Tag Archives: faith

John MacArthur – Gaining God’s Approval

November 4, 2013 broboinhawaii 1 Comment

“By [faith] the men of old gained approval” (Heb. 11:2).

The book Catch-22 tells of a squadron of World War II fliers stationed on the fictitious island of Pianos in the Mediterranean. Before a flier could transfer off the island, he had to complete 25 extremely dangerous missions over southern Europe.

One flier, Yosarian, was especially anxious to leave. After completing his twenty-fifth mission, his commanding officer began raising the number of qualifying missions. Insanity became the only justification for a transfer. But the commander decided that whomever feigned insanity to obtain a transfer simply proved his sanity by that sane act!

Realizing it was all a cruel game with no way out, Yosarian devised a plan to build a raft and float to Sweden. Even though there was a whole continent between him and Sweden and the ocean currents would take him in the opposite direction, he couldn’t be dissuaded. He took a leap into the absurd with a hopeless and impossible plan to escape a hopeless and impossible situation.

In their relentless quest for meaning in life, many people become spiritual Yosarians. Rejecting God, who is the only sure and rational answer to life, they jump headlong into alcohol, drugs, witchcraft, astrology, reincarnation, or countless other absurdities.

Many acknowledge God, but try to gain His approval through self-righteous deeds apart from true faith. In either case the results are the same: no faith, no salvation, no hope, no peace, and no assurance.

But those who take God at His word and approach Him in true faith receive His approval and enjoy His blessings. Theirs isn’t a blind leap into the absurd, but a living hope in the God who made man and who alone can fulfill man’s deepest longings. They know the joy and satisfaction of a life spent in service to Christ, and the peace and assurance that all is well–both now and for eternity.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Pray for those you know who have rejected God or are trying to gain His approval on their own. Explain to them the meaning and purpose Christ alone can bring to their lives.

For Further Study:

According to 2 Timothy 2:24-26, what is the spiritual state of those who oppose the gospel, and how are we to approach them?

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Little by Little

November 4, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

And the Lord your God will clear out those nations before you, little by little; you may not consume them quickly, lest the beasts of the field increase among you.—Deuteronomy 7:22

Recently I thought about my life from the time I seriously began to follow Jesus Christ to the present. Had I known then—at the beginning of the journey—all the things God would take me through, I would probably have been afraid to sign up for the trip.

As I look back, however, I realize that God held my hand and let me advance in small steps. I had times of great ¬discouragement—as we all do. I remember times of bitter tears over my personal failures. But God kept nudging me forward.

That’s the secret of living the victorious Christian life—we move ahead little by little. It’s an inching forward over months and years. Most of us can understand that. The same is true in the battle for the mind. We don’t roust Satan in one big blow and then live in victory forever after. We win one small battle, and then we’re ready to move on to the next one. We may have a few major victories that come suddenly, but not many of them. The fight to destroy Satan’s strongholds comes mostly by daily, doggedly, moving ahead.

The first time I thought of that fact, it was discouraging, until I realized the wisdom of God. After the Jews left Egypt and wandered in the wilderness, God spoke to them before they went into the Promised Land. It was a special land—fertile, beautiful, and promised to them. But in the more than 400 years since Jacob and his sons had left the land, others had moved in and occupied land that didn’t belong to them.

For the children of Israel, it wasn’t merely a matter of going in and settling down. They had to fight for every foot of ground—even though it was their inheritance. That’s how the spiritual principle works on every level. God has the blessings out there waiting for us, but it’s up to us to go in and take the land. Just as it was for the Jews of old, it is a battle.

In the verse at the beginning of this chapter, God spoke of the beasts of the field. There were many wild animals in the land, and it could have been dangerous. But what if we thought of the beasts as pride? What if God suddenly gave us full, complete victory, and we never struggled again; how would that affect us? Surely pride would creep in.

