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Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Bill Bright, Campus Crusade, God’s Home Is Holy

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“Don’t you realize that all of you together are the house of God, and that the Spirit of God lives among you in His house? If anyone defiles and spoils God’s home, God will destroy him. For God’s home is holy and clean, and you are that home” (1 Corinthians 3:16,17).

At this writing, I am with the staff at our annual training on the campus of Colorado State University. In addition to the 3,000 United States and Canadian field staff of Campus Crusade for Christ who are here, thousands more are attending music workshops, summer school, numerous conferences and meetings on this campus. Also, the entire Denver Broncos professional football team is here for training.

Throughout the day, from early morning till late at night, the campus is alive with people jogging, roller-skating, playing tennis, walking and other physical activities. These people are disciplining their bodies, keeping them in good physical tone.

Sadly, however, I also witness many people who lack interest in physical well-being by smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages. A stroll down the sidewalks of this beautiful campus will reveal numerous smokers. And, in the early hours, before the clean-up crews go to work, one can see in the gutters the empty beer cans from the previous night’s revelry and carousing.

The body of the Christian is the temple of God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19 and 1 Corinthians 3:16,17). For this reason, God asks us to present our bodies as “living sacrifices,” holy and righteous, for God could dwell in no less a temple.

Bible Reading: I Corinthians 3:11-15

TODAY’S ACTION POINT:  I will take especially good care of my body – physically, mentally, spiritually – realizing it is the temple of God’s Holy Spirit.

 

http://www.cru.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – He Took My Sin

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Listen to Today’s Devotion

Denalyn and I had enjoyed a nice dinner at a local restaurant. As we received our bill, a church member spotted us and came over. After we chatted a few moments, he took our bill.  “I’ll take this,” he said.  Guess what?  I let him do what he wanted to do.  I let him take it away.

Someday we will stand before God.  All of us will be present.  All of us will have to give an account for our lives.  Every thought, every deed, every action.  Were it not for the grace of Christ, I would find this to be a very terrifying thought.  Yet, according to Scripture, Jesus came to “take away the sins of the world” (John 1:29).  On that day, I will point to Christ.  When my list of sins is produced, I will gesture toward him and say, “He took it.”  Let him take yours!

Read more Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World

 

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Is the government violating religious freedom by restricting church services? A Holy Wednesday invitation to solitude

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This is the first Holy Week in Christian history to be observed primarily online.

From livestreamed services at the Vatican to video sermons recorded and shared on cell phones, Christians and Christian churches all over the world are meeting virtually these days.

This is a controversial subject. Some claim that governmental restrictions on worship services are an infringement of religious liberty and a violation of the separation of church and state. Others disagree, noting that such prohibitions do not single out religious gatherings but include all events at which people could become infected with coronavirus. Still others claim that church services should be classified as “essential” functions and allowed to continue under social distancing guidelines.

I agree with Dr. Albert Mohler and Kelly Shackelford’s statement in the Washington Post: “Asking houses of worship to briefly suspend large gatherings is neither hostile toward religion nor unreasonable in light of the threat. Rather, this is a time for all of us to exercise prudence over defiance. Love for God and neighbor demands nothing less.”

However, my purpose today is not to litigate this issue. Rather, it is to encourage us to reframe social distancing in a way that aligns with this day in Holy Week.

You might respond by noting that the Gospels do not record any activities of our Lord on the Wednesday before he died. I agree.

“God goes where he’s wanted” 

Jesus spent the first four nights of Holy Week in Bethany, a suburb east of Jerusalem, at the home of his friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus (cf. Matthew 21:17).

Making the homes of others his own was customary for our Lord. He stayed with Peter and his family when in Capernaum (cf. Matthew 8:14; Mark 1:29). He once said, “the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20).

But as Philip Yancey noted, “God goes where he’s wanted.”

