake, the faces wore anxious frowns, and all hearts dreaded shipwreck.

When every attempt to ride it out proved useless, the resting Savior rose and with a word transformed the billowing tempest into the deep quiet of a calm. Then all the other boats were at rest as well as the one that carried the Lord. Jesus is the star of the sea; and though there is sorrow on the sea, when Jesus is on it, there is also joy.

May our hearts make Jesus their anchor, their rudder, their lighthouse, their lifeboat, and their harbor. His Church is the Admiral’s flagship; let us attend her exercises and cheer her officers with our presence. He Himself is the great attraction; let us always follow in His wake, observe His signals, steer by His chart, and never fear while He is within reach. Not one ship in the convoy shall be wrecked; the great Captain will steer every craft in safety to the desired haven. By faith we will raise our anchor for another day’s cruise and sail with Jesus into a sea of tribulation. Winds and waves will not spare us, but they all obey Him; and therefore whatever squalls may occur on the outside, faith will enjoy a blessed calm within. He is always in the center of the weather-beaten company:

Let us rejoice in Him. His boat has reached the harbor, and so will ours.

 

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – An appeal to sinners

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“This man receiveth sinners.” Luke 15:2

Suggested Further Reading: Ephesians 1:3-8

Allow us just to amplify that word: “this man receiveth sinners.” Now, by that we understand that he receives sinners to all the benefits which he has purchased for them. If there be a fountain, he receives sinners to wash them in it; if there be medicine for the soul, he receives sinners to heal their diseases; if there be a house for the sick, an hospital, a home for the dying, he receives such into that retreat of mercy. All that he has of love, all that he has of mercy, all that he has of atonement, all that he has of sanctification, all that he has of righteousness—to all these he receives the sinner. Yea, more; not content with taking him to his house, he receives him to his heart. He takes the black and filthy sinner, and having washed him—“There,” he says, “thou art my beloved; my desire is towards thee.” And to consummate the whole, at last he receives the saints to heaven. Saints, I said, but I meant those who were sinners, for none can be saints truly, but those who once were sinners, and have been washed in the blood of Christ, and made white through the sacrifice of the lamb. Observe it then, beloved, that in receiving sinners we mean the whole of salvation; and this word in my text, “Christ receiveth sinners,” grasps in the whole of the covenant. He receives them to the joys of paradise, to the bliss of the beatified, to the songs of the glorified, to an eternity of happiness for ever. “This man receiveth sinners;” and I dwell with special emphasis on this point,—he receives none else. He will have none else to be saved but those who know themselves to be sinners.

For meditation: Contrast whom Christ receives with all that they receive in him in return (Luke 15:20-24). Are you one of them?

Sermon no. 219

14 September (1856)

 

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Guarding Your Mind and Emotions

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John MacArthur

“Stand firm therefore . . . having put on the breastplate of righteousness” (Eph. 6:14).

A Roman soldier would often engage his enemy in hand- to-hand combat. At such times, the weapon of choice was the short sword, with which he sought to penetrate his opponent’s vital organs. For his own protection he wore a molded metal breastplate that extended from the base of his neck to the top of his thighs. It helped deflect any attacks aimed at his heart and abdomen.

The Roman breastplate has great symbolism in Paul’s analogy because to the Jewish people, the heart represented man’s mind and thinking processes; the intestinal area or bowels represented the seat of feelings and emotions. Proverbs 23:7 says, “As [a man] thinketh in his heart, so is he” (KJV). Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?” Jesus added, “From within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts” (Mark 7:21).

During spiritual warfare, Satan’s primary attacks target your thinking and emotions. If he can condition you to think and feel contrary to God’s Word, he has won a significant victory. That’s why he attempts to fill your mind with lies, immorality, false doctrine, and half-truths. He tries to blur the line between righteousness and sin by surrounding you with evil influences that increase your tolerance for sin. He clothes offensive sin in the blinding garment of entertainment. He puts it to music and masks it in humor to confuse you and deaden your spiritual senses. Satan wants to corrupt your emotions and draw you into sinful desires.

Putting on the breastplate of righteousness begins with a right relationship with God, who is the source of true righteousness. From that relationship flows the commitment to cultivate righteousness in your own life by learning and applying His Word. Therein lies the protection you need to safeguard your mind and emotions from satanic deceptions.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Focus on strengthening your relationship with God today. Commune with Him in prayer. Meditate on His Word. Seek His grace in responding thoughtfully and righteously to the temptations you face.