Our attitude then would be to look down on others who have not been as victorious as we have been. We may not express our condescension in words, but won’t those we disdain sense that we think we’re superior? And, truthfully, wouldn’t we feel superior. We’ve made it; those poor souls are still struggling.

God has a wonderful plan for each of us, but it never comes with just one major victory, so that we never struggle again. Instead, it’s an ongoing warfare, and we must remain vigilant and be aware of the attacks of the enemy.

Another aspect is that because we move ahead little by little, it makes us savor every victory. Each time we overcome or destroy one of Satan’s strongholds, we rejoice. We can remain in a constant state of thanksgiving. If we’ve had only one victory, and that was thirty years ago, how dull our lives would be. Or worse yet, how easy it would be for us to take God for granted. Isn’t it better to serve a God who takes us slowly forward, always showing us the way, always encouraging us? We always have new horizons to reach for, and that makes our journey with God exciting!

God, please forgive me for wanting all the victory right now. Help me realize that as I struggle and call on You, I see Your wonderful, loving, and caring hand taking me forward—little by little. For that, I’m so grateful. Amen.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Just in Time

November 4, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. —1 Corinthians 10:13

In her book, The Hiding Place, Nazi concentration camp survivor Corrie ten Boom recalls the story of how, as a young girl, she struggled with the prospect of having loved ones die.

Her father wisely took her aside and asked, “Corrie, when you and I go to Amsterdam—when do I give you your ticket?”

“Why, just before we get on the train.”

“Exactly,” her father said. “And our wise Father knows when we’re going to need things, too. Don’t run ahead of Him, Corrie. When the time comes that some of us will have to die, you will look into your heart and find the strength you need—just in time.”

Sometimes we wonder, What if I am tested above my ability to endure? What if I am tempted above my capacity to resist? You never will be because God knows your breaking point. As far as temptation goes, 1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us, “God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” There is always a way out. Sometimes it is as simple as the door.

But what if God sends me a trial that I can’t get through? Often I talk to people who are going through very difficult suffering, and I ask myself, Would I have the attitude they have if I were going through that? Here is my response: If God would ask me to do it, then He would give me the strength to do it.

God will give you the strength to face what you have to face. You will have what you need when you need it. So don’t worry about it. Just trust God. He is in control.

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Wise Decision Making

November 3, 2013 broboinhawaii 3 Comments

Some choices should be based solely on Scripture. We don’t need to pray about whether or not to commit adultery, steal from our employer, or avoid paying the taxes we owe. For each of these, God has clearly laid out instructions for us in His Word. But on areas where Scripture is silent, the Holy Spirit desires to guide our steps along the specific path the Father has chosen for us.

For instance, whom should you marry? Which career should you pursue? What home should you buy? True, the Bible gives a few guidelines on these topics. It tells us to marry only fellow believers, to steer clear of jobs that require unethical behavior, and to avoid overspending. But we also need specific guidance from God in these areas.

The Prompting of the Holy Spirit

After we have received Jesus as our Savior, the His Spirit dwells within us to direct our steps—the choices and decisions we should make, the work we should undertake, and the new attitudes and opinions we should adopt. Jesus said that one of the primary roles of the Holy Spirit is to guide us into all truth (John 16:13).

When God wants to clarify the next move He has for us or lead us in a new direction, He often uses what I call a “prompting.” This is like a flash of lightning in a person’s spirit that creates an almost immediate knowing of which way to turn, what to do, or how to respond. It comes with a deep assurance and confidence that the choice or decision is right.

Whenever we sense the Holy Spirit’s prompting, our all-wise God is communicating that He loves us enough to direct our steps in a particular situation. Much of what the Spirit directs us to do involves a potential loss or gain of something we deem important—either for ourselves or for others.

There are things we should avoid, discard, ignore, or put away. There are things we should reach out and receive, pay attention to, or act upon. On occasion, the Spirit also prompts us not to act or speak. At times I have clearly felt the Holy Spirit instructing me, “Sit down and don’t say a word.” Because His guidance differs moment by moment and person to person, it’s vital for each believer to look to Him for guidance.