Continue reading Denison Forum – Is the government violating religious freedom by restricting church services? A Holy Wednesday invitation to solitude →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – God’s Goodness in Discipline

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Hebrews 12:1-13

When a parent uses negative consequences in disciplining a son or daughter, the child might think, If you really loved me, you wouldn’t ground me. And the truth is, we often feel the same way when God disciplines us. But like any loving human parent, God has a goal of helping us grow. As today’s passage in Hebrews says, discipline doesn’t feel good initially; it hurts. Yet if we learn to accept and be trained by it, our lives will be transformed and bear fruit.

Unfortunately, we sometimes mistake God’s discipline for punishment, especially when we’re distracted or consumed with busyness. It’s easier to consider that discipline a blessing if we’re looking for the big picture of how God works in our life. But instead, we often complain, “If You were good to me, You wouldn’t do this or that” and, as a result, completely miss out on what He is doing.

In Psalm 23:6, when David writes, “Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,” he is expressing that God’s blessings are present with us every day we are alive. The Lord pours out His goodness upon us—in our trials just as much as in our ease and comfort. Let’s pray for eyes to see those blessings and evidence of God’s good character and purposes.

Bible in One Year: 2 Samuel 10-12

 

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — A New Calling

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Bible in a Year:

He has saved us and called us to a holy life.

2 Timothy 1:9

Today’s Scripture & Insight:2 Timothy 1:6–14

Teenage gang leader Casey and his followers broke into homes and cars, robbed convenience stores, and fought other gangs. Eventually, Casey was arrested and sentenced. In prison, he became a “shot caller,” someone who handed out homemade knives during riots.

Sometime later, he was placed in solitary confinement. While daydreaming in his cell, Casey experienced a “movie” of sorts replaying key events of his life—and of Jesus, being led to and nailed to the cross and telling him, “I’m doing this for you.” Casey fell to the floor weeping and confessed his sins. Later, he shared his experience with a chaplain, who explained more about Jesus and gave him a Bible. “That was the start of my journey of faith,” Casey said. Eventually, he was released into the mainline prison population, where he was mistreated for his faith. But he felt at peace, because “[he] had found a new calling: telling other inmates about Jesus.”

In his letter to Timothy, the apostle Paul talks about the power of Christ to change lives: God calls us from lives of wrongdoing to follow and serve Jesus (2 Timothy 1:9). Watch the story of Bernice Lee and Tan Soo-Inn in the devotional video, “Jesus, the Spiritual Leader.” Like Casey, they experienced God’s grace, and now the Holy Spirit empowers them to be living witnesses of Christ’s love. Through the Holy Spirit’s enabling, we too have a new calling to share the good news (v. 8).

By:  Alyson Kieda

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – A Lenten Lament

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A Lenten Lament

Suffering blurs the vision. Through the fog of confusion or the veil of tears, afflictions obscure our lens of life. They tend to displace our emotions and reconstitute our rationale. Normality is often abruptly upended. Suffering becomes what feels like an inescapable labyrinth of lament.

This emotional entanglement is explored throughout various books of the Bible, but it is particularly palpable in the Old Testament. The Psalms, for example, express various authors’ raw feelings, and the unhinging nature of suffering is on full display:

“My soul pants for you, O God… My tears have been my food day and night… how I used to go with the multitude.”(1)

In our distressful moments, we long for this language of lament. We long for approval to voice our sorrows, an invitation to lament both individually and corporately. This invitation is found in the Christian religious tradition called Lent. This 40-day period is a time of spiritual and emotional preparation leading to the events of Holy Week and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It is a time where all who lament can feel encouraged to do so. It is also a time where the suffering of Christ reorients our focus. We are not alone.

Jeremiah was arguably the biblical figure most known for his intimate relationship with sorrow. He was burdened with the unenviable task of prophesizing God’s justice and ultimate judgement against his fellow Israelites, who, despite warnings, were engaging in unjust practices and behaviors. Their disobedient hearts resulted in exile and the destruction of their beloved city. Throughout his lengthy book, Jeremiah endures rejection, suffers loneliness, languishes in isolation, and sustains beatings. Anguish is ever-present. “My grief is beyond healing; my heart is broken… I hurt with the hurt of my people. I mourn and am overcome with grief.”(2)

In the midst of our current global crisis, we feel besieged by the presence of suffering, too. Like Jeremiah, our eyes may feel like fountains of tears. Perhaps it is the persistent prick of seclusion. In this time of social distancing, isolation can be even more discomforting. Perhaps the anguish of anxiety looms in a ubiquitous manner. Uncertainty and the unease that accompanies it have ironically become synonymous with regularity. Perhaps the loss of a loved one has soaked our joy in sadness. Hope can feel as fleeting and remote as the mandated lack of human embrace.

