Tag Archives: faith

Alistair Begg

Truth for Life; Alistair Begg –The Blood That Frees to Serve

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If the blood of goats and bulls … sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

Hebrews 9:13–14

The uncomfortable truth is that by nature we are slaves to sin. We serve ourselves, we glory in our folly, and none of us seek after God (Romans 3:11). But there is hope: “God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us … made us alive together with Christ” (Ephesians 2:4-5). And when we are united with Christ by faith, “we have redemption through his blood” (1:7).

Our redemption was secured at the highest cost: the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. John Murray, the Scottish theologian of old, noted, “Christ did not come to put men in a redeemable position but to redeem to himself a people.”[1]

The redemption which God the Father has planned, the Son has procured, and the Spirit has applied encompasses all the wonder of a life changed. It is in this eternal redemption that our consciences are purified “from dead works.” That is, we are cleansed from our sinful actions, including those of religious self-reliance, which lead to death.

The “blood of Christ” frees us from our slavery to sin to make us slaves all over again—only now we are gladly and joyfully bound to the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our Master and our Guide. Jesus did not go to the extent of redeeming us from all ungodliness so that we could just run around and please ourselves. He did not redeem us so that we might treat Him with scant regard. No, He ransomed our lives in order that we might serve the living God!

What a privilege it is to serve God and to pursue the good works which He has prepared for those who are in Christ (Ephesians 2:10). What joy should fill our souls as we marvel at His redeeming love: that from all of eternity, the triune God entered into a covenant of redemption and planned to secure a people that belong exclusively to Him and who are called to serve and honor Him in all they do.

Perhaps today you are stuck in patterns of unhelpful introspection. Maybe you have been neglecting the fact that you have been redeemed at great cost in order that you might be sanctified in His service. Consider Christ and all He has done for you. Remember that He has enabled you to do what He calls you to do: to live a life of glad obedience.

Questions for Thought

How is God calling me to think differently?

How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?

What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Further Reading

Psalm 20

Topics: Redemption Service Union with Christ

FOOTNOTES

1 Redemption—Accomplished and Applied, p 63, quoted in Geoffrey B. Wilson, New Testament Commentaries, Vol. 2, Philippians to Hebrews and Revelation (Banner of Truth, 2005), p 402.

Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg

http://www.truthforlife.org

Kids 4 Truth

Kids4Truth Clubs Daily Devotional – God Is the Most High God

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“I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, ‘What doest thou?’” (Daniel 4:34-35)

Hunter and Cammie were playing on the dirt pile in the back yard. “I’m the king of the mountain!” yelled Hunter from the top of the pile, his arms raised high in the air.

“Not so fast, there!” yelled Cammie as she charged up toward him and attempted to take his place. As she pushed him out of the way, she exclaimed, “Now I’m the queen of the mountain!”

Laughing and out of breath, Hunter gasped, “So what does the queen of the mountain actually rule over?”

“Whatever she wants, of course!” replied Cammie, grinning.

Maybe, like Hunter and Cammie, you might like to be a ruler of some kind, in control of something – if only over something as small as a dirt pile. But do you remember Who is really in charge of everything? In Scripture, God is called “the Most High God.” Do you know why He is called that? He is called “the Most High God” because He is the most high! He has more authority and power than anyone else. He created the universe, and He controls the universe He created! He does whatever He sees fit to do. No one is in a position to question Him!

The truth that God is the Most High God should be encouraging, if you belong to Him. He has all things under perfect control. But at the same time, this truth should be a reminder that you are not the one in charge; God is. He has the right to “call the shots” when it comes to your life, and He carries out His own plans in His own way and in His own good time – because He is the Most High God.

God rules over everything and does everything He knows to be best for His glory and for our good.

My Response:
» Do I thank the Most High God that He rules over everything – even situations that are hard for me to understand?
» Do I submit in spirit when the Most High God controls things in my life, or am I trying to “call the shots” myself?

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John Hagee

Hagee Ministries; John Hagee –  Daily Devotion

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And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.

John 10:28

How comforting to know that God holds us securely in His hand, cradling us with great care and compassion. If you are exhausted at the end of a very difficult year, be assured of several things.

Every detail of 2023 was filtered through the loving fingers of our Father. Nothing and no one can tear you away from Him. He is not shocked or alarmed by the drama or tragedy in your life.