How do you develop sensitivity to God’s leadership? Ask Him to increase your ability to discern His will in each situation. It’s His work, not yours, to impart sensitivity. When you experience His prompting, act on it immediately. Don’t second-guess what God tells you to do. Those who fail to act on the Holy Spirit’s gentle nudges never learn how to follow His leading.

If you have heard correctly, you will feel a growing peace and confidence regarding your choice. If you have heard incorrectly, you will feel unrest in your spirit. As with most things in life, we learn by trial and error.

An Example of God’s Prompting

I knew a young woman who was facing a decision about which college to attend. She had narrowed the choices to four Christian schools. When she visited the first two, she sensed a clear “no” from the Holy Spirit. After just a few hours on each campus, she felt ill at ease. Although these were good schools with excellent reputations, she knew in her spirit that they were not right for her. It wasn’t anything a specific person did or said; she just felt restless in her heart.

The last two colleges, however, seemed almost equal. She finally decided to attend the college that was closer to her home. Right before bed one night, she announced her choice to her family. She later recounted what happened: “I was awake most of the night. I tossed and turned and felt miserable. I had a nagging sense that I was making a mistake.”

The next morning, the young woman confessed to her mother, “I think I made the wrong choice. I’m changing my decision.” She felt peace all day long, and by evening, she knew she had made the right choice. After one semester at the college, she wrote a letter to her parents, saying how happy she was at the school and expressing gratitude that instead of deciding for her, they had encouraged her to seek God’s direction.

This young woman had experienced a series of promptings that led her to the final decision, which was God’s best for her. Now let me ask you: Do you believe this young woman has a much clearer understanding about how the Holy Spirit speaks in the human heart and prompts a person to move into right actions or decisions? Absolutely. She has learned a tremendous lesson about what it means to hear from God and to walk wisely.

If you are a believer in Christ Jesus, the Holy Spirit lives inside you to provide step-by-step guidance into God’s personalized plan for your life. Will you sometimes misunderstand His guidance? Yes. But if you seek daily to obey God’s still, small voice, you will experience His very best.

Adapted from “Walking Wisely: Real Guidance for Life’s Journey” (2002).

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Be Still

November 3, 2013 broboinhawaii 1 Comment

Psalm 46

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! —Psalm 46:10

Eric Liddell, memorialized in the film Chariots of Fire, won a gold medal in the 1924 Paris Olympics before going to China as a missionary. Some years later, with the outbreak of World War II, Liddell sent his family to safety in Canada, but he remained in China. Soon Liddell and other foreign missionaries were interned in a Japanese detainment camp. After months of captivity, he developed what doctors feared was a brain tumor.

Every Sunday afternoon a band would play near the hospital, so one day Liddell requested they play the hymn “Be Still, My Soul.” As he listened, I wonder if Eric pondered these words from the song: Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on / When we shall be forever with the Lord. / When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone, / Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored. / Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past / All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

That beautiful hymn, so comforting to Eric as he faced an illness that led to his death 3 days later, expresses a great reality of Scripture. In Psalm 46:10, David wrote, “Be still, and know that I am God.” In our darkest moments, we can rest, for our Lord conquered death on our behalf. Be still, and allow Him to calm your greatest fears. —Bill Crowder

Teach me, Lord, to still my soul before You. Help

me to bear patiently the trials I face, and to

leave everything to You to direct and provide.

I know that You will always remain faithful.

God’s whisper of comfort quiets the noise of our trials.

Bible in a year: Jeremiah 30-31; Philemon

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; J.K. – Eternal Freedom

November 3, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Well, it’s over! The World Series has been played and there was a winner. Some players received the glory. But in a very short time, they and their team will be forgotten.

Give thanks to the Lord…proclaim that his name is exalted.