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – A Lenten Lament →

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Quit the Complaining

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Who satisfies your mouth…with good so that your youth, renewed, is like the eagle’s [strong, overcoming, soaring]! — Psalm 103:5 (AMPC)

Adapted from the resource Wake Up to the Word – by Joyce Meyer

A lot of our problems are often a result of complaining when we could have been praising or thanking God. Excessive complaining is definitely not God’s will or purpose for His people. The whole world seems to be grumbling about something, but each of us can make the decision to set a different and more positive example.

The next time you’re tempted to complain, please remember that it’s a complete waste of time, and it says loudly and clearly to God that you’re not satisfied with the way He’s taking care of you. You may not be able to change the thing that’s bothering you, but you can choose to change the way you think about it. As you start to focus on and thank Him for what He’s done for you, you’ll become more content, and He’ll help you get from where you are to where you need to be.

Prayer Starter: Father, please help me to keep my focus on the right things, to stay away from complaining, and to choose to speak positive words. Thank You for taking care of me, and for always staying by my side. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Reap What You Sow 

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“Don’t be misled; remember that you can’t ignore God and get away with it: a man will always reap just the kind of crop he sows!” (Galatians 6:7).

Steve had just been introduced to this great and exciting law of sowing and reaping. “Is it really true,” he asked, “that I will always reap what I sow – and more than I sow – good or bad?”

I was able to assure him, from the authority of Scripture, from experience of 36 years of walking with Christ and by observing closely the lives of many thousands of Christians with whom I have counseled and worked, that the law of sowing and reaping is just as true and inviolate as the law of gravity.

If you want to judge a man, an American humorist once said, you should not look at him in the face but get behind him and see what he is looking at, what he is sowing.

For example, is he looking at God with reverence – or with no deference at all? Does he really believe God means what He says?

A student once asked, “If I give my life to Christ, do I become a puppet?”

The answer is a resounding no! We never become puppets. We have the right of choice; we are free moral agents. God’s Word assures us that He guides and encourages us, but we must act as a result of our own self-will. God does not force us to make decisions.

The more we understand the love, the wisdom, the sovereignty, the grace and power of God, the more we will want to trust Him with every detail of our lives. The secret of the supernatural life is to keep Christ on the throne of our lives and delight ourselves in Him as Lord.

We fail in the Christian life when we, as a deliberate act of our will, choose to disobey the leading of the Holy Spirit.

It is a tragedy of the human will that we often think we have a better way than God has for living the Christian life. But do not deceive yourself or allow Satan to mislead you: God’s way is best!

Bible Reading: Galatians 6:6-10

TODAY’S ACTION POINT:  I will seek to sow seeds of love and kindness and faith knowing that as a result I will reap God’s best for my life.

 

http://www.cru.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Great Grace

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Listen to Today’s Devotion

I can bear witness to the power of God’s grace!  I could take you to the church, to the section of seats in the church auditorium.  I might even be able to find the very seat in which I was sitting when this grace found me.  I was a twenty-year-old college sophomore, living with a concrete block of guilt that had made a mess of my life.

But then I heard a preacher describe the divine grace that is greater than sin.  At the end of the message he asked if anyone would like to come forward and receive this grace.  Iron chains couldn’t have held me back. Truth be told, chains had held me back.  But mercy snapped the guilt chains and set me free.  I know this truth firsthand– Guilt frenzies the soul; grace calms it!  The benefit of being a great sinner is dependence upon a great grace!

Read more Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World

 

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

 

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – The brightest supermoon of the year: A Holy Tuesday invitation to risk-taking faith that changes eternity

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Many of us are praying for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to recover from COVID-19 after he was moved to intensive care yesterday. As of this morning, he is not yet on a ventilator but is receiving oxygen support.