For Further Study:

Read Proverbs 10, noting Solomon’s description of righteous people.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – The Benefits of Forgiveness

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But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your failings and shortcomings. —Mark 11:26

Mark 11:22–26 clearly teaches us that unforgiveness hinders our faith from working, so we can conclude in contrast that forgiveness enables our faith to work. The Father can’t forgive our sins if we don’t forgive other people (see Matt. 6:14–15).

There are still more benefits of forgiveness. For one, I’m happier and I feel better physically when I’m not filled with unforgiveness. We can be healthier when we quickly forgive. Serious diseases can develop as a result of the stress and pressure that result from bitterness, resentment, and unforgiveness.

Our fellowship with God flows freely when we’re willing to forgive, but unforgiveness serves as a major block to communion with God. I also believe it is difficult to love people while harboring anger. When we have bitterness in our hearts it seeps out in all of our attitudes and relationships.

It is good to remember that even people we want to love may suffer when we hold bitterness, resentment, and unforgiveness. For example, I was very angry and bitter toward my father for abusing me, and I ended up mistreating my husband who had nothing at all to do with the pain I had encountered. I felt that someone needed to repay me for the injustice in my life, but I was trying to collect from someone who could not pay and had no responsibility to do so.

God promises to pay us back for our former trouble if we turn the situation over to Him. And if we don’t, then we allow Satan to perpetuate our pain and take it from relationship to relationship. Ephesians 4:26–27 tells us not to let the sun go down on our anger or give the devil any such foothold or opportunity. Remember that the devil must have a foothold before he can get a stronghold. Do not help Satan torture you. Be quick to forgive when you are offended.

Trust in Him: There is no end to the benefits in your life if you will trust God’s Word that tells you to forgive, not seven times, but seventy times seven times (Matt. 18:22).

 

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Blessed Peacemakers

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“Is there any such thing as Christians cheering each other up? Do you love me enough to want to help me? Does it mean anything to you that we are brothers in the Lord, sharing the same Spirit? Are your hearts tender and sympathetic at all? Then make me truly happy by loving each other and agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, working together with one heart and mind and purpose” (Philippians 2:1,2). “Happy are those who strive for peace – they shall be called the sons of God” (Matthew 5:9).

Few individuals are more pleasing to our Lord than those who seek to promote peace. He is our great example since He is the author of peace. He is called the Prince of Peace, and He promises, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27, KJV).

When you and I think of peacemakers today, we think perhaps of national leaders who have made great efforts toward international peace, or of negotiators who have served as intermediaries, attempting to eliminate strife between management and labor.

But more is involved in this beatitude – certainly more of a spiritual nature. You may know, or have known, as I have, members of churches whom the Lord has been able to use as peacemakers – those who calm fears and help to unruffle feathers when the inevitable quarrels arise.

Peacemaking is something that requires work. It does not come easily. Basically, man is hostile toward himself, toward his neighbor and toward God. The peacemaker is one who can build bridges of love and understanding and trust.

Friends, neighbors, men of influence, lawyers, physicians, may do much to promote peace, and certainly homemakers within families can make a great difference in the harmony of a home. Long and deadly arguments can be resolved by a simple expression of love and a kind word at the right moment.

Our strife-worn world, from the individual home to the international centers of influence, is in need of children of God who are peacemakers – committed to being ambassadors of the Prince of Peace.

Bible Reading: II Corinthians 13:11-14

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Through the enabling of God’s Holy Spirit, I will seek ways to become a peacemaker in building bridges of love, trust and understanding where there is now conflict, discord and even hate.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Is It Possible to Change Ourselves?

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greglaurie

We like the idea of change, of starting over again, of becoming someone different than we are. Sometimes we move to a new place, thinking we can escape our problems. Sometimes we think if we had some new friends or get married that life will be better. Then we think if only we had kids things would be different.

Others think a change in their appearance will do it. A survey revealed that 80 percent of American women are dissatisfied with their appearance. And research has also shown that the more time people spend consuming media, the more unhappy they are with their bodies. They think that if they could look like someone in a magazine, it would meet the deepest needs of their lives.

If you think you would be happier if you were really handsome or strikingly beautiful, consider this statement from actress Halle Berry: “Being thought of as a beautiful woman has spared me nothing in life. No heartache, no trouble. Love has been difficult. Beauty is essentially meaningless and it is always transitory.”

A professor of sociology said, “The demand for instant identity transformation has never been so pervasive. People want change, and they want it instantly. From fame to the instant thrills of Botox or liposuction, the capacity to reinvent ourselves has become fundamental.”

But can we really reinvent ourselves? Can we really change? Here is the answer: No. You cannot change who you are on the inside. You can change your appearance. You can change your location. You can change your relationships. But you can’t change yourself any more than a drowning person can save himself.