Whatever you perceive as your greatest weakness, whatever is lacking in you, in the place that you feel the most ugly and the least lovable…you are His. Now and forever. He will not disown or throw you away. You are precious in His sight.

He cannot wait to swoop you up and pull you in close. Zephaniah 3:17 says that He delights in you as He sings with joy. Imagine His lips on your forehead as He hums a lullaby. You belong to Him.

Run to Him as fast as your tired legs can carry you. Throw out your arms in complete trust. He will swing you up, pull you close, and call you His own. 

He won’t give you up, and He won’t give up on you. You are accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:6). He’s got you. Better things are on the way.

Blessing

Heavenly Father, I am Your child. Thank You for the love that pulls me close, for the acceptance that makes me safe, and for the promise of a better tomorrow. Wipe away my tears, and fill my heart with hope for 2022. In the power of Jesus’ name…amen.

Today’s Bible Reading: 

Old Testament

Zechariah 14:1-21

New Testament 

Revelation 20:1-15

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 148:1-14

Proverbs 31:8-9

https://www.jhm.org

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – The Lord’s Lineage

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He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.
Luke 1:32

 Recommended Reading: Luke 20:41-47

In 2 Samuel 7:8-16, Almighty God promised an everlasting legacy to the dynasty of King David saying, “Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever” (verse 16, NIV). This is similar to the covenant God made with Abraham that through his seed all the world would be blessed (Genesis 22:18).

The opening verse of the New Testament says, “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1). The story of the Old Testament isn’t simply the story of the Jewish nation; it’s the story of one family—one ribbon of lineages—that leads to the Messiah!

Jesus is the rightful heir of the kingship of Israel who comes through the lineage of David. He is the ultimate fulfillment of the covenant God made with David, a descendant of Abraham.

God keeps His promises, even over hundreds and thousands of years. He will keep all His promises to you too!

When God makes a promise, you can take it to the bank…. His promises never fail.
Michael Lawrence

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – Don’t Slow Down

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And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing. 

—2 Timothy 4:8

Scripture:

2 Timothy 4:8 

It isn’t enough to start well in the race of life; we need to finish well. It isn’t enough to run fast; we need to run fast and long. This is a long-distance run, and the goal is to make it across the finish line.

As the apostle Paul neared the end of his race, he wrote to Timothy, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful” (2 Timothy 4:7 NLT).

The Bible is filled with the stories of so many who had tremendous potential but crashed and burned in the spiritual race.

There was King Saul, who had incredible potential, yet he disobeyed God repeatedly. He allowed pride into his life, which gave way to the paranoia and jealousy that ultimately consumed him. He essentially wrote his own epitaph when he said, “I have been a fool and very, very wrong” (1 Samuel 26:21 NLT).

Then there was Samson, with his incredible ability to vanquish his enemies. On one occasion, he killed a thousand Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey. Yet he went down in flames. Because he played around with sin, sin ultimately played around with him, culminating in his own death.

Gideon had such humble beginnings, yet God mightily used him to conquer his enemies. But as his life came to an end, he lowered his standards and fell into immorality and pride.

These people started well, but they didn’t finish well. They ran fast in the beginning, but they didn’t get across the finish line as they should have.

Paul wanted to be in the company of those who finished the race, men like Caleb and Joshua in the Old Testament who finished well.

Hebrews 12 tells us, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith” (verses 1–2 NLT).

We’re running this race not for applause, not for notoriety, but for the Lord. We run this race so that we can hear Jesus say to us on that final day, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Looking to Jesus keeps us going, because we can get discouraged. People can let us down. They can disappoint us. That’s why we must keep our eyes on Jesus Christ.

In the ancient Greek games, a judge would stand at the finish line holding laurel leaves, the reward given to the victor in plain sight. As runners came around the last stretch, tired and exhausted, they could see the prize awaiting the winner. And no doubt a new burst of energy kicked in.

This is a long-distance run. So keep running. If you’ve been slowing down, it’s time to speed up. It’s time to move forward, because you are leaving a legacy.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie
Days of Praise

Days of Praise – The Twofold Call

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by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.


“And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.” (1 Samuel 3:10)

There are a number of other times in Scripture when the Lord repeated a second time the name He was calling, always at a time of great significance and urgency. Once had been to Moses: “God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here I am” (Exodus 3:4).