Meanwhile, the “biggest, brightest supermoon of 2020” is rising tonight. April’s full moon is a supermoon, meaning that it is full while also in perigee (its closest approach to us). During a supermoon, the moon is about 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than a normal full moon.

The April full moon is called the “pink moon” because it coincides with the blooming of the moss pink wildflower. The best time to view it will be tonight after the sun goes down.

A trick question and a transforming answer 

On Holy Tuesday, Jesus returns to the now-cleansed temple to teach the people. His enemies cannot find a way to arrest him due to his popularity, so they try to lure him into committing blasphemy and defaming himself before the crowds.

Among their attempts is this question asked by a lawyer: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” (Matthew 22:36). If Jesus names one of their 613 laws, they will accuse him of rejecting the others.

Our Lord replies: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (vv. 37–40).

Focusing our moon on the Son 

What does Jesus’ answer on Holy Tuesday have to do with the “biggest, brightest supermoon of 2020” that will appear tonight?

Continue reading Denison Forum – The brightest supermoon of the year: A Holy Tuesday invitation to risk-taking faith that changes eternity →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Is God Always Good?

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Romans 11:33-36

Because God’s thoughts are so much higher than ours, we don’t always see His goodness in painful situations. We ask, If God is good, why do bad things happen to us? Or, Why is there a hell? We forget that His perspective is superior to ours (Job 42:1-5). Then we accuse Him of being unjust, ask Him to bend to our rules, and disregard His goodness.

Suffering and heartache began when Adam and Eve doubted God’s goodness. The serpent convinced them the Lord was trying to cheat them out of knowledge. How often do we have the same bitter feeling? Yet, behind every one of the Lord’s restrictions, exhortations, or commands is His goodness. He wants to protect us from the tormenting consequences of sin.

God created us with free will so we might choose to love Him—and that means His permissive will may allow bad things to happen. Sin’s consequences hurt , but this doesn’t diminish God’s goodness: For those who love Him, He can bring good out of the worst circumstances (Rom. 8:28).

If you can’t trace God’s hand or discern what He’s doing in difficult situations, remember that He cares for you and He is good. Though we may not understand His ways, we can trust them.

Bible in One Year: 2 Samuel 7-9

 

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — A Good Man

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Bible in a Year:

By grace you have been saved, through faith—and that is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.

Ephesians 2:8

Today’s Scripture & Insight:Romans 3:10–18

“Jerry was a good man,” the pastor said at Jerald Stevens’ memorial service. “He loved his family. He was faithful to his wife. He served his country in the armed services. He was an excellent dad and grandfather. He was a great friend.”

But then the pastor went on to tell the friends and family gathered that Jerry’s good life and good deeds were not enough to assure him a place in heaven. And that Jerry himself would have been the first to tell them that!

Jerry believed these words from the Bible: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) and “the wages of sin is death” (6:23). Jerry’s final and eternal destination in life’s journey was not determined by whether he lived a really good life but entirely by Jesus—the perfect Son of God—dying in his place to pay sin’s penalty. He believed that each of us must personally accept the free gift of God, which is “eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (v. 23).

Jerry was a good man, but he could never be “good enough.” Watch Rasool Berry’s “Jesus, the Good Man” devotional video. He, like us, had to learn that salvation and righteousness aren’t the results of human effort. They’re gifts by God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8).

“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15).

By:  Cindy Hess Kasper

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Enveloping Darkness

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Someone told me recently that he wondered if humans only truly ever pray when we are in the midst of despair. Despite creed or confession, is it only when we have no other excuses to offer, no other comfort to hide behind, no more façades to uphold, that we are most likely to bow in exhaustion and be real with God and ourselves? “For most of us,” writes C.S. Lewis, “the prayer in Gethsemane is the only model.” In our distress, we stand before God as we truly are: creatures in need hope and mercy.