Isaiah 12:4

It should not be that way for the God of your salvation! In what could be characterized as a psalm, Isaiah proclaims that the Lord should be praised and His name should be exalted. From the time of the Exodus of Israel from Egypt to the celebration of Passover each year, God’s chosen people give thanks and praise to their deliverer.

That should be your song as well, believer. You are delivered – redeemed and saved from the fate of sin! When you realize the joy of reconciliation to the One against whom you have sinned, sing your praises to God and speak of it to those around you. As they come to faith, they can make this song their own, knowing the reality of His saving grace.

Intercede for America…that many will come to faith and understand their deliverance. May they give thanks to God for the freedoms He has given – in this great country and for eternity. The praises should never die; the glory is always the Lord’s.

Recommended Reading: II Corinthians 3:12-4:6

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – His Empowering Presence

November 2, 2013 broboinhawaii 1 Comment

Jeremiah 1:6-10

When was the last time you felt God’s presence? I’m not talking about an intellectual understanding that the Lord is with you because He’s everywhere. Instead, what I’m asking is, When was the last time you experienced a heartfelt realization that He personally and intimately abides with you?

If you’re like many believers today, it may have been a while since you really felt His presence. Too many people go about their daily life without a genuine sense of God’s closeness. What a tragedy!

In the Scriptures, when God called someone into service, the first thing He did was to remind that person of His enduring presence. We see examples of this in the stories of Moses (Ex. 3:11-12), Joshua (Josh. 1:1-9), Gideon (Judg. 6:12), and Jeremiah (Jer. 1:6-8), to name just a few. Every time God called one of His servants into action, His message was, “You can be strong and courageous because I am with you. Victory isn’t about your abilities, your strength, your skill, your armor, your gifts, or your dedication; it is completely centered on My presence. You can be strong because I will be strong in and through you.”

God repeatedly assured His followers of His presence so they would remember the reason they could have confidence. And He wants to do the same for you.

The Lord knows how difficult life can be, and He’s aware of the details of each struggle you’ll ever face. As believers in Christ Jesus, we can trust that our heavenly Father will keep His word. He is with us right now, and He always will be (Heb. 13:5-6).

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Who’s Telling The Truth?

November 2, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

John 8:31-47

Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? —John 8:46

During the 2012 US presidential campaign, television coverage of speeches and debates often included “fact checking” by analysts who compared the candidates’ statements with their actual records. Were they telling the truth or manipulating the facts to their advantage?

The apostle John recorded a debate between Jesus and a group of people who believed He was making false claims about Himself. Jesus told them, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32). They told Him that they had never been in bondage to anyone and asked, “How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?” (v.33).

As the debate continued, Jesus kept saying that He was telling them the truth (vv.34,40,45-46,51). Some believed Him, but others remained angry at Him and unconvinced.

In a sense, that debate goes on today. Those who oppose Jesus seek to discredit His statements and twist them into lies. Jesus says, “I am telling you the truth,” and promises that He will give us a freedom we can find nowhere else.

The Bible record of Jesus’ life is worth “fact checking” as we determine who we will follow. All of us have a choice to make. —David McCasland

Faith is believing, the promise is true,

Trusting in Jesus your strength to renew;

Resting so sweetly, secure on His Word,

Shielded from danger with Jesus the Lord. —Teasley

God’s truth stands any test.

Bible in a year: Jeremiah 27-29; Titus 3

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Unaffected by Change

November 2, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

For I the Lord do not change.

Malachi 3:6

It is just as well for us that in all the variableness of life there is One whom change cannot affect, One whose heart can never alter, and on whose brow inconsistency can make no furrows.

All other things have changed-all things are changing. The sun grows dim with age; the world is growing old; the final chapter of the worn-out vesture has begun; the heavens and earth must soon pass away; they will perish-they shall grow old like a garment. But there is One who only has immortality, of whose years there is no end, and in whose person there is no change.