Sometimes it is said the answer is within, but the reality is the problem is within. And that problem inside of you and inside of me is called sin. We have all sinned. And we can’t change our essential nature. The Bible says, “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” (Jeremiah 17:9 NLT). There is only one person who can change the human heart, and that is God. God can change your life. It is possible.

There is a story in the Bible about a woman who got caught committing adultery. Some religious leaders found her and decided she ought to be executed for this. We don’t know what happened to the man she was with, but apparently he walked away free. But they brought this woman to Jesus and threw her down at his feet. Now, they didn’t really care about this woman. What they really were trying to do was to trap Jesus. They wanted to know what he would do.

They said to him, “This woman was caught in the act of adultery. The Law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” (John 8:4–5) Now, Jesus was on the horns of a dilemma here. If He said, “Stone her,” he would have been justified, technically, but that would have been pretty harsh. If he said, “Let her go,” then he would have been seen as being too lenient.

So what did he do? He looked at them and started writing in the sand. What was he doing? I don’t think he was playing tic-tac-toe. I think he wrote something significant. And when he was finished writing in the sand, he stood up and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” (verse 7). Then he stooped down and started writing again.

We don’t know exactly what Jesus wrote, but I think he probably wrote the names of the religious leaders next to the commandments. Yeah, Caleb, I know what is up with you. . . . Hey, Joshua, I know where you have been. . . . Eliezer, I know all about you, buddy. And then they left, from the oldest to the youngest. And why did they leave in that order? I think it’s because the older guys had more sins they had committed. They got busted. Instead of condemning the woman, Jesus condemned the self-righteous condemners.

Then Jesus said to her, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more” (verses 10–11).

Some might say, “How could Jesus pardon her? She was caught in the act. She wasn’t even a believer.” But I think she was. Why? Because she believed. I am not sure exactly when she believed, but probably right before she said, “No, Lord.” How long does it take to believe in God? Only an instant.

Jesus said four things to her that were very important.

Her sins had been forgiven. He said, “Neither do I [condemn you]. Go and sin no more.” God can forgive you of all of your sins. And not only will he forgive them, but he will forget them. They will be behind you. The Bible says it will be like they are buried in the depths of the sea (see Micah 7:19).

She did not have to fear the judgment day. There is a day of judgment coming when everyone will stand before God—the rich and the poor, the famous and the unknown. And the question in that final day will not be whether you lived or a good life or were a nice person or whether you recycled. The question will be: What did you do with Jesus Christ?

She had new power to face her problems. “Go and sin no more,” Jesus told her. God will give you the power to be the person he wants you to be.

I never wanted to be a religious person. I never wanted to be someone who went to church. But when Jesus started changing me, I said to God, “I don’t even know how to pray. But I will say this: if you are real, then you will have to make yourself real to me.” And he started changing me. He will start changing you too. You will see.

Charles Stanley, Uncategorized

Charles Stanley – How We Can Have Peace

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Charles Stanley

Genesis 41:1-32

In Genesis 41, there’s an interesting story about a powerful king who had two unusual dreams in the same night. Because the dreams appeared to have some significance—and because the king couldn’t understand their meaning—he was troubled in his spirit. Consequently, he called for his magicians to interpret the dreams, but when they were unable to produce explanations, the monarch’s anxiety increased.

Then he summoned Joseph, who calmed the king with these words: “God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace” (v. 16 kjv). Interestingly, the Lord did not actually promise every aspect of the dreams would be explained, but rather He offered a “peaceable” answer.

As it happened, God did choose to explain this particular dream in great detail, but that isn’t always the case. Too often, we lose our peace when the Lord gives direction or correction coupled with very little explanation.

Jesus had numerous “hard sayings” that were never explained to His followers’ satisfaction. It bothered some of them to the point that “many of His disciples withdrew, and were not walking with Him anymore” (John 6:66). They simply were not satisfied with Jesus’ partial explanations.

In Christian service, we want every- thing explained: Where am I to go? What will I be paid? Who will go with me? In God’s timing, some of these questions may be answered. In the meantime, however, peace rests not in explanations but in the One who is Himself our peace (Eph. 2:14).

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — A Father To Follow

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Our Daily Bread

2 Chronicles 17:1-10

[Jehoshaphat] sought the God of his father, and walked in His commandments. —2 Chronicles 17:4

When I think of my father, I think of this saying: “He didn’t tell me how to live; he lived, and he let me watch him do it.” During my youth, I watched my dad walk with God. He participated in Sunday morning church services, taught an adult Bible-study class, helped with counting the offering, and served as a deacon. Outside of church, he faithfully defended the gospel and read his Bible. I saw him express his love for the Lord through outward actions.