God then ordained Moses to lead His people out of Egypt. When He called Samuel, it was to lead His people out of the chaos of the period of the judges and to prepare them for the Davidic kingdom. The first time God had called in this fashion was to Abraham, and then it was to confirm that he had passed God’s final test for the fulfillment of the great promise concerning the blessing on his seed. “And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I” (Genesis 22:11).

In the New Testament, the Lord Jesus spoke thus unto all His rebelling nation: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,…Behold, your house is left unto you desolate” (Matthew 23:37-38). Before this, He had spoken both in grief and in encouragement to Peter, who must be prepared to lead the disciples later on. “Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren” (Luke 22:31-32). Finally, when the Lord was ready to call Paul as His apostle to the Gentiles, He met him on the road to Damascus: “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” (Acts 9:4).

The last calling in the Bible is not a twofold call but fourfold! “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Revelation 22:17). HMM

https://www.icr.org/articles/type/6

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – Meeting the Needs of Others

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Bible in a Year :

If you take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge, return it by sunset.

Exodus 22:26

Today’s Scripture & Insight :

Exodus 22:22–27

Phillip’s father suffered from severe mental illness and had left home to live on the streets. After Cyndi and her young son Phillip spent a day searching for him, Phillip was rightly concerned for his dad’s well-being. He asked his mother whether his father and other people without homes were warm. In response, they launched an effort to collect and distribute blankets and cold-weather gear to homeless people in the area. For more than a decade, Cyndi has considered it her life’s work, crediting her son and her deep faith in God for awakening her to the hardship of being without a warm place to sleep.

The Bible has long taught us to respond to the needs of others. In the book of Exodus, Moses records a set of principles to guide our interaction with those who lack plentiful resources. When we’re moved to supply the needs of another, we’re to “not treat it like a business deal” and should make no gain or profit from it (Exodus 22:25). If a person’s cloak was taken as collateral, it was to be returned by sunset “because that cloak is the only covering your neighbor has. What else can they sleep in?” (v. 27).

Let’s ask God to open our eyes and hearts to see how we can ease the pain of those who are suffering. Whether we seek to meet the needs of many—as Cyndi and Phillip have—or those of a single person, we honor Him by treating them with dignity and care.

By:  Kirsten Holmberg

Reflect & Pray

How has God supplied your needs through others? Whose needs might you be able to supply?

Heavenly Father, please open my eyes to the needs of others.

John MacArthur

Grace to You; John MacArthur – The Author of Our Salvation

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“It was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings” (Heb. 2:10).

Through His death, Christ became the perfect leader for His people.

As we look at what Christ has done, we must never forget that He was fulfilling the sovereign plan of God. The writer of Hebrews tells us it was fitting in God’s sight for Christ to bring many sons to glory. That means everything God did through Christ was consistent with His character.

The cross was a masterpiece of God’s wisdom. It displayed His holiness in His hatred of sin. It was consistent with His power: Christ endured in a few hours what it would take an ternity to expend on sinners. The cross displayed His love for mankind. And Christ’s death on the cross agreed with God’s grace because it was substitutionary.

To bring “many sons to glory,” God had “to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.” The Greek word translated “author” (archēgos) means “pioneer” or “leader.” It was commonly used of a pioneer who blazed a trail for others to follow. The archēgos never stood at the rear giving orders; he was always out front blazing the trail. As the supreme Archēgos, Christ has gone before us—He is our trailblazer.

Life seems most anxious and dreadful when death is near. That’s a trail we cannot travel by ourselves. But the Author of our salvation says, “Because I live, you shall live also” (John 14:19). Only the perfect Pioneer could lead us out of the domain of death into the presence of the Father. All you have to do is put your hand in His nail- scarred hand and He will lead you from one side of death to the other. Then you can say with the apostle Paul, “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (1 Cor. 15:55).

Suggestion for Prayer

Praise God for all His attributes, specifically for each one displayed in Christ’s death for you.

For Further Study

Read Hebrews 5:8-9 and 1 Peter 2:19-25. How do those verses expand on Hebrews 2:10?

http://www.gty.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – A Grateful Attitude

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Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and a thank offering and into His courts with praise! Be thankful and say so to Him, bless and affectionately praise His name!

— Psalm 100:4 (AMPC)

A person flowing in the mind of Christ will find his thoughts filled with praise and thanksgiving. A powerful life cannot be lived without thanksgiving. The Bible instructs us over and over in the principle of thanksgiving. It is a life principle.