The words within the ancient Hebrew story of Jonah that are of most interest to me are words that in some ways seem not to fit in the story at all.(1) Interrupting a narrative that quickly draws in its hearers, a narrative about Jonah, the text very fleetingly pauses to bring us the voice of Jonah himself in his own words before returning again to the narrative. The eight lines come in the form of a distraught and despairing, though poetic prayer of desperation. And while it is true that the poem could be entirely omitted without affecting the coherence of the story, the deliberate jaunt in the narrative text seems to provide a moment of significant commentary to the whole. The eight verses of poetry not only mark an abrupt shift in the tone of the text, but also in the attitude of its main character who has been swallowed up by despair and darkness. The poetic words of the prophet, spoken as a cry of deliverance, arise from within the belly of the great fish that has swallowed him. It is a stirring image reminiscent of another despairing soul’s question: O Lord, cries the psalmist: Where can I flee from your presence? If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. If I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me.

Jonah’s eloquent prayer for deliverance stands out in a book that is detailed with this prophet’s egotistic mantras and glaring self-deceptions. By his own actions, Jonah finds himself in darkness, and yet it is in the dark that he speaks most honestly to God. The story is vaguely familiar to many hearers, and yet memory often seems to minimize the distress that breaks Jonah’s silence with God. The popular notion that Jonah went straight from the side of the ship into the mouth of the fish is not supported by either the narrative as a whole or Jonah’s prayer. As one theologian suggests, “[Jonah] was half drowned before he was swallowed. If he was still conscious, sheer dread would have caused him to faint—notice that there is no mention of the fish in his prayer. He can hardly have known what caused the change from wet darkness to an even greater dry darkness. When he did regain consciousness, it would have taken some time to realize that the all-enveloping darkness was not that of Sheol but of a mysterious safety.”(2)

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Enveloping Darkness →

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – A Great Big Happy Life

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…It is more blessed (makes one happier and more to be envied) to give than to receive.— Acts 20:35 (AMPC)

 

Adapted from the resource Trusting God Day by Day – by Joyce Meyer

Since being good to people has become one of my personal goals, my ” joy tank” never runs dry for very long. I’ve even discovered that when I do get sad or discouraged, I can begin to think on purpose about what I can do for someone else, and before long I’m feeling better.

You might have heard the verse, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35 NKJV). The Amplified Bible says it this way: “It is more blessed (makes one happier and more to be envied) to give than to receive.” You may know that verse, but do you really believe it? If you do, then you’re probably doing your best to be a blessing everywhere you go. For a long time, I could quote this verse, but I obviously didn’t believe it because I spent my time trying to be blessed rather than looking to bless others.

I’ve now learned that we don’t really know what joy is until we forget about ourselves, start focusing on others, and become generous givers. To be generous, we need to do more than just toss some change in a bucket during the holidays or give to our church once a week. Giving on Sunday should simply be practice for the way we live our everyday lives outside the four walls of the church. I don’t want to just give offerings; I want to be a giver. I want to offer myself every day to God for whatever He might need me to do. It took me a long time to develop this attitude, though! Over many years, I had to tell myself thousands of times, “I love people, and I enjoy helping people.” If you’ll put it into practice, this thought will change your life.

As you become a generous giver, you’ll be amazed at how happy you are and how much more you enjoy life! If you want to be like God, always go the extra mile, always give more than enough, and always be generous.

Prayer Starter: Father, please help me be more intentional to love, serve and give generously. Thank You for showing me how to bless people today! In Jesus’ Name, amen.

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Fair in Everything

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“The Lord is fair in everything He does, and full of kindness. He is close to all who call on Him sincerely” (Psalm 145:17,18).

Are you afraid to trust the Lord? I find that many people who have had unfortunate experiences in their youth with their parents, especially their fathers, have a reluctance to trust God.

In my talks with thousands of students, I have found a number of young people who have such an attitude problem.

Even the best of earthly parents, at times, are unfair and fail to demonstrate kindness. Yet how wonderful it is to know that our Lord is fair in everything He does and is full of kindness, and He is always close to all who call upon Him sincerely.