Asa, king of Judah, modeled devotion to God for a season in his life (2 Chron. 14:2). He removed the idols from his kingdom, restored the altar of the Lord, and led the people into a covenant with God (15:8-12). Asa’s son Jehoshaphat carried on this legacy by seeking “the God of his father and walk[ing] in His commandments” (17:4). Jehoshaphat purged the land of idol worship (v.6) and sent out priests and Levites to teach God’s law in all of the cities of Judah (vv.7-9).

Jehoshaphat’s reign resembled that of his father; he faithfully honored Asa’s godly example. Yet even more important, Jehoshaphat’s “heart took delight in the ways of the Lord” (v.6). Today, if you’re looking for a father to follow, remember your heavenly Father and take delight in His ways. —Jennifer Benson Schuldt

We magnify our Father God

With songs of thoughtful praise;

As grateful children we confess

How perfect are His ways. —Ball

We honor God’s name when we call Him our Father and live like His Son.

Bible in a year: Proverbs 16-18; 2 Corinthians 6

 

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – I Am Not the Christ

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Ravi Z

According to the angel who spoke to Elizabeth before her baby was born, the child who was to be named John would be for the world a herald of the Messiah who was coming. “He will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah,” the angel told her.(1)

And so it was. Calling all who would hear to repent and believe, the New Testament writers report that John was to the world what God promised. He was sent to prepare the way for the coming Lord, to prepare hearts to recognize God among them. “Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God,” proclaimed the angel. This John did and continues to do.

It may seem odd to some that this untamed, locust-eating figure of John the Baptist is one of the key figures in celebrating the Christmas season. His wild and probing message continues to cry in urgency, “Are you ready,” and for this, despite the sentimental and domesticated visions of Christmas common to our era, is a cry worthy of the bizarre and jolting doctrine of Incarnation. Are you ready to respond to the fragile infant that came into the world through a manger in Bethlehem? Are you ready to hear him, see him, consume his flesh and blood? Are you ready to recognize God in body among you, the hunter, the king, the great I AM? The testimony of John was essentially tame compared to the mystery of an incarnate God. Repeatedly John insists, “I am not the Christ, but truly and fearfully, there is one who is.”(2)

The Incarnation, this embodied presence of God, bids us not only to remember God’s descent into a dirty stable in Bethlehem, but to keep ourselves awake to the reality of God’s descending upon the thresholds of our lives. As John called the people of Israel, so the Incarnation continues to sound the consequence of this mystery: Keep yourselves clothed in readiness, for God is near.

Yet even John, who was the first to recognize Jesus for who he was, leaping in his own mother’s womb at the arrival of the pregnant Mary, struggled through dark and confusing times, wondering perhaps if God was indeed near. Thrown in jail by Herod, John’s certainty seems to be challenged for the first time. “Go and ask Jesus,” John told his disciples, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” One can almost see the fog coming over the message of light he preached so confidently. “If this man is who I thought he was, why am I in this place?”

With John in mind, it is fitting to note that Dietrich Bonhoeffer once compared our waiting on God to the waiting that is done in a prison cell, “in which one waits and hopes and does various unessential things… but is completely dependent on the fact that the door of freedom has to be opened from the outside.” It is a dramatic metaphor, particularly from one who stood imprisoned himself, chained for standing up to the Nazi’s, waiting for them to deal with him as they would. Bonhoeffer saw clearly something we forget in the midst of a sentimental holiday: the Incarnation is about God breaking through the door that we ourselves cannot open. And in fact, all year round, the Incarnation is our promise that God will come breaking through once again.

I have always wondered if Jesus’s response to John’s question frustrated the prophet behind bars or if it is my own frustration so easily read into his words. Jesus didn’t offer a clear and certain answer for the alone and imprisoned baptizer, but invited John to answer his own question. “Go back and report to John what you hear and see,” Jesus told John’s disciples. “The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.”(3) We are not given John’s response.

Sitting within his quiet cell, perhaps John recounted the conversations he had with Jesus. Perhaps he even heard again the words God had placed on his own lips. “He who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (Luke 3:16). God was moving, came the report from outside the prison, though John sat alone and waiting. The question that permeated the prophet’s testimony thus became a question Jesus seemed to ask John himself: Are you ready? Are you ready for a redemptive God who continues to do the unthinkable?

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

(1) Luke 1:17.

(2) See John 1:19-28.

(3) Matthew 11:4-6.