Many doors are opened to the enemy through complaining. Some people are physically ill and live weak, powerless lives due to this disease called complaining that attacks the thoughts and conversations of people.

We can offer thanksgiving at all times—in every situation, in all things—and by so doing, enter into the victorious life Jesus died to give us. It may require a sacrifice of praise or thanksgiving, but a person who consciously takes the time to be grateful is always happier than someone who does not.

You can choose to be filled with gratitude not only toward God but also toward people. Expressing appreciation blesses the people around you, but it is also good for you because it releases joy in your life.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, when I really stop to think about it, my mind and heart are filled with gratitude for the many blessings I enjoy in my life. Help me to always be thankful and drive out all negativity and all complaining, amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Alistair Begg

Truth for Life; Alistair Begg – Show No Partiality

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My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.

James 2:1

Aliving faith is not only a listening faith but also a doing faith. True belief manifests itself in action—and, in some cases, in inaction. In other words, true faith is known not only by what it does but also by what it doesn’t do—for example, as James points out, by not showing partiality.

Partiality—the sin of treating people differently due to their outward appearance, status, or usefulness—was a clear and present danger in James’ day, and it remains so in our own. James was not condemning all acknowledgment of distinctions, or even preferential treatment for legitimate reasons. A young man who gives up his bus seat for an elderly woman is not running foul of James’ teaching! Rather, what James was making absolutely clear is this: external characteristics, and especially those that indicate wealth, in and of themselves do not mean that someone deserves honor.

This is the point of the illustration in James 2: if two men enter our gathering, one in fine clothing and the other in shabby, and the wealthy man gets the place of honor while the poor man gets shoved aside, then we are guilty of the sin of partiality. To give such preferential treatment to the wealthy would be to make “distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts” (v 4). God does not judge us by such distinctions, and so neither should we judge others in this way.

In His life and ministry, Jesus displayed how impartiality ought to look. He was willing to allow a woman of ill repute to weep over Him and for her tears to wash His feet (Luke 7:36-50). And He was just as prepared to call a rich man down from a tree to take Him to his house (19:1-10). Why? Because He knew that great wealth and worldly honor do not and cannot make someone more valuable in God’s eyes. He was well-acquainted with both the richest of riches and the lowest circumstances imaginable. In descending from heaven, exchanging honor for humility, Jesus set aside the glory which was His due in order to draw near to and save sinners like us—rich and poor alike.

When we grasp the wonder of this reality, we begin to see the true ugliness of judging others on the basis of the external and superficial. Partiality should have no place among the people of God because if we know God at all, it is because He dealt with us impartially. Be honest with yourself, then, and ask the Lord for the grace to see others in the way He does and to show others the mercy and grace He has shown you.

Questions for Thought

How is God calling me to think differently?

How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?

What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Further Reading

Luke 7:36–50

Topics: Character of God Humility Warnings

Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg

http://www.truthforlife.org

Kids 4 Truth

Kids4Truth Clubs Daily Devotional – God Gives Perfect Gifts

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 “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” (Matthew 7:11)

Have you ever spent a long time trying to find just the right gift for someone? It may have been for Christmas, for a birthday, or for another special occasion. Sometimes you buy gifts, and sometimes you make them; but you still put time and thought into what you decide to give. Your dad has to get just the right tie, and your mom needs the best-written poem. Your sister can’t get just any game. It’s so exciting to watch your loved one’s face as he or she opens up that good gift after you have put so much into choosing or making it.

Have you ever asked for something for months – and then finally received just what you’d been wanting? What a great feeling! You definitely feel loved when you get that specific thing you’ve been wanting for so long. Imagine that for months – like starting in the summer – whenever your family members ask what you want for Christmas, you say you would really like a new electronic game system. Over and over they hear you say it: A new game system. Now imagine that Christmas morning finally arrives, and there under the tree is a new game system! Wow! For you, that would be a good gift!

You love to give and to get good gifts. But the Bible talks about a big difference between just good gifts and perfect gifts. The apostle Matthew wrote that if a son were to ask his father for some bread to eat, no good father would give him a stone to eat instead. Similarly, no good mother would give her daughter a snake to eat if her daughter were to ask for some fish. Parents often seem to know how to give pretty good gifts. They know you well and try to get things for you that you need or will like. They also know what you don’t need to get – sometimes they know that better than you do! You’ve probably experienced that kind of parental goodness before, too – some time when you didn’t get something you’d asked for because your parents knew that it was not the best thing for you to have.