Notice that the Scripture promise quoted above is a categorical statement. The psalmist permits no exceptions, even when we are sure we deserved better than we received. Thus we need to claim the promise in God’s Word by faith and live by it. Some day we will see events from God’s side and recognize the fairness we could not see here.

We often see “as in a glass darkly,” but God has perfect 20/20 vision. That’s why the attitude of trust alone will help us overcome our feelings that God or the world, is unfair. Only then can we live a supernatural life of daily acceptance of what God sends our way.

Bible Reading: Psalm 145:8-12

TODAY’S ACTION POINT:  Today I will put my trust in God and His goodness, no matter how I feel. I will move beyond preoccupation with my disappointments and carry out God’s appointments in the certainty that our Lord is fair in everything He does and will enable me to live supernaturally as I continue to trust and obey Him.

 

http://www.cru.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – The Problem with Unresolved Guilt

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Listen to Today’s Devotion

What kind of person does unresolved guilt create? An anxious one, forever hiding, running, denying, pretending. As one man admitted, “I was always living a lie for fear someone might see me for who I really was and think less of me.  I hid behind my super spirituality but this lie was exhausting and anxiety producing.”

Unresolved guilt will turn you into a miserable, weary, angry, fretful mess.  In a psalm David wrote after his affair with Bathsheba, the kind said, “When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long.  Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me.  My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.”  (Psalm 32:3-4)

As Paul told Titus, God’s grace is the fertile soil out of which courage sprouts! “God’s readiness to give and forgive is now public. Salvation’s available for everyone!” (Titus 2:11, 15 MSG).

Read more Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

 

 

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Denison Forum – ‘We are beginning to see the glimmers of progress’: A Holy Monday invitation to the cleansing power of Jesus

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Vice President Mike Pence said last night, “We are beginning to see the glimmers of progress” in the fight to slow the spread of COVID-19 in the US and around the world. I watched the press conference and was also encouraged by Dr. Deborah Birx, the US coronavirus coordinator. She reported on hopeful signs from Spain and Italy, “where we see, finally, new cases and deaths declining.” As she said, “It’s giving us hope of what our future could be.”

All this because more people than ever are practicing social distancing. However, stay-at-home orders are also affecting many people in damaging ways. Some cities in China are reporting record-high divorce rates after stay-at-home orders were lifted. Pornography consumption rates in the US are up. Isolation is challenging those in recovery from other addictions as well.

This Holy Week, we will focus each day on what Jesus did that day on his way to Calvary and the resurrection. What does Holy Monday say to us as we are socially distancing on a level unprecedented in our lifetimes?

“Hosanna to the Son of David!” 

Our Lord entered Jerusalem triumphantly on Palm Sunday (Mark 11:1–10), then spent the night in Bethany (vv. 11–12). On Holy Monday, he cursed a barren fig tree as a symbol of the “fruitless” nation of Israel (vv. 12–14; cf. Jeremiah 8:13; Micah 7:1). He next drove moneychangers from the temple (Mark 11:15–18).

Then “the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them” (Matthew 21:14). He received the praise of children “crying out in the temple, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’” (v. 15), despite the indignation of the chief priests and scribes (vv. 15–16). Then, “leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there” (v. 17).

Let’s focus today on Jesus’ cleansing of the temple. Five financial functions took place there during Holy Week, each of which incurred our Lord’s wrath.

Five reasons Jesus cleansed the temple 

People came to Jerusalem for Passover “from every nation under heaven” (Acts 2:5). Since there were no banks along the way, they had to bring the money they would need to finance their trip to Jerusalem and back. (Some stayed in the Holy City for fifty days until Pentecost, which made their trip even more expensive; cf. Acts 2:5–11).

Three financial functions were performed at the temple which carried their own Greek designation but are translated into the same English term: money-changers.

One: Foreign coins had to be changed into local currency, which was the function of the kollybistes (the “money-changers” of Matthew 21:12).