The delight that the sailor feels when, having been tossed about on the waves, he steps again upon the solid shore is the satisfaction of a Christian when, in all the changes of this distressing life, he rests the foot of his faith upon this truth-“I the LORD do not change.”

The stability that the anchor gives the ship when it has at last obtained a solid hold is like that which the Christian’s hope provides him when it fixes itself upon this glorious truth. With God “there is no variation or shadow due to change.”1

Whatever His attributes were in the past, they are now; His power, His wisdom, His justice, His truth are unchanged. He has forever been the refuge of His people, their stronghold in the day of trouble, and He is still their sure Helper.

He is unchanged in His love. He has loved His people with “an everlasting love”;2 He loves them now as much as ever He did, and when the creation itself is set free from its bondage to decay, His love will still endure.

Precious is the assurance that He does not change! The wheel of providence revolves, but its axle is eternal love.

Death and change are busy ever,

Man decays, and ages move;

But His mercy waneth never;

God is wisdom, God is love.

1 James 1:17 2 Jeremiah 31:3

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – The security of the Church

November 1, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.” Psalm 125:2

John MacArthur – Christian faith produces righteous deeds.

November 1, 2013 broboinhawaii 1 Comment

“Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval” (Heb. 11:1-2).

Hebrews 11 has been called “The Heroes of Faith,” “The Faith Chapter,” “The Saints’ Hall of Fame,” “The Honor Roll of the Old Testament Saints,” and “The Westminster Abbey of Scripture.” Those are appropriate titles because this chapter highlights the virtues of faith as demonstrated in the lives of great Old Testament saints. It also reminds us that without faith, it is impossible to please God.

Such a reminder was necessary for the first-century Hebrew people because Judaism had abandoned true faith in God for a legalistic system of works righteousness. Its message is valid today since our devotion to Christ can easily degenerate into a religion of rules and regulations.

While affirming the primacy of faith, the writer of Hebrews doesn’t undermine the importance of righteous works. Quite the contrary. He exhorts us “to stimulate one another to love and good deeds” (10:24) and to pursue holiness so others will see Christ in us and be drawn to Him (12:14).

Yet righteous works are the by-product of true salvation, not its means. As the apostle Paul wrote, “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10). Apart from faith, all attempts to please God through good works alone are as useless and offensive to Him as filthy rags (Isa. 64:6). That’s why Paul gladly set all his Jewish legalistic practices aside, counting them as rubbish. He wanted only “the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith” (Phil. 3:9).

This month we’ll study the heroes of faith listed in Hebrews 11. As we do, remember they weren’t perfect people. But their faith was exemplary and by it they gained God’s approval. I pray that’s true of you as well.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Thank God for the gift of faith.

Undoubtedly you know people who are trying to please God by their own efforts. Pray for them and take every opportunity to tell them of true salvation through faith in Christ

For Further Study:

Select one of the individuals mentioned in Hebrews 11 and read the Old Testament account of his or her life.

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – A Place Prepared for You

November 1, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself, that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:3, KJV).

Recently my 93-year-old father went to be with the Lord. Though I was saddened to realize that I would never see him again in this life, and I shed a few tears of sorrow for myself, at the same time I rejoiced in the knowledge that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

My father is now rejoicing in the presence of our wonderful God and Savior. One day I shall join with him, my mother (who is still living at 93), all my brothers and sisters who have declared their faith in Christ, and multitudes of other loved ones, friends and saints to spend eternity in that place where “eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard…what God hath prepared for those who love Him.”

“I cannot think what we shall find to do in heaven,” mused Martin Luther. “No change, no work, no eating, no drinking, nothing to do.”

“Yes,” responded a friend, “‘Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.'”

“Why, of course,” said Luther, “that sight will give us quite enough to do!”

Joy of joys, you and I not only have been given purpose and power for living the supernatural, abundant life – by the indwelling Holy Spirit – but we have also been promised a place in His presence when this life is over. And, as Luther realized, we will then worship Him face to face throughout the endless ages of eternity.