As good as your earthly parents might be at giving good gifts, the heavenly Father is the only One Who can give perfect gifts. James 1:17 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights.” Now that’s exciting! Even better than your earthly loved ones, your heavenly Father knows exactly what you need and don’t need. He can make sure you receive the right things. You can trust His perfect goodness and His perfect gifts.

We may know how to give good gifts, but God knows how to give perfect gifts.

My Response:
» Am I looking to earthly good gifts to make me happy, or to God’s perfect gifts?
» How can I help others hope in God Himself?

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – “I never thought something like this could happen”: The immigration crisis and two biblical responses

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US officials met yesterday with Mexico’s president, seeking measures to limit a surge of migrants reaching the US southwestern border. Meanwhile, a caravan with an estimated 7,500 members is making its way toward the border this morning. While they are drawing international attention, this is actually a smaller number than the daily migrant encounters this month, which have been averaging more than 9,600 a day.

More than two million people were apprehended at the border in this fiscal year. The surge is creating chaos in parts of southern Texas and Arizona and straining resources as far away as New York, Denver, and Chicago.

In the Del Rio sector of the Texas border, which includes Eagle Pass, as many as four thousand migrants have been processed a day. “Illegal border crossings have always happened,” said Eagle Pass fire chief Manuel Mello. “Groups of ten, twelve—that was a large group. But now you see three thousand and four thousand in one day. I never thought something like this could happen.”

What is causing this crisis? How should we think biblically and act redemptively in response?

Explaining the surge

This is a massively complex and emotionally fraught issue. However, the crisis can be framed in terms of “push” and “pull” factors.

“Push” factors include war, famine, or economic challenges that cause people to leave their home countries and seek a new home. For example, leaders of the caravan coming to the US are calling the movement an “exodus from poverty.” Venezuela has descended into disarray in recent years, while Nicaragua’s government has become more repressive. The Congressional Research Service also cites natural disasters fueled by climate change and a general lack of security.

However, the New York Times notes that there have been no recent wars in Latin America and the region’s poverty rate has been flat. Accordingly, the article states that push factors don’t explain the entire surge “and maybe not even most of it.”

“Pull” factors, by contrast, encourage migrants to come in response to an economic boom or a more lax immigration policy. During Joe Biden’s presidential campaign, the Times notes, “he spoke in much more welcoming tones than not only Donald Trump but also Barack Obama.” President Biden in turn blames Congress for failing to respond to his immigration reform proposals and requests for additional funds to address the crisis.

The result of these complex and interrelated factors is that, according to the Times, the number of people apprehended at the border has risen more than fourfold since 2020 compared with the average level in the 2010s.

Reconciling two biblical themes

In my book, The State of Our Nation: 7 Critical Issues, I devoted an entire chapter to the issue of illegal immigration. There I discuss a number of biblical texts relevant to today’s topic. We can summarize them today in two categories.

One: Scripture affirms the importance of borders (Deuteronomy 32:8; Numbers 34:1–15; Ezekiel 47:13–23), the rule of law (Romans 13:1–2; Titus 3:1; 1 Peter 2:13–14; 1 Timothy 1:8–10), and self-defense (Luke 11:21; Exodus 22:2; Proverbs 25:26; Nehemiah 4:17–18).

Two: Immigrants are not to be mistreated (Exodus 22:21) but loved (Leviticus 19:33–34; Deuteronomy 10:18–19) and helped (Deuteronomy 24:19–22; Ezekiel 47:21–23; Zechariah 7:10; Malachi 3:5; Hebrews 13:2). At-risk children are to be especially valued (Matthew 18:10; 19:14) and protected (James 1:27).

Our problem comes in reconciling these two themes. Without secure borders and the rule of law, a nation cannot thrive for the sake of its present and future populations. However, without immigrants, most nations cannot flourish; this is especially true for America, a nation comprised almost entirely of immigrants and their descendants.

Children who enter the US illegally or are born to parents who did are an example of our challenge. On one hand, should they be forced to pay for the illegal actions of their parents (Exodus 18:19–20)? On the other, is it fair for them to benefit from these actions (cf. Matthew 22:21)?

Your hands and your heart

My purpose in this brief Daily Article is obviously not to explore in detail the complexities of this deeply divisive issue. Persistent, unresolved societal challenges are seldom resolved by simple intellectual solutions. Whether the issue is opioid and drug abuse, alcoholism, homelessness, poverty, systemic injustice, crime, or any other ongoing crisis, you and I are likely not going to solve the problem today.