Two: Travelers would typically bring large denominations of money for ease of transport, which had to be converted into smaller coins. This was the function of the kermatistes, (the “money-changers” of John 2:14).  Continue reading Denison Forum – ‘We are beginning to see the glimmers of progress’: A Holy Monday invitation to the cleansing power of Jesus →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Sunday Reflection: The Blessing of Gentleness

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Modern life constantly bombards us with messages that say happiness depends on working hard to get every single thing we desire. It urges and even commands us to aggressively pursue satisfaction, sometimes at any cost (even when it hurts other people). Yet in turning to God’s Word, we find encouragement to live with meekness—or gentleness—toward the Lord, each other, and the world around us. But how?

It often feels like a struggle to express this kind of humility and compassion to the world, especially when there is so much brokenness all around us—and within our own heart. Being angry or despondent is much easier and perhaps also serves to protect ourselves. But think about the way God loves us and never holds back. Consider how you might press onward, following His example and sharing His goodness with everyone you meet this week.

Think about it
• What does it mean to be meek in our day-to-day life? Can you think of opportunities to be calmer, less selfish, or more genuine? To live with the awareness that we truly have nothing but yet are promised everything?

  •  Meditate on Galatians 5:22-24, contemplating the fruit of the Spirit and how the qualities listed relate to meekness.

Bible in One Year: 2 Samuel 4-6

 

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — The One Who Saves

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Bible in a Year:

They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!”

John 12:13

Today’s Scripture & Insight:John 12:12–18

He was called “one of the bravest persons alive,” but he wasn’t what others expected. Desmond was a soldier who declined to carry a gun. As a medic, he single-handedly rescued seventy-five injured soldiers in one battle, including some who once called him a coward and ridiculed him for his faith. Running into heavy gunfire, Desmond prayed continually, “Lord, please help me get one more.” He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism.

Scripture tells us that Jesus was greatly misunderstood. On a day foretold by the prophet Zechariah (9:9), Jesus entered Jerusalem and the crowd waved branches, shouting, “Hosanna!” (John 12:13). Quoting Psalm 118:26, they cried: “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” (John 12:13). But the very next verse in that psalm refers to bringing a sacrifice “with boughs in hand” (Psalm 118:27). While the crowd in John 12 anticipated an earthly king to save them from Rome, Jesus was much more. He was King of Kings and our sacrifice—God in the flesh, willingly embracing the cross to save us from our sins—a purpose prophesied centuries earlier.

“At first his disciples did not understand all this,” John writes. Only later “did they realize that these things had been written about him” (John 12:16). Illumined by His Word, God’s eternal purposes became clear. Watch Grant Stevenson’s devotional video, “Jesus, the Savior,” to learn more about the One who saves.

By:  James Banks

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Peace in the Midst of the Storm

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Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. — Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

When life feels overwhelming, there’s only one place we can go for true, lasting peace—Jesus Christ. He is the “Prince of Peace” (see Isaiah 9:6) and the Bible says He’s our shelter in the storm. (see Isaiah 4:6).

I used to think that the way to have peace was to get rid of all my problems. It was a wonderful day when the Lord helped me realize that I could come to Him for peace in the midst of my problems.

It reminds me of the old hymn, “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.” This is what the refrain says:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face;

And the things of the earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of His glory and grace.

You see, when we take our cares and worries to God and spend time with Him, we magnify Him or make Him “bigger” in our eyes. When we do, all of our problems and concerns suddenly look smaller. Compared to God, they grow dim and insignificant.

Your problems may be big, and they are not insignificant to God. But when you keep your eyes on Him, He gives you perspective.

I love Matthew 11:28 (NIV). Jesus says, Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

When we “come to Him”—when we read God’s Word, sing a song of worship or just sit and tell Him how good He is—He takes all of our worry, anxiety, fear and sadness and exchanges it with His peace, joy, hope and love.

When you feel worried and anxious, I know it’s easy to panic and allow fear to take over. That’s when you need to slow down, get still and focus on Jesus. He’s always with you, available any time of the day for you to cry out to Him for His supernatural peace.

Pray: “Father, right now I take a moment to come to You. Thank You for Your amazing love and how good You have been to me. Your strength, guidance and protection make all the difference in my life. Help me to always keep my eyes focused on You and receive Your supernatural peace and comfort. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org