We need not know exactly what heaven will be like; we need only know who will be there – our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. That assurance and anticipation should motivate us to live the kind of supernatural life that burdens and concerns us about the needs of others, moment by moment, day by day.

Bible Reading: John 14:27-31

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Today I will meditate on the glory and beauty of my heavenly Father and my eternal home where I shall worship and have fellowship with my Lord throughout eternity. I will encourage loved ones, friends and strangers alike to prepare to go there also when their work on earth is done

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; P.G. – Group Dynamics

November 1, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Affinity groups are frequently small clusters of people who engage in a common activity. Working alone can be a daunting task in which you could feel somewhat powerless. But when you put your activities together with those of others who are like-minded, strength is consolidated and multiplied exponentially.

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you.

Colossians 1:3

Paul knew this. On his missionary journeys, he watched people band together in the cause of Christ and His Kingdom, amplifying their purpose and expanding his efforts. It’s no wonder, then, that when he wrote to them, he gave thanks for them. And he always prayed for them.

Perhaps you are part of a small prayer cell at church or are in a community Bible study. You have experienced exponential results in working and serving together, and have seen an increase in the power of prayer by being united as you call upon the Lord. In this month of Thanksgiving, give your gratitude to God for them, and for America where you can still gather. Then today as you pray, whether by yourself or in the company of others, intercede for the nation’s leaders to grasp both the significance and importance of public and private prayer.

Greg Laurie – Another Kind of Courage

November 1, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. —1 Corinthians 16:13

What is courage? Courage has been defined as bravery. It also has been defined as fear that has said its prayers. Mark Twain said, “Courage is the mastery of fear, not the absence of fear.” A courageous person is not someone who is fearless. (That is, effectively, a stupid person.) A courageous person is someone who can control his or her fear and then do the right thing. It is overcoming the fear that we naturally have.

We no doubt see courage on display among those who are first responders. Certainly the brave soldiers serving our country display courage every day. And we read periodically of acts of heroism, although I wish we could read more often about them because they happen all the time.

But there are other kinds of courage too. There is moral courage, which is the ability to do right in the face of opposition or discouragement. Having moral courage means being an honest person. It means having integrity. It means that you don’t cheat on the test. You don’t cheat on your taxes. And you don’t cheat on your spouse. Moral courage is honoring the vows you made to your wife or your husband when you said, “For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish. . . .”

It also takes courage to follow Jesus Christ. We are living in an ABC culture today: anything but Christ. People are fine with whatever you believe, until you say, “I believe in Jesus Christ, and I believe the Bible is the Word of God.” At best you become persona non grata. At worst you are public enemy number one. It takes courage to stand up for Jesus Christ, wherever you are. We need more moral courage today.

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – He Gives Us What We Need

November 1, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

One morning Denalyn was with me in the car. “I’m about to remind you why you married me,” I told her as we drew near to the intersection. “See that long line of cars? See that humdrum of humanity? It’s not for me…hang on!” I swerved from the six-lane onto the one-lane and shared with my sweetheart my secret expressway to freedom.

“What do you think?” I asked, awaiting her worship.

“I think you broke the law,” she responded.

“What?” I asked incredulously.

“You just went the wrong way on a one-way street!” she answered.

I did. She was right. I had missed the “do not enter” sign.

Before coming to Christ, we all had our share of shortcuts. What we consider shortcuts God sees as disasters. He doesn’t give laws for our pleasure. He gives them for our protection. He knows what we need!

from Lucado Inspirational Reader

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Hope for the Backslider

October 31, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Renew a right spirit within me.

Psalms 51:10

A backslider, if there is a spark of life left in him, will groan for restoration. In this renewal the same exercise of grace is required as at our conversion. We needed repentance then; we certainly need it now. We required faith that we might come to Christ at first; only the same grace can bring us to Jesus now. We needed a word from the Most High, a word from the lip of the loving One, to end our fears then; we shall soon discover, when under a sense of present sin, that we need it now. No man can be renewed without as real and true a manifestation of the Holy Spirit’s energy as he felt at first, because the work is as great, and flesh and blood are as much in the way now as they ever were.