Policy debates are vital, of course. We should pray for our legislators, hold them accountable to their constituents, and vote our conscience. But we should also do what we can do personally to be part of the solution.

As we have discussed this week, you and I are called to continue Jesus’ earthly ministry today. Our spiritual gifts, talents, education, opportunities, and experiences are the uniquely crafted way he is advancing his kingdom through us. This is how we can do “greater” works than he did (John 14:12)—billions of people can fulfill his kingdom mission more fully than he could in a single body.

Will you ask God to help you respond redemptively to the needs you can meet today? Will you offer Jesus your hands and your heart as the “body of Christ” for our hurting world (1 Corinthians 12:27)?

When we do, God’s kingdom comes as his will is done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). And our world can never be the same.

Denison Forum

John Hagee

Hagee Ministries; John Hagee –  Daily Devotion

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But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved.

Luke 5:38

A certain satisfaction exists in closing the chapter on one year and turning a page to the new. Our ever-creating God has extraordinary plans for each of us in the coming 365 days!

Jesus once shared a parable with the religious leaders. He pointed out that no one pours new wine into old wineskins; the wine would spill out, and the wineskins would be ruined. New wine requires new wineskins.

Wineskins were goatskins sewn around the edges to create a watertight vessel. As new wine ferments, it emits gasses that cause the wineskin to expand. An old, rigid wineskin cannot withstand this process and will burst.

Jesus’ new teaching was so different from their old ways of thinking that it required a changed heart and a transformed mind. The new wine of the Holy Spirit could not be contained in their archaic system of laws.

As you anticipate what God has for you in 2024, prepare your heart: Is there anything rigid in me that would prevent the work God will do? Where am I resistant to His touch? Am I pliable to His direction?

Open yourself to His possibilities in 2024. Listen for the fresh truths He will whisper. Expand your boundaries for the opportunities He will bring. Get ready! God has great aspirations for you in the coming year.

Blessing

Heavenly Father, create in me a clean heart, tender towards You. Renew a right spirit within me, open and obedient to Your plans. Tear down anything that rises in opposition to You. Fill me to overflowing with the new wine of the Holy Spirit. I anticipate Your goodness. In Jesus’ name…amen.

Today’s Bible Reading: 

Old Testament

Zechariah 12:1-13:9

New Testament 

Revelation 19:1-21

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 147:1-20

Proverbs 31:1-7

https://www.jhm.org

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – The King of Love

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I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.
John 10:11

 Recommended Reading: John 10:11-17

Last August in India, a shepherd attempted to lead a flock of sheep over railroad tracks. An oncoming train—the Daulatpur Express—struck sixty sheep, and the shepherd fled the scene. Investigators also found another forty injured sheep in another place. They had been abandoned by the shepherd the night before.

Jesus spoke about shepherds like this, saying: “But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own” (John 10:12-14).

Jesus called Himself the Good Shepherd, and we are His sheep. He loves His sheep, and He knows every one of them. He will not abandon us or harm us. When we don’t know what to do or where to go, we need to remember to keep our eyes on Him.

The King of love my shepherd is, whose goodness faileth never. I nothing lack if I am his, and he is mine forever.
Henry W. Baker

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – Ready to Break Camp?

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For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. 

—2 Corinthians 5:1

Scripture:

2 Corinthians 5:1 

When you’re getting ready to go somewhere, your destination determines your outlook. For instance, if you’re going on vacation to Hawaii, you can hardly wait to get there. But if you’re going to the dentist, you’re dreading it.

The apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, “The time of my death is near” (2 Timothy 4:6 NLT). Or, as the New King James Version renders it, “The time of my departure is at hand.”

Earlier Paul had written to the believers in Philippi, “For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. . . . I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live” (Philippians 1:21, 23–24 NLT).

Paul knew where he was going. He knew that he was going to Heaven. Granted, Paul had a marked advantage: he had already died, gone to Heaven, and returned to Earth. He wrote about the experience in 2 Corinthians 12, where he said he was “caught up to the third heaven” (verse 2) and saw things that were indescribable.

Many commentators believe this probably happened after Paul preached the gospel in Antioch. The Bible tells us, “They stoned Paul and dragged him out of town, thinking he was dead. But as the believers gathered around him, he got up and went back into the town. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe” (Acts 14:19–20 NLT).

We can imagine Paul in Heaven before His Lord, before the One who had called him on the road to Damascus, before the One who had pardoned him of every sin. But then Paul came back, and ever since, he was homesick for Heaven.

This reminds us that Heaven is not a place of unconscious oblivion; it’s a place of conscious existence. Death held no terror for the apostle Paul. He understood that it meant going and being with Christ. It was a beginning, not an ending. It was a promotion.

The word “departure” used by Paul in 2 Timothy 4:6 (NKJV) comes from an interesting Greek term that also could describe breaking camp.

After a few days of camping, most people are ready to break camp, go home, and enjoy the luxuries of a hot shower and clean clothes. They’re happy to break camp.

When death comes, the tent called the body is laid aside as the spirit moves into a more permanent residence. As Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5, “For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands” (verse 1 NLT).

Does that sound depressing to you? Getting ready to break camp is good news if you’ve put your faith in Jesus Christ. It means that you’re going to a far better place. It means that you’re going to Heaven.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie
Days of Praise

Days of Praise – The Gospel and Health

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by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.


“And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.” (Matthew 4:23)

This is the first mention of “the gospel” in the New Testament, and it is significant that Christ was emphasizing, first of all, the long-range future aspect of the gospel, the Kingdom. In that great day, all manner of sickness and even death itself will be eternally healed, when the earth’s agelong curse, pronounced originally because of man’s sin (Genesis 3:17), is finally removed (Revelation 22:3). As a token of this future deliverance, He demonstrated His power by supernaturally healing great numbers of needy people.

The next verse elaborates further on the ubiquity of His healing ministry—“all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy” (Matthew 4:24). No one was omitted. It was not a matter of only those who had faith, or those with psychosomatic ailments, or any other distinction. Everyone was healed of every infirmity of every kind!

Nothing was too hard for the Lord to cure—not even psychiatric disorders or demon possession. However, it was not that way later on in His ministry (e.g., Mark 6:5) nor in that of the apostle Paul (e.g., 2 Timothy 4:20) or the other apostles (e.g., Matthew 17:14-16). Evidently the tremendous scope of this initial healing ministry of the Lord was intended to serve as a type and promise of what will occur worldwide and eternally when His kingdom comes and His will is done on Earth as it is in heaven. In the meantime, this record serves to assure us all that He who came preaching the gospel of the Kingdom should indeed be received by faith right now as the great King of all creation! HMM

https://www.icr.org/articles/type/6

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — God’s Wisdom Saves Lives

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Bible in a Year :

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and the one who is wise saves lives.

Proverbs 11:30

Today’s Scripture & Insight :

Proverbs 11:24–31

A mail carrier became concerned after seeing one of her customers’ mail pile up. The postal worker knew the elderly woman lived alone and usually picked up her mail every day. Making a wise choice, the worker mentioned her concern to one of the woman’s neighbors. This neighbor alerted yet another neighbor, who had a spare key to the woman’s home. Together they entered their friend’s home and found her lying on the floor. She had fallen four days earlier and couldn’t get up or call for help. The postal worker’s wisdom, concern, and decision to act likely saved her life.

Proverbs says, “the one who is wise saves lives” (11:30). The discernment that comes from doing right and living according to God’s wisdom can bless not only ourselves but those we encounter too. The fruit of living out what honors Him and His ways can produce a good and refreshing life. And our fruit also prompts us to care about others and to look out for their well-being.

As the writer of Proverbs asserts throughout the book, wisdom is found in reliance on God. Wisdom is considered “more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her” (8:11). The wisdom God provides is there to guide us throughout our lives. It just might save a life for eternity.

By:  Katara Patton

Reflect & Pray

How can you use wisdom to help someone today? How much do you value wisdom?

Heavenly Father, please give me wisdom to follow Your path and directions. Help me to look out for others as You guide me.

http://www.odb.org

John MacArthur

Grace to You; John MacArthur – God Becomes Visible

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“[Christ] is the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15).

In Christ, the invisible God became visible.

Sometimes I listen to different preachers on the radio or watch them on television, and I get tremendously frustrated. That’s because so many of them present a confusing picture of who Christ really is. Since there are so many who distort the Christian faith, there should be in every believer a desire to defend it. The apostle Paul certainly had that desire. Since the heretics at Colosse viewed Jesus as a lesser spirit who emanated from God, Paul refutes that with a powerful description of who Jesus really is.