Let your personal weakness, Christian, be an argument to make you pray sincerely to your God for help. Remember, David when he felt himself to be powerless did not fold his arms or close his lips, but he hurried to the mercy-seat crying, “renew a right spirit within me.” Do not allow the doctrine that you, unaided, can do nothing make you sleep; but let it be a goad in your side to drive you with an awful earnestness to Israel’s strong Helper. O that you may have grace to plead with God, as though you pleaded for your very life-“renew a right spirit within me.” He who sincerely prays to God to do this will prove his honesty by using the means through which God works.

Be much in prayer; live constantly on the Word of God; kill the lusts that have driven your Lord from you; be careful to watch over the future uprisings of sin. The Lord has His own appointed ways; sit by the wayside, and you will be ready when He passes by. Continue in all those blessed ordinances that will foster and nourish your dying graces; and knowing that all the power must proceed from Him, do not cease to cry, “Renew a right spirit within me.”

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – You Will Have Life

October 31, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“But these are recorded so that you will believe that He is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that believing in Him you will have life” (John 20:31).

What a message you and I have to share. That is why John wrote this entire Gospel, so that we, first of all, might believe, but then also that we might share the good news with all who will listen.

“These are recorded” – the miracles presented in this gospel – so that we might believe. The goal of the book is two-fold: (1) to prove that Jesus was (is) Messiah and (2) that all those who look at the proof might be convinced and thus find eternal life.

The miracles, facts, arguments, instructions and conversations – all are directed toward that end. John’s goal (to demonstrate that Jesus is the Messiah), if kept steadily in view will throw much light on the book. The argument is unanswerable, framed after the strictest rules of reasoning, infinitely beyond the skill of man, and having throughout the cleared evidence of demonstration.

All Scripture is given to us for a purpose. The purpose of this particular passage is crystal clear; hence it demands some kind of response from those of us who truly believe. To know the truth is not enough. We must act on it, trusting the Lord of the harvest to make us sensitive and alert to the spiritual needs of those around us.

Bible Reading: John 3:9-15

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will seek to be sensitive to the spiritual needs of all with whom I have contact.

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – God and Your Destiny

October 31, 2013 broboinhawaii 1 Comment

Every event of your day is designed to draw you toward God and your destiny. To the degree we believe and accept God’s vision for our lives, we’ll get through life. When people junk us, we’ll stand up. God can use this for good. When family members sell us out, we’ll climb to our feet. God will recycle this pain. We may stumble, but we do not fall. Why?

Ephesians 1:11 tells us that God works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will. Everything means everything. No exceptions. Everything in your life is leading to a climactic moment in which Colossians 1:20 says, “Jesus will reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood shed on the cross.”

You will get through this. God will give you a hope and a future! God will use this for good.

From You’ll Get Through This

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — The Last Chapter

October 30, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Revelation 22:6-20

Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. —Philippians 4:5

I have a friend who reads the last chapter first when she starts a new thriller. “Takes the anxiety out of reading,” she claims. So with Christians: Because we know the end of the story, we can be centers of peace in the midst of utter chaos, calm in the face of disaster.

The apostle Paul calls this attitude “moderation” in Philippians 4:5 (KJV). It’s a term that implies “peace under pressure.” It refers to the calm and deliberate strength with which we meet the disquieting circumstances of our days. Kingdoms may fall, friends may falter, churches may fold, oceans may rise, and mountains may crumble, but we can be at peace.

How do we maintain such composure? By remembering that “the Lord is at hand” (Phil. 4:5); He is near. Our Lord is standing just outside the door ready to burst through and turn everything that’s wrong right-side up. Then this world and all its troubles will become the kingdom of our Lord, and “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea” (Hab. 2:14).