Paul describes Him as “the image of the invisible God” (Col. 1:15). The Greek word translated “image” (eikon) means “likeness.” Although man is also the eikon of God (1 Cor. 11:7), he is not a perfect image of God. Humans are made in God’s image in that they have rational personality. Like God, they possess intellect, emotion, and will, by which they are able to think, feel, and choose. We humans are not, however, in God’s image morally: He is holy, and we are sinful. We are also not created in His image essentially, since we do not possess His divine attributes.

Unlike man, Jesus Christ is the perfect, absolutely accurate image of God. He did not become the image of God at the Incarnation but has been that from all eternity. Hebrews 1:3 says Christ “is the radiance of [God’s] glory and the exact representation of His nature.” Christ reflects God’s attributes and is the exact likeness of God. That is why Christ could say, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).

By using the term eikon, Paul emphasizes that Jesus is both the representation and manifestation of God. He is the full, final, and complete revelation of God. He is God in human flesh. That was His claim (John 8:58), and it is the unanimous testimony of Scripture (cf. Col. 2:9; Titus 2:13). To think anything less of Him is blasphemy and gives evidence of a mind blinded by Satan (2 Cor. 4:4).

Suggestions for Prayer

Thank the Lord for removing your spiritual blindness so that you could “see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Cor. 4:4).

For Further Study

According to Romans 8:29, what has God predestined for all believers?

From Strength for Today by John MacArthur

http://www.gty.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Equipped for Hard Things

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For this commandment which I command you this day is not too difficult for you, nor is it far off.

— Deuteronomy 30:11 (AMPC)

“This is too hard” is one of the excuses we hear most frequently. But we are equipped by God’s Spirit to handle hard things. We are anointed to press through and see victory. The next time you are tempted to say something is too hard, look at Deuteronomy 30:11, which says, “It is not too difficult!”

Anything God leads you to do, you can do. God never leads you to do something unless He gives you the power and the ability to do it. Prepare yourself for right action with power thoughts. Think, I don’t know how I’m going to do it, I don’t feel like I can do it, but God is leading me to do it. And I believe if He is leading me to do it, then I can. Because I believe I can do whatever I need to do through the power of God that resides in me.

Prayer of the Day: Father God, please guide me, direct me, and strengthen my faith. I know that through Your power, I can overcome any challenge I may face, amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Alistair Begg

Truth for Life; Alistair Begg – The Greatest Discovery

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Going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.

Matthew 2:11

When the wise men came to Jerusalem in search of the King of the Jews at the end of what was likely an 800-mile journey, they quickly discovered that they had arrived in the wrong place. They came to the king’s palace in Jerusalem because of an entirely logical deduction: they thought the palace in the capital city would be the best place to begin. Yet they soon realized that they were going to need more guidance than the stars could provide.

When King Herod heard that the wise men were inquiring about the birth of a new king, he assembled the chief priests and scribes, who determined that the Christ was to be born “in Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet” (Matthew 2:5). The religious specialists were themselves indifferent to this great knowledge, but they demonstrated to the wise men that they needed the Scriptures to point them in the right direction. God may employ all kinds of extraordinary means to draw people to Himself, but He always brings them to His word, the Bible, in order that they might encounter the living Word, His Son. There is no other way to God except by the Christ of God, who is revealed to us in the word of God.

Having been led by the Scriptures to Jesus, the wise men then made their greatest discovery: worshiping Christ was the only appropriate response. When they finally encountered Jesus, they fell down, worshiped Him, and offered Him gifts. In the same way, whatever God may use to trigger our thinking and investigation of the truth, whenever He finally brings us to Jesus, we don’t arrive before Him as arrogant researchers. No, when our eyes are opened to the majesty of King Jesus, we bow before Him in humility, wonder, and awe.

In your search for the truth, have you yet discovered that the Bible is the surest guide? And, having discovered Christ, have you also discovered that mere knowledge of Him is insufficient—that the only right response is worship, laying before Him the best of all you have: your time, your possessions, your energies, your heart? You know you have grasped the message of the first Christmas if you have sensed that there is a God who is at work, if you have met with Jesus His Son through His word… and if you have bowed down before Him and now offer Him your life daily.

Questions for Thought

How is God calling me to think differently?

How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?

What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Further Reading

Psalm 29

Topics: God’s Word Jesus Christ Truth

Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg

http://www.truthforlife.org