Jesus said, “Surely I am coming quickly” (Rev. 22:20). Today could be the day! It’s the very last thing He said in the very last chapter of His book. —David Roper

Lord, thank You for dispelling the fear from our lives

by letting us know the end of the story. We can rest

in the assurance that as Your followers we will one

day be with You in Your glorious, eternal kingdom.

No doctrine is more closely linked to practical daily living than that of the Lord’s return.

Bible in a year: Jeremiah 20-21; 2 Timothy 4

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Truly Human

October 30, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“What does it mean to be human?” has been the inquiring theme of more than a few journals, conferences, and special reports. It is a question that is considered from anthropological, theological, and biological perspectives, from within medical, ethical, and spiritual circles. Yet regardless of the examiner, any plumbing of the depths of the nature of humanity is a discovery that the implications are as far-reaching as the subject itself.

Generation after generation, voices that have spoken to the question of human nature often reflect something of the paradoxical character of humanity. Plato described human life in terms of the dualistic qualities he observed. While the mind is representative of the intellectual soul, the stomach is an appetitive beast that must be tamed. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn wrote of the human propensity for both compassion and cruelty at once. “The line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being.”(1) Speaking in the 17th century, Blaise Pascal made note of further dueling extremes present within humanity. “For after all, what is man in nature? A nothing in relation to infinity, all in relation to nothing, a central point between nothing and all—and infinitely far from understanding either… He is equally incapable of seeing the nothingness out of which he was drawn and the infinite in which he is engulfed.”(2)

What does it mean to be human? The seeming paradoxes in and around us make the question difficult to answer. Don’t we sense at times within us contradiction and inconsistency—a desire to be a good friend beside the wherewithal to manipulate or exploit, the intention to be a good neighbor beside the tendency to walk away without helping? It is reminiscent of Aslan’s response to the children in Prince Caspian: “‘You come of the Lord Adam and the Lady Eve,’ said Aslan. ‘And that is both honour enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar, and shame enough to bow the shoulders of the greatest emperor in earth.’”

As a Christian, I understand my own inconsistencies by the explanation given in the Christian story. Humans are bearers of God’s image, made with the intention and care of a good Creator. But it is a reflection that has become blurred. The image of God in humanity is an image tarnished. We have been made in God’s image, but it is an image that needs restoration, reviving, resuscitation.

In the company of Pascal and Solzhenitsyn, I find Christian doctrine to provide the only framework that makes sense of the contradictions within us. But far more than this, it is also the only framework that redeems the tension within us, the tension between my identity as a child of God and a daughter of humanity. New Testament writers have assured the promise is ours: “Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we will also bear the image of the man of heaven.” For Christ is not only at work redeeming a fallen humanity, cleansing us from the sin that corrupts our nature. Christ came to unite humanity with God so that we can be truly human.

This is far more hopeful news than other worldviews or self-help plans impart. For if true humanity is a humanity fully united to its creator, then the possibility is ours. Acting on our own power and authority, independent of God, we merely expose our alienation from God and from our true selves. We fail to know what it means to be fully human. But united to Christ through faith we are united to another nature entirely. Writes one disciple, “[God] has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (2 Peter 1:4).

While Christ is the one who makes our resuscitation possible, the one who restores in us the image of God, the process of reviving is also something we actively take hold of as human beings united to the Son. In other words, to live as children made in God’s image and united to Christ is not a static hope, but an active calling. “So then,” in the words of Paul, “just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness” (Colossians 2:6-7).

What does it mean to be human? Perhaps we only begin to answer this immense inquiry when we turn to the one who shows us the very meaning of the word.

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

(1) Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago: 1918-1956 (New York: Harper Collins, 2002), 75.

(2) Blaise Pascal, Pensess (New York: Penguin, 1995), 61.

DAILY DEVOTIONS, NEWS AND INFORMATION

Tag Archives: faith

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